Refuse to be part of unethical, anti-cinema Filmfare awards: 'The Kashmir Files' dir Vivek Agnihotri

Agnihotri has been nominated in the Best Director category alongside Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Anees Bazmee, Ayan Mukerji, Sooraj Barjatya and Harshvardhan Kulkarni

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Thursday announced that he will not accept any award from Filmfare, where his film The Kashmir Files is nominated in various categories including the best director.

The filmmaker is upset that the poster for best director nominees of the 68th edition of Filmfare Awards, shared by the publication on social media, features the stills of lead actors of the nominated films, instead of the directors.

Agnihotri is vying for the best director trophy alongside the likes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Gangubai Kathiawadi), Anees Bazmee (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2), Ayan Mukerji (Brahmastra: Part One Shiva), Sooraj Barjatya (Uunchai) and Harshvardhan Kulkarni (Badhaai Do).

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In a statement, posted on Twitter, the filmmaker said he will "politely refuse to be part of these unethical and anti-cinema awards".

"According to Filmfare, other than the stars, nobody has a face. Nobody matters. That’s why, in the sycophant and unethical world of Filmfare, master directors like Sanjay Bhansali or Sooraj Barjatya have no faces. Sanjay Bhansali looks like Alia Bhatt, Sooraj like Mr. Bachchan and Anees Bazmi like Kartik Aaryan.

"It's not that a filmmaker’s dignity comes from Filmfare Awards but this humiliating system must end. Therefore, as my protest and dissent against a corrupt, unethical and sycophant establishment of Bollywood, I have decided to not accept such awards," Agnihotri said.

Written and directed by Agnihotri, the film depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following the killings of people from the community by terrorists.

Featuring Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi, the movie opened to polarised reactions on March 11 but became one of the most commercially successful Hindi films of 2022.

Besides best director, The Kashmir Files is also nominated in categories like best film, best actor, best supporting actor, best screenplay and best editing.

"I refuse to be part of any oppressive and corrupt system or awards which treats writers, directors and other HODs & crew members of a film inferior to and/or as slaves to stars.

"My congratulations to all those who win and more to those who do not. The brighter side is that I am not alone. Slowly but steadily, a parallel Hindi film industry is emerging," Agnihotri said.

Hosted by superstar Salman Khan, the Filmfare Awards will be held on Thursday at Jio World Convention Centre here.