New Zealand clears The Kashmir Files, to be shown in country next week
Chief Censor David Shanks told media, "I watched the film, and I am satisfied that it does not promote extremism or violence in a way that would require it to be classified as objectionable in New Zealand".
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Wellington, March 28: The Kashmir Files is all set to release in New Zealand in the coming week with the country's Chief Censor clearing the movie for public viewing after increasing the age restriction from 16 to 18 years.
The movie depicts real life incidents from the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley, and had come under objections from the Muslim community in New Zealand, who alleged that the film promotes anti-Muslim sentiment.
Initially, New Zealand had classified the movie as R16 but after community interactions and checking the age classification in other countries, the Chief Censor increased the age to 18 years and above.
New Zealand's former deputy prime minister Winston Peters, the head of the political party New Zealand First, came out in strong support of the movie. In a statement released, he wrote: "The 'Kashmir Files' has been shown in America, Australia, India and many other locations around the world. To date the film has been viewed by over 1.1 billion people. The film is about true and real events surrounding the 1990 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Kashmir and today over 400,000 Kashmir Pandits remain in exile after 32 years".
Advocating releasing the film, Peters said, "To censor this film is tantamount to censoring information or images from the March 15th atrocities in New Zealand, or for that matter removing from public knowledge all images of the attack on 9/11".
Chief Censor David Shanks told New Zealand media, "I watched the film, and I am satisfied that it does not promote extremism or violence in a way that would require it to be classified as objectionable in New Zealand".
Reports said that the reclassification of the movie was announced on Saturday morning.
The movie depicts real life incidents from the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus in the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley, and had come under objections from the Muslim community in New Zealand, who alleged that the film promotes anti-Muslim sentiment.
Initially, New Zealand had classified the movie as R16 but after community interactions and checking the age classification in other countries, the Chief Censor increased the age to 18 years and above.
Advocating releasing the film, Peters said, "To censor this film is tantamount to censoring information or images from the March 15th atrocities in New Zealand, or for that matter removing from public knowledge all images of the attack on 9/11".