The Kashmir Files has become a box office juggernaut, something that has almost never happened in Indian cinema’s history. The idea that a low-budget film with no advertising and no major stars in the cast can do this, especially in a nation like India, is astounding.
But, despite the fact that it is not a ‘feel-good’ or’ entertaining film, why are people flocking to the theatres across the country only to see this film?
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The reason for this is the topic itself, as well as the fact that this storyline, which depicts events from the perspective of Kashmiri Pandits, has never been examined so openly before. The producers of the film were not concerned with political correctness when conveying the narrative, and this is precisely why it became a success.
Thousands of people have been made aware of the grim truth of Kashmir and the horrible genocide of non-Muslim Kashmiris that has been covered up or ignored for years, thanks to the film The Kashmir Files. Some people find it difficult to believe that the film is based on genuine events because the victims of the incident were never acknowledged.
A number of videos have appeared on social media showing Kashmiri Pandits crying and breaking down after seeing the film in theatres. Apart from Trauma, the reason for this is the film’s direct acknowledgement of a number of real-life recorded instances, which are depicted in raw, brutal detail.
Below are four examples. Please note that, despite the fact that the recorded proof of these instances has existed for more than 30 years, these can be considered as spoilers.
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1. Bitta Karate interview
In the opening of The Kashmir Files’ trailer, an interview is presented, which is practically a frame-by-frame copy of Bitta Karate’s true confession, in which he acknowledged murdering at least 20-25 Kashmiri Pandits. Watch both YouTube videos below.
2. The Killing of BK Ganjoo in a rice drum
The film’s depiction of Anupam Kher’s son being shot left, right, and centre inside a rice drum, and his wife being given the same rice mixed with her husband’s blood by terrorists, is based on a true story involving the murder of a telecom engineer BK Ganjoo.
March, 1990. Terrorists came for BK Ganjoo. He hid inside a rice barrel. His Muslim neighbour informed on him.
Ganjoo was shot dead. Rice laced with his blood was fed to his wife. Here, @sunandavashisht in her Senate testimony recounts the incident, captured in #TheKashmirFiles. pic.twitter.com/CzJeT0VHJK
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) March 8, 2022
3. Girija Tickoo’s horrific rape and murder with a carpenter’s saw
Sharda, played by Bhasha Sumbli in the film, dies a terrible death that may be the most brutal ever seen in a Bollywood film. A motorised carpenter saw is used to cut her in half while she is still alive. The event is a throwback to the case of Girija Tickoo, who was raped before getting killed in a similar manner. Following the film’s premiere, her niece shared a post of Instagram sharing the horrific incident.
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4. The 1998 Wandhama Massacre
The film’s last sequence is a clear homage to the terrible Wandhama massacre of 1998, in which 25 Kashmiri Hindus were slaughtered in the town of Wandhama. Four children and nine women were among the dead. The slaughter was attributed to the Lashkar-e-Taiba/Hizbul Mujahideen. On the same event, a Twitter user shared a message from his father. His father worked as a reporter when this Wandhama Massacre happened.
Message from my father about #TheKashmirFiles 💔 pic.twitter.com/fF5UDgAx5L
— Samay Raina (@ReheSamay) March 13, 2022
There are many more references to real-life situations in the film, as anyone who reads historical records on the Kashmiri Pandit genocide would see. The film has been gaining traction at the box office, and if it continues on its current trajectory, it may wind up shattering a slew of surprising records.
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Also read: Review Of ‘The Kashmir Files’ From The Eyes Of An Indian Muslim
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