Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

'The Kashmir Files' is a vulgar propaganda movie. I can repeat it again and again': Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid

“I’m sure that the director is furious. I would be furious too if someone would talk about my film the same way.

'The Kashmir Files' is a vulgar propaganda movie. I can repeat it again and again': Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid

Offering a "total apology" if his remarks on "The Kashmir Files" had been misinterpreted, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid has said his aim was not to insult the Kashmiri Pandit community or those who had suffered.

Lapid, who was the international jury chair at the recent International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and stirred massive controversy by terming the Vivek Agnihotri film "vulgar" and a "propaganda", reiterated that he only criticised the film for its "series of cinematic manipulations". "I didn't want to insult anyone. My aim was never to insult the people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologise if that's the way they interpreted it," Lapid, who has left the country since his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of the festival in Goa this week, told news channel CNN-News18 on Wednesday night.


"But at the same time, whatever I said and I said clearly that for me and my fellow jury members, it was and it is a vulgar propaganda movie that didn't have a place and was inappropriate for such a prestigious competitive section. I can repeat it again and again," he added.

"The Kashmir Files", written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, centres on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during militancy in the early 1990s. It was screened at the festival on November 22 under the Indian Panorama section.

The acclaimed director, known for his anti-establishment stance, said his remarks were neither a statement on the political situation in Kashmir nor a denial of the tragedy.

"I have enormous respect for the tragedy, victims, survivors and for whoever suffers there. It (my remarks) was not at all about this. I'll repeat these words 10,000 times if I have to say that I was not talking about the political issue, historical equation, or disrespecting the tragedy that happened in Kashmir," he said.

"I was talking about the movie and that such serious topics deserve, in my opinion, a serious film... ," he added. Lapid also dismissed claims made by IFFI international jury member Sudipto Sen, who had said the comments on Agnihotri's directorial were the Israeli director's "personal opinion".

"It wasn't a personal opinion at all," Lapid countered.

"We all thought that the movie used a series of manipulation, vulgar, violence because it was supposed to transmit a message that can cause hostility, violence and hate in the environment," he added.

A day after the controversy erupted, Agnihotri said he would quit filmmaking if intellectuals, including Lapid, were able to prove that events depicted in his film were false.

Asked to comment on Agnihotri's statement, the filmmaker said it was a natural reaction from the "The Kashmir Files" helmer.

"I'm sure that the director is furious. I would be furious too if someone would talk about my film the same way. My films are often looked upon as very controversial and polemic. Certain people have said some very harsh and horrible things about my movies.

"The filmmaker knows very well that the question is not what exactly were the facts. None of us (in the jury), especially myself, ever doubted the facts. I don't have any capacity, the tools to say what happened in Kashmir," Lapid, who lives mostly in France, said.

Lapid came under attack not just by "The Kashmir Files" team but also several BJP leaders and Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon as well as its Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani.

"Although he (Israeli ambassador) was absolutely aware of the fact that I was talking about the movie as propaganda, he blamed me for talking disrespectfully about the tragedy in Kashmir which is total nonsense. He is aware of it but he is a manipulator. He knew I was judging the movie as a filmmaker," he told the channel.

Lapid thanked IFFI for inviting him to be the head of the international jury.

"But since I was called to Goa in order to serve as the president of the jury as I did in dozens of festivals, the biggest ones like Cannes, Berlin, and others. My duty, my obligation was to tell the truth as I see it," he added.

More For You

Cardi B shocks Paris Couture Week with live crow and bold Schiaparelli look

Cardi B poses with a live crow outside the Petit Palais in Paris

Instagram/lamodemagazine__

Cardi B shocks Paris Couture Week with live crow and bold Schiaparelli look

Quick highlights:

  • Cardi B appeared at Schiaparelli’s Autumn 2025 couture show in Paris holding a live crow on her arm.
  • Her dramatic black gown was designed by Daniel Roseberry, Schiaparelli’s creative director.
  • The surreal look paid tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy of theatrical, boundary-pushing fashion.
  • The show marked a shift in Roseberry’s aesthetic, away from corsetry towards freer silhouettes.

Paris Couture Week opened on a dramatic note this year as Cardi B made a startling entrance at the Petit Palais wearing a black Schiaparelli gown, with a live crow perched on her arm. The rapper’s appearance outside the venue sent photographers scrambling as the bird flapped and squawked, setting the tone for a show rooted in tension, elegance, and surrealism.

