Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri has backed the right to protest in a democracy, saying demonstrations have been a part of India’s political and social landscape for decades and should continue when people feel the need to raise their voices.
Agnihotri was speaking to IANS on the red carpet at a screening of a film based on spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba.
Initially reluctant to comment on the ongoing student protests at the event, the filmmaker eventually said that demonstrations were an integral part of democratic functioning.
“It is a democracy, things happen, they have been happening for a long time. There have been thousands of protests in the last 70 years, and they keep happening. In fact, they should be happening, why shouldn’t they be happening?” he said.
The remarks come amid student-led protests demanding greater transparency and accountability in the education and recruitment systems, particularly following allegations surrounding the NEET examination.
The protests have also included demands for action against those responsible for alleged examination irregularities and calls for the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Agnihotri has been associated with the Hindi film industry for more than two decades. He made his directorial debut with Chocolate in 2005 and subsequently directed films including Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Hate Story, Buddha in a Traffic Jam and The Tashkent Files.
His 2022 film The Kashmir Files, which portrayed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, received significant critical attention and became one of the year’s major box-office successes.
He later directed The Vaccine War, centred on India’s scientific efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is currently preparing for the release of The Delhi Files, the next instalment in his “Files” trilogy.
Agnihotri is married to actress Pallavi Joshi.
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