Acclaimed filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, the man behind The Kashmir Files, recently spoke about how Americans are unaware of the Kashmir conflict.
In an interview with India Today Digital, Agnihotri claimed that American diplomats and citizens are largely unaware of the historical context and issues surrounding Kashmir.
The director believes the Western audience’s ignorance stems from limited exposure to human stories surrounding the area.
‘They have absolutely no idea about this region…’
Unawareness
Agnihotri said, “I just came back from the US, and I know they have absolutely no idea about this region or how it works.”
He added, “In India, we keep questioning, debating around it, and that is the reason that, in this conflict with Pakistan, suddenly, American diplomats have raised the question of Kashmir.”
“That is because they don’t know, they are not aware.”
Agnihotri emphasized cinema’s role in educating people about Kashmir
Film’s impact
Agnihotri emphasized that cinema can make the world aware of Kashmir.
He said the Western world only started noticing the region after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April and the following India-Pakistan conflict.