Will stop making films if Lapid can prove any event of ‘Kashmir Files’ not absolute truth: Vivek Agnihotri

Nadav Lapid had called 'The Kashmir Files' a "propaganda, vulgar film", adding that he was "shocked" to see the film in the competition section of such a prestigious film festival

"The Kashmir Files" director Vivek Agnihotri on Tuesday said he will quit filmmaking if intellectuals, including Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, are able to prove that events depicted in his film are false.

A day after Mr. Lapid, who served as the chairperson of IFFI's international jury termed "The Kashmir Files" "vulgar and propaganda", Mr. Agnihotri challenged his detractors saying he will "keep fighting".

"I challenge the world's intellectuals and 'urban Naxals' as well as the great filmmaker who came from Israel if they can prove that any shot, dialogue or event of 'The Kashmir Files' is not absolute truth, I'll stop making films. I'm not someone who will back down. Issue as many fatwas as you want, but I'll keep fighting," the Indian filmmaker said in a video statement shared on his official Twitter page.

Comments made by Mr. Lapid, viewed as an anti-establishment voice, came at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on Monday.

On Tuesday morning, Mr. Agnihotri in a cryptic social media post had said "truth is the most dangerous thing" as it can make people lie.

In his video, posted in the evening, the filmmaker said being attacked by "gangs" that want to divide India was not a new phenomenon for him.

"Such things are often said by terrorist organisations, urban naxals and the 'tukde-tukde' gang who wants to divide the country.