Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmit Files is one of the most successful films in the history of Indian cinema. Made with a small budget, the film went on to gross over Rs. 275 crores, something that no trade analyst had expected.
The Kashmir Files also managed to shun big budget films like Bachchan Pandey. In fact, not just audience, but many celebs too showed support for the film and tweeted how beautifully it was made, and how close to reality the film was. One of the stars who spoke in favour of the film was also Akshay Kumar. However, director Vivek Agnihotri feels that Akshay’s praise was more of a ‘majboori’.
Talking to RJ Raunac, Vivek Agnihotri said that the film did not get much support from the industry. When he pointed that Akshay Kumar spoke in favour of the film, Vivek said, ‘Woh toh majboori mein ab kya bolega aadmi jab 100 log saamne khade hoke sawaal puchenge Kashmir Files. ‘Aapki film nahi chali aur woh chal gayi’ toh kya bolsakte hai? Woh toh main ek function mein tha Bhopal mein usme bolna padh gaya (That he had to say out of helplessness when 100 people came to him asking about The Kashmir Files. When asked ‘your film didn’t do well and that one worked’ then what can he say? I was also attending a function in Bhopal where I had to praise the film).’
He further added, “Ek aadmi ne mujhe message nahi kiya…Sablog apni film promote karne jaate hai aur media waalein unse Kashmir Files ke baare mein puch lete hai. Toh unhe majboori mein kuch bolna padhta hai. Par apne mann se kisine kuch nahi bola (Nobody messaged me. Everyone was promoting their films and the media would ask about The Kashmir Files. They had to say something out of pressure. But no one said anything out of their own will).’
Akshay Kumar was at an event when he had said, “Hum sabko desh ki kahaniyan kehni hai, Kuch jaani maani, kuch ankahi, ansuni. Jaise Vivek ji ne Kashmir Files bana kar ek bahut bade dardnaak sach ko saamne rakha hai. Ye film ek aisi wave ban kar aayi jisne hum sabko jhinjhor kar diya hai . Wo aur baat haiki meri picture ko bhi duba diya hai. (All of us, we want to tell stories of our country. Some may be well-known, others not as much. For example, Vivek has made The Kashmir Files that brought a painful truth to the fore and shook us all. That it caused my film to flop is a different issue).” Vivek had shared the video on his social media and had written, ‘Thanks @akshaykumar for your appreciation for #TheKashmirFiles.’
