CHENNAI: Indian filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has criticised the Indian National Congress and Bollywood, calling the Congress from 2011 to 2014 "corrupt, arrogant, debauched, totally indifferent, greedy and ready to sell Indian interests."
He went on to say that Bollywood today is similarly disconnected from Indian culture and society. He was speaking at a session titled "The Local is Global: Telling Indian Tales," at the 11th edition of The New Indian Express' ThinkEdu Conclave 2023 in Chennai on Thursday.
Agnihotri also discussed his film "The Kashmir Files", claiming that it sparked a national conversation on the issue and that in a few years, people will understand its contribution to India's social-political relevance.
He expressed his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and explained his decision to support him in 2014 after research showed him to be a modern leader who wants India to grow and develop. “The Congress of 2011 to 2014 was corrupt, arrogant, debauched, totally indifferent, greedy, ready to sell Indian interests, always talking enemies' language, nothing to do with India's concerns. That's what Congress was. This is exactly what Bollywood is today," said the filmmaker.
Talking about Bollywood, he said that all the top 10 stars, directors, and producers do not represent Indian ethos or Indian culture or Indian society. That is why he felt he did not belong there. He said that every word and every pore of his body exudes Indian culture, thoughts and philosophy.
Discussing his film "The Kashmir Files," Agnihotri claimed that it has created a national conversation on the issue. He stated that "Many policymakers across the globe have been made aware of the Kashmir issue only through his film."
He went on to say, "Many policymakers have become aware of a problem which they were not aware of. A lot of people were aware but they used to think that Kashmir is not an Indian land and that we have illegally occupied it because that's what the propaganda has been for so many years. And when the news of killings used to come people used to believe that Indian armies were killing Muslims in Kashmir and only after seeing the film did they for the first time got to know that there were people from other communities also who lived in Kashmir."
Agnihotri mentioned that Kashmir is being debated almost every second day now because of the film.
He added, "Even one killing in Kashmir becomes national news which is a very big thing for a film to achieve. No other film in recent history has been able to create so much conversation around a theme." He added, "Mark my words, not today, but after a few years on, maybe when I'm not around, people will understand the value of a jury chairman to come on stage and call this propaganda. And after a few years, you will understand the contribution of the Kashmir files in India's social-political relevance and you will understand how many enemies of India we have busted and exposed."
Further, Agnihotri discussed his reasons for making a film on terrorism, stating that he wanted the younger generation to understand that it is not about Hindu or Muslim, but about terrorism itself. He further emphasized that people need to have the courage to stand up against terrorism and that people of all religions, including Sikhs and army personnel, have been victims of terrorism in Kashmir. He also questioned why Muslims who were forced to leave Kashmir are not speaking up about it.
Agnihotri went on to discuss his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. He explained that he initially received a letter signed by Aamir Khan and others in the industry warning him against voting for Modi, who they referred to as a fascist and dictator.
However, after conducting his research, Agnihotri found that Modi was a modern leader who wanted India to grow and become developed, giving Indians back their self-confidence. He mentioned that there is nothing wrong with a Prime Minister supporting a filmmaker, as past Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi have also supported filmmakers and cinema.
“We are disruptors, we have disrupted Bollywood," he said.