On Tuesday (May 9), film director Vivek Agnihotri sent a legal notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her defamatory remarks about his movie ‘The Kashmir Files.’ A copy of the notice was posted by him on his official Twitter handle.
“For the reasons best known to you alone, when the movie was released on 11-03-2022, you made statements before media, which was telecasted and broadcasted on several television channels and newspapers, wherein you called said movie a “conspiracy” and that it is mostly fiction and planned,” the notice read.
It further stated, “You had tweeted the same and also made a statement on the floor of the assembly without taking the name of the movie. You further stated that the movie is funded and created and that there is a conspiracy to create unrest. You also urged the people not to watch the movie.”
The legal notice sent by Vivek Agnihotri pointed out that the statements made by Mamata Banerjee caused grave damage to the reputation of the director and impacted the profit of the movie.
It added how the director was abused and threatened with FIRs by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers following the announcement of his 2024 movie ‘The Delhi Files.’ It also highlighted the cancellation of the book signing event of Vivek Agnihotri in Kolkata.
In his legal notice, Vivek Agnihotri said that Mamata Banerjee made baseless allegations about his movie being funded by the BJP and that she has falsely accused him of defaming Kashmiri people.
“With stroke of single statement made by you, all the hard work, commitment, truthfulness of my clients and appreciation received by them has got damaged bringing bad name to movie and my clients and the same is irreparable,” it emphasised.
The legal notice sought either authenticated proof from Mamata Banerjee to substantiate her claims or an unconditional apology and withdrawal of her defamatory statements.
The Background of the Controversy
On Monday (May 8), West Bengal CM courted controversy by labelling ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Kerala Story’ as ‘distorted movies.’
During a press conference at Nabanna (State Secretariat), she claimed, “If the political party play with fire, casteism or divide and rule…Why this “Kashmir Files’? To humiliate one section. What is this Kerala File? Though I do not support the CPI (M) because they are working with BJP.”
“I am talking about the people…Instead of me, it was their duty (CPIM) to criticise it…That BJP is showing ‘The Kerala Files’…A distorted story,” Banerjee brazened it out.
The West Bengal CM went on to allege that the movie’s cast was sponsored by the BJP, which came to Bengal to promote ‘The Kerala Story’. She suggested that movie makers have no qualms about making Kashmir Files and supposedly ‘condemning’ Kashmiri people.
“What is the fault of people? We respect each and everybody. That is our Constitution. Now they are defaming the Kerala people and State. Their narrative is to defame the Bengal also,” Mamata Banerjee concluded.
The demonisation of ‘The Kashmir Files’
‘The Kashmir Files’ film takes viewers back to 1989, when due to rising Islamic Jihad, a huge conflict erupted in Kashmir, forcing the Kashmiri Hindus to flee the valley.
Ever since the movie hit the theatres, it came under attack from the left-liberal cabal and politicians accused of minority appeasement. They sought to denigrate the movie and term the real-life incidents showcased in it as the figment of the director’s imagination.