Joining the list of BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, Karnataka has announced that the movie ‘Kashmir Files’ will be tax-free in the state. The move has been questioned by a few in the Kannada film industry, who attribute ideological reasons to the largesse. Kashmir File, which focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits due to insurgency, is directed by Vivek Agnihotri, who is considered right-wing due to positions he has publicly held before.
Filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh says her objection is not about the language in which the film has been made. “Films that won national and international awards have been neglected and nobody is watching them,” said Kavitha. “Earlier, there was a chance that these films would be showcased on Doordarshan. We grew up watching many such films with quality and liking a Bengali or a Malayalam movie. But in this case, it is just an agenda. We could at least learn about other cultures through the films. Now, none of that matters, only the Hindutva agenda matters. These days, there is so much polarisation. Why didn't the movie ‘Jai Bheem’ get a tax exemption? Because Dalit lives don't matter. Only the lives of upper caste hindutva wadis do,'' she said.
A senior director, who did not wish to be named, told TNM that he did not want to comment and give importance to the movie “directed by a mediocre director and is being promoted only because it is propaganda”. Another actor said that he did not want to openly criticise the move for tax exemption because she is worried about the backlash she could face, not just from the government but also from her colleagues in the Kannada film industry. “Unlike Tamil and Malayalam film industries, Sandalwood has many right-wing sympathisers,” she said.
“There is no doubt that this is a propaganda film, made by a right-winger and supported by a right wing government,” alleges senior Kannada director B Suresha. “We have many deserving films but they don’t get such exemptions. The issue is that they no longer even disguise their opinions. We heard an MLA recently say that a saffron flag will be hoisted on the Red Fort. And in the Kannada film industry, the right wing has a majority and the majority always rules, so we cannot even oppose it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Suneel Puranik, the chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, who is also an actor, director and producer, told TNM that he is happy that the movie has been given tax exemption and that he is proud of the Karnataka Chief Minister for having made that decision. “This is not about language. There are norms according to which films depicting national interest are given tax exemptions. This does not apply to all films. The subject is relevant and not the language of the film. The persecution of Kashmiri Pandits has been depicted very well in this film. So for me, the intent of the filmmaker is important,” Suneel Puranik said. He said he hasn't received any calls or complaints about the tax exemption for the film from members so far.
Senior film critic Muralidhara Khajane alleges that the exemption given to Kashmir Files shows the narrowness of politics. “From what I remember, this is the first time that a movie made in another language has been given tax exemption for political gains. In the past, exemptions were given because of the greatness of films by directors like Sathyajit Ray or Mrunal Sen. A Malayalam movie Chemmeen (released in 1965) was also given exemption. In 2015, M Manikandan's Tamil film `Kaaka Muttai’, was given an exemption in Karnataka. But the approach then was not narrow like we see now but for good cinema,” he said.
Actor Chetan Kumar said that when representatives of the government actively support a movie like this, be it through tax exemptions or through media statements, and urge people to watch it, it is an equivalent of using the taxpayer’s money for personal or political benefit. “I don't know if we can counter this legally but we can make more pro-equality films and ensure that it gets traction on social media too,” he said.