Kashmir Files director Agnihotri on casting Anupam Kher for film that resonated with him
Anupam Kher and Vivek Agnihotri
Following his 2018 offering on the death of Indian politician Lal Bahadur Shastri, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri delves into another political offering. The Kashmir Files, backed by a powerful cast including Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumaar, sheds light on the killing of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.
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Agnihotri tells mid-day, “The biggest challenge in making this film was that nobody wants to finance a film that can [lead to] controversy. But, somebody has to do it. We want cinema to become the brand ambassador of India. This [is the kind of] cinema that takes the cause forward. The biggest compliment that we are receiving is that this is the most balanced and honest film on the subject,” he says of the response he’s received from audiences following several screenings in the US.
Kher’s casting in the film stands out as somewhat peculiar given that the ace actor is also a Kashmiri Pandit. Did his roots make him an ideal fit for the part? “My selection criteria is to have actors who can easily become the characters. In Bollywood, characters become actors. I was lucky to have veterans be part of it. They are all National Award-winners. I think this is one of Anupam’s best films after Saaransh. Since he is a Kashmiri, it was easier for him to speak the language. He understands the pain, and it reflects in his eyes.”
His love for the genre, he admits, stems from the skewed world of politics. “Politics is [messy] because of political games. Everybody is part of that, without realising that they are. I love to explore that deeply.”
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