The Kashmir Files has been included in the reminder list for the Oscars in 2023. Four more Indian films – RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Chhello Show and Kantara have made it to the list, which makes them eligible to compete for the Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards.
A jubilant The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri belted out a series of tweets, saying: “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: #TheKashmirFiles has been shortlisted for #Oscars2023 in the first list of @TheAcademy. It’s one of the 5 films from India. I wish all of them the very best. A great year for Indian cinema.”
In another tweet he said: “#PallaviJoshi #MithunChakraborty @DarshanKumaar @AnupamPKher are all shortlisted for best actor categories. It’s just the beginning. A long long road ahead. Pl bless them all”.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: #TheKashmirFiles has been shortlisted for #Oscars2023 in the first list of @TheAcademy. It’s one of the 5 films from India. I wish all of them very best. A great year for Indian cinema. 🙏🙏🙏
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 10, 2023
The movie raised a storm across the world over its depiction of the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus. While the Hindus and Kashmiri Pandit organisations hailed it for bringing to the fore the ethnic cleansing of the Hindus by Islamists in Kashmir, it was also panned for fanning passions and generating Islamophobia.
In his tweet, actor Anupam Kher highlighted how nobody spoke about the ethnic cleansing of the Hindus for 32 years.
Mumbai | I am deeply humbled by the shortlisting of the film. #TheKashmirFiles is a special film since it talks about the genocide that happened & nobody spoke about the incident for 32 years: Actor Anupam Kher on 'The Kashmir Files' being eligible for Oscar nomination
(ANI) pic.twitter.com/1CdHPGwEzC
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 10, 2023
In many countries like New Zealand and Australia the movie was hauled up before the censors before it was finally released for public viewing. In many other countries Hindu organisations and students received threats over organising screenings of the movie.
In post-pandemic India, The Kashmir Files became the first film to garner Rs 250 crore. Made on a lean budget without big stars, the movie was rated a big hit and garnered eyeballs, and also controversies, everywhere. The Baloch community too wished that Agnihotri would make a film depicting its struggle against the Pakistani military.
After RRR, Kantara, Gangubai Kathiawadi and The Kashmir Files Join Oscars 2023 Race
Not only RRR but films such as Kantara, #TheKashmirFiles 😎 and Gangubai Kathiawadi stand a chance to bag a nomination at the Oscars 2023.https://t.co/mjkVFlRkX9
— Amrita Bhinder 🇮🇳 (@amritabhinder) January 10, 2023
The debate around the movie led Agnihotri on a whirlwind tour of the UK and Europe to hold screenings as well as talk about ethnic cleansing of the Hindus in the nineties in Kashmir and why no one was brought to justice. He also hit out at the usage of the term ‘Islamophobia’ which he said was being used as a shield by radical Islamists.
The official nominations for the Oscars, which are regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry, will be announced on January 24, 2023. The award ceremony will be held on 12 March 2023 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Also read: Vivek Agnihotri fights back—slams foreign media for driving a pro-Jihadi narrative about Kashmir