The outfit, crafted by Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli’s Autumn 2025 collection, featured graphic fringe and a towering beaded neckline. But it was the crow, alive, glaring, and restless, that stole the spotlight, embodying the fashion house’s long-standing obsession with the unexpected.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor joins growing criticism of Prada’s uncredited use of Indian design

Getty Images

Kareena Kapoor mocks Prada with her ‘OG Kolhapuri’ post as fashion giant faces backlash over copied design

Quick highlights:

  • Kareena Kapoor posted a cheeky Instagram Story flaunting Kolhapuri chappals, saying, “Sorry not Prada... but my OG Kolhapuri.”
  • Her post follows outrage over Prada’s ‘toe-ring sandals’ resembling the Indian Kolhapuri design.
  • A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against Prada for unauthorised use of the Kolhapuri style without credit.
  • Prada acknowledged the inspiration and agreed to meet Indian artisans for dialogue.

Kareena Kapoor took a subtle yet sharp swipe at luxury fashion label Prada amid growing controversy around its recently launched ‘toe-ring sandals’, a design that closely mirrors India’s traditional Kolhapuri chappals. Without naming the brand, Kareena shared a photo of her feet in silver Kolhapuri slippers during her London vacation and captioned it: “Sorry not Prada... but my OG Kolhapuri ❤️.”

The actor’s post struck a chord with many online, surfacing just days after Prada came under fire for allegedly copying the Kolhapuri design without acknowledgment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Monica Barbaro and Andrew Garfield  at Wimbledon

Garfield and Barbaro twin in Ralph Lauren for their most public appearance yet

Instagram/voguemagazine

Monica Barbaro and Andrew Garfield quietly confirm relationship with Wimbledon appearance

Quick highlights:

  • Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro stepped out in matching Ralph Lauren looks at Wimbledon 2025.
  • The couple shared affectionate moments courtside, including hand-holding and a cheek kiss.
  • They were first linked romantically in February after being spotted at a London play.
  • The pair may reunite on screen in Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film Artificial.

Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro made their most public appearance yet as a couple on Sunday, arriving hand-in-hand at Wimbledon 2025 in coordinated white ensembles and sharing subtle yet sweet moments of affection. The actors, who were first rumoured to be dating in February, looked completely in sync as they entered the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on 6 July. Dressed in matching Ralph Lauren outfits, the two smiled for cameras and appeared relaxed throughout the day.

  Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro arrive hand in hand at Wimbledon in all whiteInstagram/voguemagazine

Keep ReadingShow less
Kantara Chapter

Rishab Shetty battles through flames in new Kantara Chapter 1 poster

‘Kantara Chapter 1’ poster released on Rishab Shetty’s birthday, confirms October 2025 theatrical date

Quick highlights:

  • Kantara: Chapter 1, the much-awaited prequel to the 2022 blockbuster, releases in cinemas on 2 October 2025.
  • Poster unveiled on Rishab Shetty’s 42nd birthday shows him in an intense warrior avatar.
  • The film explores the divine origins of Panjurli and Guliga, expanding the Kantara mythology.
  • Massive action sequences filmed with 3,000 participants over 50 days make it one of India’s biggest productions.

Rishab Shetty gave fans a fierce first glimpse into Kantara: Chapter 1 on his 42nd birthday, unveiling a new poster that shows him in full warrior mode. The upcoming prequel to the 2022 Kannada hit Kantara is now officially set to release on 2 October 2025. Directed and headlined once again by Shetty, the film is expected to dive deep into the spiritual and mythological roots of the original story.

   Kantara Chapter 1 poster  Instagram/rishabshettyofficial  

Keep ReadingShow less
Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik shares a moody preview of his upcoming song Fuchsia Sea

Getty Images

Zayn Malik raps about racism he experienced as Asian member of One Direction in "Fuchsia Sea"

Quick highlights:

  • Zayn Malik previewed a new track, Fuchsia Sea, on Instagram, touching on racism he experienced during his One Direction years.
  • “They still laughed at the Asian,” he raps, alluding to feeling othered despite success.
  • Malik was the only South Asian member of the band, which included Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne.
  • The track marks a rare public reflection on the racial dynamics behind his 2015 departure from the group.

Zayn Malik is turning to music to process the discrimination he says he experienced during his time with One Direction. On Saturday, 5 July, the 32-year-old singer previewed a raw and emotional rap song titled Fuchsia Sea, sharing a clip and lyrics on Instagram that many fans believe directly address racism he faced as the only South Asian member of the global boy band.

In the verse, Malik raps: “I worked hard in a White band, and they still laughed at the Asian.” The line immediately sparked intense conversation online, with listeners pointing out how it echoed long-suspected tensions about racial identity and representation during his tenure in One Direction.

Keep ReadingShow less