Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra recently defended himself for appearing on fellow filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri‘s podcast where they discusses The Kashmir Files and politics. Sudhir said that people called him out for appearing on Vivek Agnihotri’s podcast and said that he wanted to discuss politics and was not there to “agree with him” on matters related to his film and his political opinion.
Talking to Adityaraj Film’s, Mishra said, “People call me out saying I appeared in Vivek Agnihotri’s podcast. He is like my brother. His opinion could be anything, it could be wrong, but my opinion is also different. What makes it wrong… I didn’t go on his podcast to agree with him. Baat-cheet nahi karoge toh gadbad hai (if you don’t talk and discuss then it’ll become a mess).”
Sudhir appeared on Vivek’s podcast last year. Vivek invited him on his podcast after his tweet about The Kashmir Files went viral. In his tweet Sudhir, the maker of 2023 critically acclaimed film Afwaah, starring Bhumi Pednekar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, had written, “Liberals complain about Kashmir Files. Why? Vivek Agnihotri made a film and his audience came to theatres and saw it. But when we make films our audience who criticise Vivek sit on their arse and don’t come to the theatre. Sorry, I had to say it. #afwaah”
Liberals complain about Kashmir Files. Why? Vivek Agnihotri made a film and his audience came to theatres and saw it. But when we make films our audience who criticise Vivek sit on their a**e and don’t come to the theatre. Sorry, I had to say it. #afwaah
— Sudhir Mishra (@IAmSudhirMishra) April 28, 2023
During the podcast, the two filmmakers discussed several things including Agnihotri’s widely-discussed film The Kashmir Files. Mishra tried to make Agnihotri understand what critics were saying about the film. He said, “What do your critics say to you? People are using your film in the wrong way.” He added that people watched films like Article 15, Thappad, and Mulk. On this Agnihotri asked, “If people are not objecting to an Article 15 or Mulk, why do they have a problem if I make a film like Kashmir Files?”
To which Mishra had responded by saying, “Because you have a very strong point of view. The problem with your film is..you should not get attached to one viewpoint.” Immediately Agnihotri interrupted and asked Mishra if Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed was attached to a viewpoint. When he answered in the negative, Agnihotri questioned, “Then why did Congress promote it?” The filmmaker asked Mishra not to be defensive. He also added, “There is no harm in making political films. The more political films will be made, the more the voters will get mature. But there should not be bias in whose point of view should be accepted and whose not.”
Mishra’s Afwaah had a limited release as it was released in only 60 screen all over India, a shockingly low number. The filmmaker was vocal about people not turning up to watch his film. The film had released in theatres on May 5, 2023. The film battled a silent heartbreak even as reviews championed it as one of the bravest films of the year.
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