Mithun Chakraborty reacts to The Kashmir Files making to Oscar eligibility list

After The Kashmir Files was featured in the eligibility list of the Academy Awards, along with 300 other films, actor Mithun Chakraborty said that those who called the film “vulgar” and “propaganda” have gotten their answer now.

At the 53^rd International Film Festival of India last year, Israeli filmmaker and jury head Nadav Lapid had called The Kashmir Files a “vulgar propaganda” unfit to be showcased at the festival.

Talking about the Oscars eligibility list, Mithun Chakraborty told Times Now, “It feels great that Kashmir files has been shortlisted. It’s an answer to all the critiques. The jury who called the movie vulgar and propaganda has gotten the answer today. The people have liked the movie and that’s the response.”

“I will not give any controversial statements. It hurts when the movie isn’t allowed in certain theatres but gets shortlisted for Oscar. Indian films have come a long way and I wish other shortlisted movies all the best.” he also added.

It should be noted that The Kashmir Files has not been shortlisted for the Oscars and is merely in the eligibility list. Earlier, its director Vivek Agnihotri and actor Anupam Kher had made false claims on Twitter stating that the film has been shortlisted.

As per the list shared by the Academy on December 21, only four Indian films are shortlisted across ten categories. These are Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes in the Documentary Feature Film Category, Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show or Chhello Show for International Feature Film, ‘Naatu Naatu’ song from SS Rajamouli’s RRR in the Music (Original Song) category and Kartiki Gonsalves’s The Elephant Whisperers for Documentary Short Film.

You can check the full list of shortlisted films here: https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/2023-oscars-shortlists

The Kashmir Files is only in the list of 10 films from India eligible for an Oscar. As per the official site of The Academy, feature films must “open in a commercial motion picture theater in at least one of six US metropolitan areas: Los Angeles County; the City of New York; the Bay Area; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia, between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022,” to be eligible. They must also complete a minimum qualifying run of seven consecutive days in the same venue and have a run time of over 40 minutes.

The other eligible films from India are All That Breathes, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Jungle Cry, Kantara, Last Film Show, RRR, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, The Elephant Whisperers and Vikrant Rona.