Ravinder Bhakar was removed as the Managing Director of the National Film Development Corporation | Image: Twitter
Last week, the managing director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) which organised the International Film Festival of India last November (2022), Ravindra Bhakar, was “replaced” (Sic) by the ministry of information and broadcasting last week. The Indian Express reported this today.
This IFFE event in November 2022 had generated much debate when, at the closing ceremony of the film festival held in Goa, the jury president of the IFFI, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid had described director Vivek Agnihotri’s, The Kashmir Files as a “a propaganda, vulgar movie”. The movie centred around the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in the 1990s was unworthy of being included in the International Competition section at IFFI, Lapid had said.
The renowned Israeli filmmaker had made the comments while addressing an audience that included Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union Ministers of State L Murugan and Shripad Naik.
Not a regime to tolerate policy or ideological criticism, five days ago, reportedly on January 11, the Centre removed Bhakar from his post at the National Film Development Corporation and handed over its interim charge to Prithul Kumar, the joint secretary (films). Bhakar had been given the charge of National Film Development Corporation in December 2021. He still continues to be the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification.
Nadav Lapid’s criticism
In his widely publicised speech, Lapid had said he and other jury members were “shocked and disturbed” that the The Kashmir Files had been included in the film festival’s International Competition section. Some Indian ‘eminents’ on the jury had either remained silent or detracted from Lapid’s statement. Within hours of his speech, director Sudipto Sen, the only Indian panel member, had claimed that Lapid was speaking in his personal capacity and his criticism did not reflect the views of the panel. However, several of the remaining members of the panel — – American producer Jinko Gotoh, French film editor Pascale Chavance and French documentary filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen – disagreed with Sen, saying that Lapid made the statement on behalf of the jury.
Related:
IFFI jury chair outraged over inclusion of “Kashmir Files”; calls it propaganda
The Kashmir Files: Calls for Muslim genocide ring out in cinema halls, hate brews outside