Bollywood gradually, though hesitantly, has been opening up about The Kashmir Files; the film has created awareness about the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus by the Islamists in the state. The cause gains momentum when artists who hail from Kashmir and have suffered the brutality come out to share those instances with people. This helps bust the fake narrative of the leftists and Islamists that alleges what has been shown in The Kashmir Files is false and labels the movie a “propaganda-driven” agenda.

After filmmaker Aditya Dhar, television actress, ace dancer, and famous social media influencer Sandeepa Dhar has also come to the fore. Only a few knew that the actress was born in Srinagar. She hails from a Kashmiri Hindu family that was one among the numerous that had to flee their homes because of the threats issued by Islamists who had asked the Hindus of the valley to convert, leave, or die.

After watching the movie, actress Sandeepa Dhar took to her social media handle and shared how her family was terrorized into leaving their home in Kashmir during this horror some 30 years ago. The actor penned down a detailed note applauding the film’s director, Vivek Agnihotri, and the artists, Anupam Kher, in particular. 

She has also shared a few images on her Instagram handle, the first two of which were detailed statements in which she recalls the ordeal of her family on the blood-curdling day on which they (Islamists of the valley) declared that Kashmiri Pandits must leave Kashmir but leave their women behind and her family had decided to leave their homeland. Her family had fled hidden in the back of a truck; the family hid her young cousin sister) under the seat behind her father’s feet to ensure the little girl’s safety. The family thus left their world behind, quietly in the dead of night.

The Heropanti actress states that The Kashmir Files reminded her of similar incidents that her family underwent. She was also shaken to her core while watching some of the frightening scenarios in the film as the reality of the instances shown in the film hit home. “My grandmother died, waiting to return to her home, her land, her Panun Kashmir (my Kashmir). This film has been like a punch in the gut for me. It’s been much worse for my parents,” added the actress.

Sandeepa highlights that this story of immense significance had been left untold for far too long and that the victims are yet to get justice. 

She rounds up with a note of appreciation and heartfelt gratitude for the film, its maker, and its cast. “Thank you, Vivek Agnihotri, for showing the world the truth. And hats off to the entire cast brilliantly headed by Anupam Ji,” her note concluded. The actor also shared a couple of old pictures of her house in Kashmir.

Despite the mammoth resistance and sabotage attempts by vested interests, The Kashmir Files was released to critical acclaim on Friday, March 11. The movie, based on true incidents from the Kashmiri Hindu genocide, chronicles the developments in the life of a student who discovers that his Kashmiri Hindu parents were slaughtered by Islamists of Kashmir, and did not die in an accident as was told to him.

In the two weeks since its release, The Kashmir Files has also registered a massive commercial success that will prove to be an encouragement for filmmakers who want to experiment with bold subjects and bring out truths that have been kept buried so far in the name of secularism.