Prof D K Ganjoo
When *The Kashmir Files* hit theaters in 2022, it quickly became one of the most controversial films of the decade. Based on the painful and often untold story of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the early 1990s, the film sparked heated debates across the country and beyond. A large section of the population, particularly from the Kashmiri Muslim community, strongly challenged the film’s portrayal of events. Detractors labeled it as one-sided, manipulative, and politically charged. The film’s creators were accused of distorting facts and fanning communal sentiments.
But history, as always, has a strange way of resurfacing. With the recent Pahalgam massacre shocking the conscience of the world, the core message of *The Kashmir Files* has found tragic vindication.
The Early Outrage
At the time of its release, critics of *The Kashmir Files* were swift and unforgiving. The film was called a “work of fiction disguised as fact,” and many claimed it unfairly painted Kashmiri Muslims with a broad, extremist brush. Public forums, news channels, and social media platforms were flooded with arguments asserting that the movie was an attempt to rewrite history with a dangerous narrative. The pain of Kashmiri Pandits was acknowledged by some, but it was often dismissed as exaggerated or outdated in today’s context.
Muslim groups from the Valley particularly contested the authenticity of the film’s portrayal. They insisted that the events shown were either blown out of proportion or entirely inaccurate. The atmosphere was one of defensiveness, denial, and aggressive rebuttals.
The Pahalgam Massacre
A Grim Reminder !
In a cruel twist of fate, the recent massacre in *Pahalgam has become a chilling affirmation of the film’s premise. Terrorists targeted civilians in a style eerily reminiscent of the dark days portrayed in
The Kashmir Files
Innocent lives were taken without remorse, and the attacks bore the hallmarks of the same radical ideology the film warned against.
The world watched in horror. Condemnations came pouring in-from world leaders, human rights organizations, and journalists who had once doubted the claims made in the film. What was once labeled as sensationalism is now seen as foresight.
Revisiting Forgotten
Atrocities
To understand the full context of this vindication, one must revisit some of the most horrifying atrocities committed against the Kashmiri Pandit community:
Girija Tickoo, a schoolteacher, was reportedly gang-raped and then brutally murdered with a mechanical saw.
BK Ganjoo was hiding in a rice drum in his attic when militants found him, executed him, and then forced his wife to eat the blood-soaked rice.
The Nadimarg Massacre (2003) saw 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, slaughtered by militants disguised in army uniforms
Wandhama Massacre (1998) claimed the lives of 23 Pandits in a single night, just as they were beginning to rebuild trust and return to their homeland.
These are not tales from fiction. They are documented, painful truths, many of which were dramatized in The Kashmir Files. The film may have been emotionally intense, but it did not invent these crimes-it reflected them.
A Belated Awakening
Now, with renewed violence bringing Kashmir back into global headlines, even some of the film’s critics have softened their tone. Editorials and social media posts have emerged acknowledging that while the film may have been provocative, its core message wasn’t far from reality. The idea that a community was systematically targeted and driven out now finds more takers than ever before.
There’s a growing understanding that brushing such truths under the carpet does not heal wounds-it deepens them.
The Kashmir Files was never meant to be a comfortable watch. Having spent my whole service career as a professional producer-director of films and television programs, I believe it was a film designed to introspect, inform, and awaken. Today, its once-contested truths stand vindicated, not by cinematic awards or box office numbers, but by grim real-world events that echo its warnings.
For the Kashmiri Pandit community, this moment is not one of dumb spectators. It is a painful reminder that their suffering, once denied and debated, is now undeniable. The world has finally seen the face of the terror they fled from-and in doing so, has uncovered the harsh truth *The Kashmir Files* tried to tell.
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