Had long career, wasn't beggar before 'Kashmir Files': Vivek Agnihotri
What's the story
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has hit back at trolls who alleged that he and his wife, actor Pallavi Joshi, bought a lavish new house because of the bumper success of The Kashmir Files. In a recent interview with Komal Nahta, Agnihotri said that he and Joshi were always financially stable and that the claims about their wealth were baseless.
Financial stability
Were we 'bhikari' before 'The Kashmir Files'?: Agnihotri asks
Agnihotri said, "Some people alleged that I bought a lavish house. Aisa nahin hota ki film aa gayi aur agle mahine koi ghar le leta hai!" "That building was under construction. We had booked a house way in advance." "Also, were we bhikaris before The Kashmir Files? I have had a long, bloody career. Pallavi has been working for years."
Career journey
We didn't take any fees for 'The Kashmir Files': Director
The director further said, "We were always well-to-do; we were not living in poverty." He also clarified that he and Joshi didn't take any fees for The Kashmir Files. "The budget of The Kashmir Files was ₹15 crore. While Zee Studios invested 50%, the balance ₹7.50 crore was funded by Abhishek Agarwal." "We were minority partners as we didn't have clout then. In The Bengal Files, we are the majority partners and also the major producers."
Donation doubts
Why didn't Agnihotri donate to Kashmiri Pandits?
Agnihotri also responded to skeptics who questioned why he didn't donate a part of The Kashmir Files's earnings to the Kashmiri Pandit community. He said, "I am a filmmaker; this is my business." "I made Buddha In A Traffic Jam in ₹1.75 crore. I earned some money from its sale." "Then, I spent ₹6-7 crore in making The Tashkent Files."
Research process
Here's how 'The Kashmir Files' was made
Agnihotri also revealed the extensive research that went into making The Kashmir Files. He said he asked Zee for ₹2cr to do research for the film, which was used to meet Kashmiri Pandits in various countries. "We had a unit of four people - me, Pallavi, my son and a cameraman." "After four years of research, The Kashmir Files was made."