Interview: Vivek Agnihotri on why he sued Mamata Banerjee, his views on having Y-category safety, The Delhi Files

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, basking within the success of The Kashmir Files and again with an internet sequence The Kashmir Files Unreported, does not mince any phrases whereas sharing his ideas on social media or in any other case. Despite excessive vary of reactions to his movie, each constructive and destructive, Vivek shouldn’t be shy of taking every accusation head-on. He did not give it again to the critics however went on to sue West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for calling her movie ‘propaganda’.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, he fortunately answered a spread of questions, together with these associated to tweets of individuals questioning his safety cowl. Excerpts:

Also learn: Vivek Agnihotri says he is ‘bankrupt’: What I earned from The Kashmir Files, I put into…’

You had despatched a a number of web page discover to Mamata Banerjee for accusing you of a number of issues. Did something occur in that matter? Did you actually sue her?

Of course, I’ll maintain combating it. You know these type of issues take lot of time, defamation and all these. Perhaps I’m the one filmmaker who has ever sued a sitting chief minister. But I need to sue all these folks. I didn’t sue (a journalist’s identify we do not want to disclose), as a result of I did not care, proper? Because these type of folks, I am unable to cease. But the chief minister can’t say one thing like this. She is the chief minister of Government of India. She is a constitutional place. How can she say the genocide of Hindus in Kashmir is a propaganda? How dare Mamata Banerjee say that? It’s very unhappy.

You have been supplied with a Y-category safety cowl. Many on Twitter query you for utilizing taxpayers cash in your safety.

What does taxpayers’ cash means, taxes taken for these items. Taxes taken to construct roads, to make hospitals and to do that. It is my proper to life and state has to ensure my life. It shouldn’t be that I would like safety. The central authorities and the intelligence companies suppose that I would like safety. It is a really unhappy commentary. It is a disgrace on our society, our intellectuals and those that someone who’s speaking concerning the victimization of our personal folks must be given safety. It is like Spielberg making a movie on Jewish Holocaust and wishes safety.

Was there an incident that made you worry in your security?

I do not really feel something. It’s not about me. The intelligence companies try this, sure, due to fatwa and so on. When there’s a fatwa concern, then they offer safety. When you’re hackled, when folks assault you from all sides and there’s a actual notion of risk on you, then they offer you safety. It is a jail and I don’t prefer it. I can’t exit with my youngsters.

You as soon as dropped hints that you’ve been prevented from making The Delhi Files after The Kashmir Files. Is there any progress there?

We introduced Delhi Files the day the primary lockdown was put in place. We have been researching since 2020 and eventually, it is reaching a stage the place we will crystalize it and we now have began writing the script. Hopefully, we are going to shoot the movie in 2024 and launch by the tip of that yr.

When we speak about partition, the one factor that involves our thoughts is the partition in Punjab, these trains coming with stuffed with useless our bodies. But the true partition, the true inhuman violence came about in Bengal. We are telling the reality of India’s partition and the way the partition by no means stopped on this nation, it continues.