INDIA. Mumbai: The family members of the Indian Air Force(IAF)’s Squadron Leader late Ravi Khanna have objected to his portrayal in the Hindi drama film “The Kashmir Files” and have demanded that either the shots related to him be deleted or they be reshot.
While the film projecting the genocide of Kashmiri pundits in the nineties by terrorists has already been released across India, the Jammu Additional district judge Deepak Sethi has granted an injunction restraining the makers of the film from showing scenes depicting Khanna.
The injunction was granted on March 10, based on a suit filed by Mrs. Shalini Khanna alias Nirmal Kumari widow of Martyr Sqn Ldr Ravi Khanna, who alleged that the scenes showing her late husband were incorrect. Khanna was shot along with three other officers whilst on duty on January 25, 1990, in Srinagar by Yasin Malik.
All four officers were unarmed and waiting for a vehicle to pick them up. As against this reality, some concocted scenes like he attended a school function has been shown in the film, she alleged and filed the suit after the film was screened for select invitees in Jammu on March 4.
The judge observed that there are some serious flaws and they are not based on facts. He directed the defendants to move a motion for the vacation of the interim order before March 19, the next date of hearing. The film produced by the Zee Studios and Abhishek Agarwal Arts is directed by Vivek Agnihotri. It stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty among others.
Speaking to “Transcontinental Times”, late Khanna’s daughter Parul Khanna, based in Bangalore, said that far from doing justice to the martyr, the film carries baseless scenes and is a blow to the Government of India and IAF, who have acknowledged my father’s sacrifice for the Nation. “The film has hurt our sentiments and opened our old wounds,” she added.
“My father fought militants bravely unarmed while trying to save his colleagues (standing next to him) even though he was shot 27 bullets by Yasin Malik and other militants. After our continuous efforts for 30 years, the Government and the IAF rightly honored my father with Martyrdom by inscribing his name in National War Memorial in New Delhi, in April 2020. Although late, much-awaited justice was given to the soul of the late officer and we are grateful for this gesture by the Government of India and IAF.”
“The film presents a cooked-up story, which is not remotely connected with the actual event. It is nothing less than sheer injustice to the brave officer’s martyrdom.”
“I understand that the creative minds of the entertainment industry, desire to reveal the atrocities meted out to the Kashmiri Pandits and Indian Armed Personnel and their families by terrorists. However, the film has failed to carry out due diligence in finding out the facts related to my father’s killing by Yasin Malik”.
“It is unfortunate that for the sake of its gains, the creative industry is playing with the emotions of Martyr’s family. It was the filmmaker’s duty to talk to us or IAF before capturing the scene in the movie and releasing it to the world.”
“This was pointed out to the director Vivek Agnihotri by my mother, who attended the special show on March 04 in Jammu, and that was much before the film was released. But to no avail. As such we insist that the scenes related to my father are either deleted or they are reshot”.
When attempts were made by the Transcontinental Times, to get Agnihotri’s response, he did not respond to the phone calls made and the WhatsApp message sent.
In another development, the Bombay High Court on March 8, rejected the petition filed by a UP resident named Intezar Hussain Sayed, demanding a stay on the film saying that the film’s trailer depicted the Muslims killing Kashmiri Pandits, hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community and the film may trigger violence in the country.
In yet another development the Haryana Government on Thursday declared the film as “Tax-Free” for six months.
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