Ahead of the series’ trailer unveiling in Srinagar, Vivek and Pallavi decided to kickstart the promotions on an auspicious note by visiting Shankaracharya temple.
Frequented by Kashmiri Hindus, Shankaracharya Temple is a monument of national importance, centrally protected under the Archaeological Survey of India.
Since the series is for the Kashmiri Pandits and it shows their plight, Vivek and Pallavi decided to pay their respects and seek divine blessings at a temple frequented by them before embarking on this journey of putting forth the truth in its purest and rawest form.
While the makers claim that ‘The Kashmir Files’ was a three-hour long movie which shook the nation, it was only the tip of the iceberg. The makers have said that the series is far more heart-wrenching, eye-opening and spine-chilling as it unravels the unreported realities, facts and the truth behind the massacre, and the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits straight from the horses’ mouth.
As seen in the trailer, the narrative is captured via conversations with historians, experts, real life victims and their families including experts like Dr Meenakshi Jain who was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2020 for her work in the field of literature and education; Rakesh K Kaul who is the author of bestsellers ‘The Last Queen of Kashmir’ and ‘Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmir’; Shesh Paul Vaid – the former Director General of Police of J&K; Manoj Raghuvanshi – ex TV journalist and the first journalist to do a lead story on terrorism erupting in Kashmir in July 1989; Dr. Tej Tikoo – Retired Colonel and veteran of 1971 Indo-Pak war and the author of ‘Kashmir: Its Aborigines and their Exodus’ among others.
Woven together through real life anecdotes, survivor testimonies and archived footages, ‘The Kashmir Files Unreported’ delves into the historical, ethnical, and geopolitical details, encapsulating the events, mistakes, crimes and circumstances that led to the massacre and mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in the 1990s.
It goes on to portray the state of affairs which led to the abrogation of Article 370 and its repercussions on Kashmir today.
It also maps the centuries old journey of Kashmir, hailed as the paradise on earth, its significance to India, its people and culture and their evolution from being a melting pot of civilization and knowledge, to being repeatedly attacked, radicalised and systemically reduced to a warzone like condition of today.
After four years of research and shoot schedule, ‘The Kashmir Files Unreported’ is ready for release and through their arduous journey, Vivek and Pallavi aim to honor the resilience of the Kashmiri Pandit community, and foster a deeper understanding that paves the way for healing and harmony in the valley’s future.
Filmmaker Vivek had said: “The genocide of Kashmir is a blot not only on India but on humanity. It is considered to be the biggest hidden tragedy of modern times. It was very important for us to tell this story honestly.”
The seven-part series will premiere on ZEE5 soon.
–IANS
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