Acknowledge the plight of Kashmiri Pandits: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

New Delhi: Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra on Sunday said that he wants India to at least acknowledge the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and tell them that they are sorry for not doing anything during the community's exodus in 1990, adding that the present-day hate is not the solution.

"It has been 30 years and nothing has been done yet. Koi shor nahi macha (There was no clamour about this), even though the community was hopeful that Parliament will take up the matter. This is why I am still waiting to hear 'We are Sorry' from the people of India for not doing anything after the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990," he said.

A native of Kashmir, the movie director commented at the special screening of his upcoming movie 'Shikara: The Untold Story Of Kashmiri Pandits' to mark the 30th anniversary of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. The 30-minute special screening was attended by over 30 Kashmiri Pandit refugees from Jagti migrant camp in Jammu, out of which some have even worked in the film.

Mr Chopra further said, "I want people to go online and just write 'Sorry to all the Kashmiri Pandits' as we did not do anything. Sorry to all of you who continue to live in refugee camps even after 30 years of the exodus," adding that while he is still hopeful that someday they will all return to their home in the valley, he also does not hold grudges against any community. 

"The only thing to hate is hate," he added.

'Shikara', which took 11 years of Mr Chopra's life to get completed, stars Aadil Khan (essaying the role of Shiv Dhar) and Sadia (playing Shanti Dhar) as protagonists. "A lot of Muslims despite knowing that the movie is on 1990 exodus helped us a great deal. This film would never have been completed without them," said Mr Chopra, "This portrays India's secular credentials," he added. The romantic, historical drama will hit the theatres on Feb 7, 2020. (UNI)