5 Reasons why The Kashmir Files was a blockbuster even before its release

Just four days after its release, The Kashmir File has become a rage. It is moving and uniting Indian youth like never before. The gory and inhumane crime committed against Kashmiri Pandits who were targeted for their faith in the valley is crunching big numbers at the box office, emerging as the most successful movie of the post-pandemic landscape. 

However, in this blog, I will not bore you with the reasons why The Kashmir File has become the phenomenon it is today. Instead, I will tell you the reasons why the movie was an enormous success even before its release. Let's dive into it.  

1: The untold story and original content 

The horrific crime committed against the Kashmiri Pandit community has never been depicted in any movie that has been made on Kashmir so far. Films like Lamha, Haider, and Mission Kashmir briefly talk about the political reality of the valley but don't mention the huge mass-killings of a community after the partition of India.  Haider that's set at the same time when Kashmir Pandits were still leaving the valley didn't even mention a word about the lost cultural Hindu heritage. And films like Mission Kashmir even romanticized and justified terrorism. The Kashmir files did enter a territory no filmmaker was daring to get into. Since the subject and the content of the film was different, it was bound to be appreciated by the youth of the country that has been cracking for hard-hitting, realistic cinema that has not been portrayed on 

2: Political leaning to the right 

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Goa, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh declared the film tax-free quite early. This means the film has been exempted from taxation in these states and the ticket price of the movie has gone significantly down, making it affordable for lower-middle-class youth. And, this explains the flood of people coming into the theatre. Given the fact that the movie was based on Kashmiri Pandit and often talks about Article 370 - something the BJP government has always been passionate about, the film was supposed to be tax-free in leading BJP-ruled states even before its release. 

3: Optimized shotting cost and no stars 

Given the movie had no expensive cast, the film managed to be made within a tight budget. Bot only cast, but all technicians on the film were either newcomers or ones rarely given chance. However, at the same time, the film included several national award winners that gave it the credibility of a well-acted film, right after its trailer dropped on YouTube. With a small budget, the film was expected to break even in just a few days anyway. 

4: Strategic, NO cost promotions 

We all know how big producers pump crores into promoting their films; The Kashmir Files did not strategically do that. The filmmaker, Vivek Agnihotri, gave interviews to influencers that had immense reach rather than appearing in shows to promote the show. In addition to this, Vivek Agnihotri also released several videos of the audience from the trial shows getting emotional after watching the film on social media platforms. This created momentum online and made the film the most anticipated movie of the year on IMDB, way before its release. 

5: Released at the best time 

Luckily, the film came in right after BJP's big win in four politically important states. Given the youth of the country was already in the election mood, The Kashmir Files only pumped BJP supporters to flood the theatres and helped them express that they stood by the pro-BJP candidates in the recent poll. 

Have you watched the movie yet? If yes, what is your memorable The Kashmir Files scene? Let us know in the comments.