Islamophobic Remarks :
Right-wing Hindu filmmaker Ashok Pandit uses movies to spread Hindu nationalist propaganda. He supports the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
The 2019 propaganda movie “The Accidental Prime Minister,” which portrays former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh as a “puppet” leader, was co-produced by Pandit.
In the Islamophobic film “72 Hoorain,” which translates to “72 Virgins,” Muslim beliefs are openly mocked and the community is blatantly maligned, and he also co-produced it. This movie is a representative of the trendy anti-Muslim subgenre in Indian cinema, which also includes The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story.
The jury chair for the 53rd International Film Festival of India said, “We were all disturbed and shocked by the movie Kashmir Files. It felt to us like a vulgar propaganda movie inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”
It was a mistake for our administration and IFFI to appoint the Israeli filmmaker as head of the jury because he was a planned agent. The myth surrounding the flight of Kashmiri Pandits was exposed by Kashmir Files. I want a thorough probe into the jury chairperson’s nomination on behalf of Kashmiri Pandits and as a filmmaker,” he stated.
Pandit is the president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees and the chief advisor to the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association.
He has no qualms in branding the critics of the ruling dispensation as traitors, urban naxal, and anti-national. Similar are his views on the Muslim way of life. He has adamantly opposed Muslim women’s demands that they be allowed to wear hijabs in schools.
Pandit frequently publishes false news articles and films that defame opposition figures and religious minorities in order to advance the Hindu nationalist agenda. He has been accused of instigating, agitating the public, and fostering animosity amongst groups in several complaints.
His Twitter account was suspended in June 2023 after he threatened to kill another user.