Vivek Agnihotri’s 'The Delhi Files' slammed by Maharashtra Sikh Association, ‘The Kashmir Files’ director reacts

New Delhi: ‘The Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri had announced that he would be making a film called ‘The Delhi Files’ based on the incidents that took place in 1984 (the year anti-Sikh riots took place). Actor Anupam Kher also took to Twitter and wished Vivek good luck. “Good luck dear @vivekagnihotri for  #TheDelhiFiles!! I am sure as a filmmaker you will do great justice to another chapter of our past dealt wrongly. Looking forward to be part of it. #RightToLife,” his tweet read.

However, Maharashtra Sikh Association is not happy with Vivek’s decision and feel that he is trying to open a ‘tragic chapter of humanity’ during times when peace is ‘fragile’ for commercial benefits. Maharashtra Sikh Association, as per PTI, said that filmmakers should "desist from disturbing the uneasy calm in society."

Good luck dear @vivekagnihotri for #TheDelhiFiles!! I am sure as a filmmaker you will do great justice to another chapter of our past dealt wrongly. Looking forward to be part of it.  #RightToLife pic.twitter.com/izPlP3b82n

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) April 15, 2022

The association expressed "strong reservation against the exploitation and commercialisation of unfortunate tragic chapters of humankind like the Sikh riots by people in the name of creative expression and personal profiteering". 

Maharashtra Sikh Association claimed that director-filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is "emboldened with the controversy and hype" created by ‘The Kashmir Files’ and  is intending to "commercialise tragedy of humankind like the 1984 riots".

The association expressed worry as they feel the film will disturb peace in society by revisiting tragedies of the past.

"There is already polarisation in the society and hatred among various communities and vivid depiction of unfortunate tragic incidents of the history in a commercial way will only foment the ill feelings and fragile peace. India is a land of unity in diversity and people professing different faiths have tried to live in harmony and peace with each other and the Sikh community is trying to forget the dark chapter in the history of sikh community,” it read.

Slamming Vivek Agnihotri, the association claimed that reopening of old wounds and disturbing harmony in society is ‘neither correct nor ethical’.

They wrote, “Many of the culprits have either died or are behind the bars. Justice has come with delay, but it has come. Even the then Government had apologised for these riots in the Parliament. By extracting profits by depicting deaths in gory details will only result in poisoning the minds of the new generation, who might have heard about it but now seeing them on screen will boil their blood, and spread hatred against others... It would be a deliberate attempt to reopen the wounds of the old and vitiate the fragile peace in the society. This is neither correct nor ethical”.

Defending himself, Vivek Agnihotri said that he has not yet confirmed the details about the plot of the film and that he has the right to express himself. "I will make what I need to make, what my conscience tells me to make. I am not a servant to anybody's demands or organisations," he said.