Indian cinemas echo with 'murderous', anti-Muslim chants as 'The Kashmir Files' screens

The Kashmir Files, which released across Indian cinemas on March 11, is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the Kashmir Insurgency. Written, directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi.

It was declared tax-free in all the states ruled by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has now become a box office success. The performance of the cast has been described as "compelling", particularly that of Kher's. But the film is also being dubbed a work of "historical revisionism," with many Indian critics acknowledging it as a propaganda film aimed at fostering prejudice against Muslims.

Now, videos of Indian cinemas roaring with murderous, anti-Muslim chants have surfaced on social media. Indian journalist Fatima Khan of The Quint tweeted, "The movie is doing exactly what it was meant to. Absolutely terrifying scenes playing out in theatres: murderous chants, hateful sloganeering, calls to stay away from Muslims etc. Sick."

She re-tweeted a thread by fellow fraternity member Muhammad Zubair, who shared a series of disturbing videos seeing numerous men in theatre halls rallying against Muslims in India. The first sees a bunch of men laughing and chanting, "Desh ke ghaddaron ko, goli maro saalon ko (Shoot the traitors of this country)."

Another video sees a man appealing to the Hindus to beware of Muslims on camera, during an interview after watching The Kashmir Files. A third video shared on the same thread sees yet another theatre hall, fuelling with hatred for Muslims upon viewing the film.

This video was "proudly shared by a BJP member," according to Zubair. The clip sees a man announcing, "Hum lar saktay hain, lekin jab tak ye secularism rahega, hum aese he martay rahengay. Agla number Kashmir ke baad Kerala, phir West Bengal, phir East Delhi (We can fight but as long as this secularism stays we will keep dying, just like in the film. After Kashmir will come Kerala, then West Bengal, then East Delhi)."

Posting yet another clip from outside a cinema hall charged with nationalism and resentment towards Muslims, Zubair tweeted, "People can be heard chanting anti-Muslims slogans and inciting people around. 'Jage the jab Partap, Shivaji, Maar bhagaye Mulla Qazi. Jago aik baar Hindu jago tou.'"

Earlier, actor Kangana Ranaut had called out Bollywood for not praising film.

Kangana maintained, "Please notice the pin drop silence in the film industry about #thekashmirfiles, not just content, even its business is exemplary. It also broke many myths about theatres being exclusive for big budgets, event films or visual/VFX spectacles post pandemic. It is breaking every myth and preconceived notion that was there and bringing back the audiences to the theatres, 6am shows in multiplexes are full, it's unbelievable!" Terming Bollywood, 'Bullydawood' she continued, “Bollywood bullies and their cronies are in shock. Not a word, sari duniya dekh rahi hai inko lekin phir bhi (the whole world is watching them yet) not a word. Their time is up!" Kangana has praised The Kashmir Files earlier as well, calling it "The most important film of the year."

However, Rahul Desai, reviewing for the Film Companion, found The Kashmir Files to be a "fantasy-revisionist rant lacking in clarity, craft, and sense, where every Muslim was a Nazi and every Hindu, a Jew. With an unconvincing screenplay and weak characters, it was propaganda that strove only to tune in with the Hindu Nationalist mood of the nation.”

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express also called it a work of propaganda aligned with BJP’s discourse that only aimed to stoke the "deep-seated anger" of Pandits while tapping into the grief of a displaced community.

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