Sudhir Mishra says Vivek Agnihotri ‘has been hurt’ by industry’s perception of him, Kashmir Files director reveals when their podcast will be out

Vivek Agnihotri and Sudhir Mishra, two filmmakers on either side of the political aisle, got together for a chat. Here's when you can watch their conversation.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 3, 2023 12:50 PM IST

4 min read

Vivek Agnihotri's conversation with Sudhir Mishra will be released this week.

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Filmmakers Vivek Agnihotri and Sudhir Mishra sat down for a conversation about their films, the state of the country, and why people on either side of the political aisle are unable to have a civil discussion. They decided to have a conversation after Mishra recently tweeted that the liberal audience doesn’t show up in theatres to watch films that seemingly align with their ideologies.

On Wednesday, Agnihotri took to Twitter to announce that the podcast had been recorded, and that it will be released to the public on Thursday. He also shared a couple of images of the chat, and wrote, “I had felt that @IAmSudhirMishra had something to say and nobody was listening. I invited him for a free-flowing dialogue. He gracefully accepted. Podcast is recorded. Will be releasing tomm. Will be insightful for aspiring storytellers. Keep an why on my TL.”

While Mishra can be perceived as a liberal-minded filmmaker, Agnihotri courted the endorsement of the right-wing through his recent films — The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. He has also been vocally critical of people he describes as ‘urban naxals’. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, the filmmakers addressed the topics of their conversation. “We talked about his film and my film, how people have reacted to his films, how I’ve reacted to his films, the situation in the industry, our future plans,” Mishra said, adding, “I think [Agnihotri] has been hurt by the perception that everyone in the industry has rejected him. But I think it’s more of a disagreement.”

Also read | Sudhir Mishra calls himself an ‘adiyal’ filmmaker, says he sticks to what he wants to do: ‘If you change one thing…’

Agnihotri, on the other hand, said that viewers will have to watch the podcast to find out more. “Sometimes, when you meet after a long time, there can be lots of unexplained issues cooking in your mind because we live in a world of posturing. We don’t often understand who the real person is, beyond social media,” he said.

The meeting came about after Mishra tweeted last week, “Liberals complain about Kashmir Files. Why? Vivek Agnihotri made a film and his audience came to theatres and saw it. But when we make films our audience who criticise Vivek sit on their a**e and don’t come to the theatre. Sorry, I had to say it.” Agnihotri replied, “Who is a liberal? Those who make films against terrorism or the ones who defend/ support terrorism through their art? Or ones who keep quiet? I think there should be an open debate on this but I don’t know if any liberal is ready for it. If you like I can do a podcast with you.”

Hours later, the two filmmakers agreed to meet on May 3 and record the podcast. Mishra also has a film coming out this week. Afwaah, about the cascading effect that rumours can have on a person’s life, stars Bhumi Pednekar and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Agnihotri is currently working on The Vaccine Wars, whose claims about India’s contributions to producing the COVID-19 vaccine have already been disputed.

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