#BoycottShikara trends after Vidhu Vinod Chopra asks Kashmiri Pandits to 'move on'

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's honest statement about the film - Shikara – being a way telling people that they needed to move on 30 years after the exodus of Kashmiri pandits, seems to have backfired on the director. Twitter blasted Chopra for not only trivialising the issue but for also using a sensitive topic to promote his film.

It was at the special screening of the film that Vidhu had said that almost half of his crew on the film were Muslims and worked on the film despite knowing the plot. He said that the film was made with an attempt to heal the fight between two friends. After the backlash, Rahul Pandita, the writer of the story defended the film and wrote on Twitter, "I am a Kashmiri Pandit who lost everything in 1990, while you were doing God knows what in Bombay. I am the writer of #shikara and I would not let anyone compromise on the Pandit story. I will not betray the memory of those who fell to the bullets of radical Islamists."

"#BoycottShikara this is typical VVC, Muslims apologist movie where again Ppl who butchered KPs will be shown as victims and true Muslims and only handful terrorists killed KPs. It will also show how Muslims friends helped KPs which is all bull. Shit. KP should oppose aggressively," one user wrote, "#BoycottShikara after hearing Rahul pandita and vidhu vinod chopra and their talks of whitewashing the sins of Muslims of kashmir who drove them out and instead blaming others..no question is there to watch this movie !! Instead will wait for @vivekagnihotri movie !!," wrote another.

Vivek Agnihotri's take

"I seriously have no idea what he actually said because these days most news clips are edited out of context. Whatever he said is his prerogative and I can't comment on that. However, what I know is, people can be forgiven when they realise their mistake and when they're seeking forgiveness. You can't go and forgive someone with a gun in his hand and is looking for the first opportunity to kill and destroy you. Rather than forgive, you have to defend yourself against such an aggressor and find justice, if possible," Deccan Chronicle quoted Vivek Agnihotri, who is making a film on Kashmiri Pandits and their mass exodus.