Anupam Kher on ‘The Kashmir Files’: ‘I have cried on-screen in every scene in the film’

Mumbai, Feb. 19 (IANS): Bollywood actor Anupam Kher sheds light on his movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ alongside actor Darshan Kumaar and director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri during a session, ‘Unravelling The Truth: The Kashmir Files’ held during the festival ‘Arth – A Culture Fest’ Season 4.

The session was moderated by news anchor Aditi Tyagi.

‘The Kashmir Files’ deals with the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s due to the Kashmir insurgency. It is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and features Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar, Pallavi Joshi and Chinmay Mandlekar.

Speaking at the fest, Anupam Kher, who plays the role of Pushkar Nath in the film, commented: “When I heard the script, the story hit very close to home. No one speaks about the exodus that took place on January 19, 1990, but only gets mentioned on its anniversary. I’m sad that it’s taken 32 years to narrate this story. It’s the story of so many Pushkar Naths. I’ve not used any craft. “

He throws light on how he portrayed the character and tried to bring out the pain and agony on screen.

“I’ve brought out the pain and hardship on screen and look forward to its release on March 11. I wondered how to smile today as I have cried on screen in every scene in the film, and Vivek has hugged me immediately after saying ‘cut’. This is more than a performance, a film. It is a truth that is finally getting told. It is about humanity, goodness and pain, emotions attached to people,” he added.

Sharing his reasoning behind casting Anupam Kher in a pivotal role, film director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said: “The reason behind casting Anupam Ji in this movie is not because he himself is a Kashmiri Pandit with a name Pushkar Nath, rather because he as a globally renowned actor. When I thought of this character, I could only imagine Anupam Ji essaying this role with ease.”

Also talking about the true meaning of the word ‘home’ in reference to the dialogue ‘Jayenge Kashmir Toh Sirf Apne Ghar’ from his film, the director added: “Home is a place where we feel secure, receive unconditional love and care without any fear and anyone judging you.”

Actor Darshan Kumaar, on the other hand, highlighted all the challenges he faced while preparing for his role of Krishna Pandit in the movie.

He said: “My character, Krishna Pandit wants answers to many questions and is very frustrated about his life. It was a difficult character to essay. I got numb while watching videos. Performing alongside veteran actors such as Anupam sir, Mithun sir was like a dream come true moment for me as I have watched these actors while growing up. We were like a family on the set.”

‘Arth – A Culture Fest’ Season 4 is happening virtually from February 18 to February 20, bringing eminent speakers and personalities shedding light on various topics revolving around film, art, economics, culture, music, science, history and others.