Kashmiri Pandits not beggars, we stood on our feet: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra has said the aim behind his upcoming movie "Shikara", about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir, is not to make anyone feel sorry for the community but to present how these people stood tall in the face of tragedy.

At the special 30-minute screening of the movie on Wednesday, the filmmaker said the film showcases how Kashmiri Pandits rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the tragic event.

"All of our homes were snatched. It's quite something that we stood strong on our feet... it took courage to tell this story. And tell it in such a way that people come to watch it. We didn't want to make a film where two people watch and say 'oh look how bad happened to them.'
"It was tough to write this because I always thought I'll write in a way where people go and watch it in theatres. Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman had said, 'you shall entertain. You shall entertain without selling your soul.'
"This is very difficult, to make a film which people watch without selling your conscience. I'm proud that all of us here, my entire crew, didn't sell our conscience. We have
"I've made this film for my mother, and for all the mothers and people whose lives turned upside down in a month, in a day."