Vivek Agnihotri, director of The Kashmir Files, has been provided with Y-category security by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Indian Express sources said the security cover would be provided by the CRPF. “An assessment by the Intelligence Bureau has found that there is a threat to his life. Based on the inputs, Y-category security has been provided to him across the country,” The Indian Express quoted a Union Home Ministry official as saying.
The film, based on the exodus and genocide of Kashmiri Pandits during the height of militancy in the 1990s, has received rave reviews from critics as well as Indian ministers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also praised the film and Vivek Agnihotri for the directorial venture.
The film, which has been a box office success and is racing towards Rs 100 crore, has sparked debate and mixed reactions all across India.
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh, who has given the film 4.5 stars, called The Kashmir Files “the most powerful film” on the “genocide and exodus” of Kashmiri Pandits, adding that it was a “hard-hitting, blunt, brutally honest” portrayal of incidents. It is interesting to note that the film, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, and Pallavi Joshi, initially opened only on 630 screens on March 11. However, it is now being shown on 4,000 screens, claimed Adarsh.
Adarsh added that the film had shattered all records for a mid-range film in its first week. The Kashmir Files collected Rs 3.55 crore on its opening day last Friday, Rs 8.50 crore on Saturday, Rs 15.10 crore on Sunday, Rs 15.05 crore on Monday, Rs 18 crore on Tuesday, Rs 19.05 crore on Wednesday, and Rs 18.05 crore on Thursday for a total collection of Rs 97.30 crore.
The film critic expects The Kashmir Files to cross the Rs 100-crore barrier today itself.