Bollywood Is Rejected Because of Its Arrogance, Says Vivek Agnihotri

Mumbai, August 21 - Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri said that the reason behind Bollywood's rejection is its arrogance. The "The Kashmir Files" director was speaking in response to director Anurag Kashyap's remark on his film during a recent interview in which he said that TKF shouldn't be chosen for India's official entry for Oscars 2022.

The selection for India's Oscars entry is made by the Film Federation of India (FFI), the apex body of film producers, distributors, exhibitors, and studio owners, and since 1957, when Mehboob Khan's 'Mother India' lost by just a vote, all of two Indian films - Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" (1988) and the Aamir Khan-starrer "Lagaan" (2001) have made it to the Oscar nominations shortlist.



It is possible that "The Kashmir Files" may not be picked as India's entry but Vivek Agnihotri has reasons to feel offended by Kashyap's remark. "Bollywood is suffering today because you are trying to pass on your own failure to an individual because his films work", he said.

"Go to any middle-class, urban, semi-urban household and interview them and you will find how people hate the arrogance, glossy lifestyle, and the disconnect of Bollywood with real-life audiences".

Agnihotri said that people have seen through "all this hypocrisy, arrogance, and this flashy, flamboyant lifestyle, paid organized publicity campaigns... and now they are not willing to accept it, which is a good thing, which has made Bollywood rethink the ideology they follow".



"They are still running a campaign against 'The Kashmir Files' Oscars submission. So, they are experts on this. It is a serious topic and I take it very seriously. If people are boycotting their films it is because of the anger of the audience. There is a disconnect between the Indian middle class and the producers and stars because of their arrogance".

Referring specifically to Anurag Kashyap, Agnihotri said, "I will tell you why I have tweeted on Anurag Kashyap's comment. I make my films very passionately and I can also protect them passionately. We sacrificed a lot to make our films".

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