Filmworld
Bhardwaj dedicates National Awards to Kashmiri Pandits, Anupam Kher irked
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who has dedicated the five
National Film Awards that his film "Haider" has bagged, to Kashmiri
Pandits, has left veteran actor Anupam Kher irked.
"Haider",
based on William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", was set against the
backdrop of insurgency of Kashmir. He was blamed for showing only one
side of the Valley, but he has defended himself by saying that he
removed the representation of Kashmiri Pandits in the film as he felt
the tragedy was too big to be summed up in a minor piece.
"I
dedicate my (all five National) awards to them (Kashmiri Pandits)
because I feel their tragedy was very big and a complete film should
have been made on them.
"If we would have added just a small
piece based on them in the film, then it would have been unfair,"
Bhardwaj, said here Tuesday after a bouquet of five National Film Awards
was announced for the movie.
Bhardwaj says he would make a complete film someday to show the plight of Kashmiri Pandits.
"A complete film should have been made on them and I may make it someday," the filmmaker said.
Meanwhile,
veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit, seems to be
unhappy with Vishal Bhardwaj's attempt to appease the Kashmiri Pandits
and termed it "fraudish".
"While I congratulate Vishal Bhardwaj
for National Awards but dedicating them to #KashmiriPandits genocide is
such a fraudish thing to do," the actor tweeted Tuesday.
"When
was last time Vishal Bhardwaj spoke about d plight of #KashmiriPandits?
He in fact humiliated us by doing dance of devil at our temple. The so
called 'Hindu' centric Govt. Gave 'Haider' 5 National Awards which many
felt was anti-Hindu & anti Indian Army. This is NOT Talibanism," he
added, referring to Bhardwaj's comment that the Central Board of Film
Certification is behaving like the Taliban.
"Haider" won Best
Male Playback Singer for Sukhwinder Singh for the song "Bismil"; Best
Dialogues and Music Direction for the film’s director Vishal Bhardwaj;
Best Choreography for Norway-ba