Film ‘The Kashmir Files’ has already become a massive hit since the very first day of its release on March 11. Initially released with a limited screen count of around 600, Sunday saw a massive increase in the number of screens which showcased the film to up to 2000 nationwide. Such is the response that in Karnataka’s Bhatkal, people have even started protesting with a demand to screen the film in movie theatres.
On Sunday, Bhatkal, a town in Uttara Kannada district of Northern Karnataka witnessed outrage over the limited screening of The Kashmir Files in the local cinemas. Protestors alleged that the screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ was halted at around 2:30 PM in the Pushpanjali theatre, to make way for Prabhas-starrer Telugu flick Radhe Shyam. Soon, Hindu activists who were eager to watch ‘The Kashmir Files’ which records the tragedy and pain of the Kashmir Hindu genocide in 1990 demanded that the screening should be reinstated.
After much protest, the screening supervisor intervened at the venue and promised to schedule a special show at 8:45 PM. Talking about the incident, Srikanth Naik, a former soldier, said, “This is a film made for patriots. We all desire to see the true story of Kashmiri Pandits who have been covered by our own people in our own history,”
#TheKashmirFiles shows PHENOMENAL GROWTH… Grows 325.35% on Day 3 [vis-à-vis Day 1], NEW RECORD… Metros + mass belt, multiplexes + single screens, the *opening weekend biz* is TERRIFIC across the board… Fri 3.55 cr, Sat 8.50 cr, Sun 15.10 cr. Total: ₹ 27.15 cr. #India biz. pic.twitter.com/FsKN36sDCp
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 14, 2022
Despite all odds, including the initial limited screen release, Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ has turned out a massive hit among the masses. With a very good opening on Friday (March 11) with Rs 3.55 crores, the film rose to make Rs. 8.5 crore on Saturday and Rs 15 crore on Day 3, Sunday. With a collective weekend of around Rs. 27.15 Cr, the film has emerged as the first choice among cinemagoers beating Gangubai Kathiawadi, Radhe Shyam and Batman.
Looking at the brevity of the subject and the audience’s response, various state governments in India including Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana have declared the film tax-free.
Kudos to @vivekagnihotri for #TheKashmirFiles, a blood-curdling, poignant & honest narrative of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their home land.
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) March 13, 2022
To lend our support to the movie & encourage our people to watch it, we will make the movie tax-free in Karnataka.
Directed by Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, the film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Bhasha Sumbli and Chinmay Mandlekar in lead roles.
