Kashmiri Pandit woman breaks down after watching 'Shikara', lashes out at director

A woman belonging to the Kashmiri Pandit community broke down and lashed out at director Vidhu Vinod Chopra after watching his film 'Shikara' at a theatre here where he had come to get a firsthand public review of the film on Friday.

The woman alleged that Chopra commercialised the entire issue of Kashmiri Pandit exodus of 1990s and did not portray the actual suffering of the community including the genocide, mass rapes and mass murders committed by Islamic radical groups in his film.

"Ye aapka commercialism aapko mubarakh ho (Congratulations on your commercialism) As a Kashmiri Pandit, I disown your film, I disown it," said the visibly distraught viewer.

She further alleged that Chopra polarised the sufferings faced by the community, to which Chopra replied that he will work on a sequel of the film for the woman.

Trying to calm the situation down, the director also said that "truth has two faces" and people have different perspectives on the same issues.

"Ab aapke liye Sequel two banaengey (Now I will make a sequel for you)," replied Chopra in a lighter vein.

The period-drama 'Shikara' which is a love story that revolves around the true event of the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley was released across the country on Friday, February 7.