Row over Israeli filmmaker's criticism of 'propaganda' Indian movie 'The Kashmir Files'

An Israeli official has rebuked an Israeli filmmaker who criticised The Kashmir Files - a controversial Indian movie promoted by Narendra Modi’s right-wing supporters - after it was included as part of a film festival in India. 

Nadav Lapid, the chief of the jury at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), said he was "shocked" the movie was included at the festival, calling it "propaganda". 

"[The movie] felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival," The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Chair of the Jury of Goa Film Festival says that the Jury felt that Kashmir Files was a vulgar propaganda film, inappropriate for the film festival pic.twitter.com/FKTF93ZlRY

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) November 28, 2022

Israel's ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, criticised Lapid's comments, tweeting that the filmmaker has "abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you".

Released in March and one of India's highest-grossing films this year, The Kashmir Files shows how several hundred thousand Hindus fled Muslim militants in Indian-administered Kashmir in 1989 and 1990.

1. In Indian culture they say that a guest is like God. You have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you.

— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) November 29, 2022

The movie has been endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and seized on by Hindu hardliners to stir up hatred against India's Muslim minority.

Its supporters claim it sheds light on a neglected part of Kashmiri history, while critics have called it disingenuous and Islamophobic. 

“All of us were disturbed & shocked by 15th film, The Kashmir Files, That felt to us a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for the artistic, competitive section of a prestigious festival” - Nadav Lepid, IFFI jury head.

See below thread to understand the propaganda movie 👇 https://t.co/oo3wr9LBRZ

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) November 29, 2022

Israel and India have become increasingly close over the past few years, especially since Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power.

Modi had a particularly close relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Israeli leader who is likely to return to power following recent elections. 

Jammu and Kashmir is India's only Muslim-majority area, but Pakistan claims it and there is also an independence movement. Armed groups have been fighting against Indian rule for decades.

In 2019, the Modi government revoked Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy and divided it into two territories, imposing a draconian military curfew and arresting hundreds of people. The situation of Kashmiris is often compared to that of Palestinians.