‘Your Lives Won’t Be…’: Vivek Agnihotri WARNS The Kerala Story Team; Reveals ‘Lobbies’ Making His Life HELL

Vivek Agnihotri On The Kerala Story: The filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri who is known for not mincing his words, recently, took to Twitter to congratulate the team of 'The Kerala Story'. He penned a long note through which he even warned the team of the film, citing his own example.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, the filmmaker warned 'The Kerala Story's' film producer Vipul Shah, director Sudipto Sen, and actor Adah Sharma saying henceforth their lives 'will not be the same'. He even said that they will 'receive unimaginable hate, feel suffocated, get confused and demoralized'.

Recalling what he heard about cinema while growing up, Vivek Agnihotri wrote, "I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases.

I also grew up listening to that cinema reflects the reality of society. I was told that cinema must destroy old Gods and create new Gods. It's an unwritten law that when evil becomes too strong, it's the artist's dharma to expose it with his/her art."

The filmmaker added that he thinks that the thought behind this is correct but the people who say it are wrong. He wrote, "Did I hear it wrong? No. The thought is correct. But the people who say it are the wrong people. They talk about free speech but practice censorship. They talk about secularism but practice 'othering' and communal hatred. They talk about human rights but support terrorists and Naxals. They talk about exposing the evil but cover up the truth of the evil."

VIVEK AGNIHOTRI EXPLAINS THE POWER OF CINEMA

Explaining the power of cinema, he wrote, "I have come to realize that in modern times cinema has the power to do what media and politics can't do. It can present uncomfortable reality, correct history, fight culture war and also become the soft power of a nation for larger interest."

He took the space to also reveal how he was assaulted for making films in India. He wrote, "In India, making such cinema is not easy. I tried it with 'Buddha in A Traffic Jam', 'The Tashkent Files', and 'The Kashmir Files. I have been physically, professionally, socially, and psychologically assaulted."

Vivek further claimed that even his upcoming film, 'The Vaccine War' is facing attacks and wrote, "Even my forthcoming film 'The Vaccine War', a positive film, celebrating India's greatest achievement, is constantly being attacked. Mostly by the same people who taught me all the above. When it releases, later this year, I can guarantee they will attack it with a new design because they don't want India to succeed. Because Truth must not be told. Bharat must not be celebrated."

He further added that he was attacked and abused in Kolkata when he announced his 2024 film, The Delhi Files, "Recently, when in Kolkata I announced that my forthcoming 2024 film 'The Delhi Files' is about the Bengal Genocide of 1946/47/71 and how the same Khilafat ideology is responsible for constant communal conflict including the recent Delhi riots, I was attacked, abused and FIRs were filed against me. I was banned to sign my own books in a Kolkata mall."

The filmmaker further revealed, "It's no exaggeration to say that my life is being made hell by the obvious lobbies and fundamentalists. But in India, to pave the new way, initiate Indic Renaissance, and destroy old Gods is not for the weak-hearted. You should be ready to sacrifice everything. Yes, everything. To create a heaven for the future, you must stay in hell. I believe I was chosen by Maa Saraswati to become the medium and I surrendered myself to her. This has given me strength to fight hard-core fundamentalists and enemies of truth, justice, and Dharma."

VIVEK AGNIHOTRI CONGRATULATES THE TEAM OF 'THE KERALA STORY'

As he congratulated the team of 'The Kerala Story', he even warned them of receiving unimaginable hate and wrote, "Dear Vipul Shah & @sudiptoSENtlm @adah_sharma and team of #TheKeralaStory, first let me congratulate you for the brave effort. At the same time, let me also give you the bad news that from here on, your lives will not be the same. You will receive unimaginable hate. Your will feel suffocated. Many times you may get confused and demoralized. But remember, God tests the shoulders on which he can put the responsibility of becoming the change agents."

Agnihotri concluded as he said, "If cinema is a medium to follow your course of Dharma, never stop. Let the community of Indic storytellers grow. Help new, young talented, Indic storytellers. Let this Indic Renaissance become the guiding light of a New Bharat. And whenever you feel nobody is understanding you, remember Gurudev's lines: Ekla Chalo Re Best. Always. With love, VRA."

Checkout his tweet.

CINEMA AND INDIC RENNIASANCE:#TheKeralaStory

I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases.

I also grew up listening that cinema reflects the reality of a society.

I…

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 6, 2023

ABOUT THE KERALA STORY

Meanwhile, the Sudipto Sen directorial stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in pivotal roles. The story depicts the tale of Fathima Ba (Adah Sharma), a Hindu Malayali nurse who is among the 32,000 women who disappeared from Kerala, was forced to convert to Islam, and was later recruited by ISIS.