Abhishek Agarwal comes from a family background which is into pearls business and when all thought he would follow suit, he veered towards film exhibition after academics. “A few of our friends.. we decided that getting into this would be fetching and I got introduced to Anil Sunkara. We started exhibition/distribution but it didn’t work out, so we parted. At the prime of the company I came up with, I observed a lot and learnt quite a lot and in this process, we eventually decided not to do distribution anymore. I lost heavily in Brahmotsavam and Seeta and resolved to be a full fledged producer,” he tells Klapboardpost.com.
How did he bump into Vivek Agnihotri of Kashmir Files? “I was working on Article 370 and I got to know that he too was doing the same through a common friend. We then decided to work together and it started. I was involved from Day one in the script and making from 2019. Right now, I am doing commercial films with good content…Raja Raja Chora, Goodachari, A1 Express etc all are commercial and have something to take away. I am keen that a message should be there in every story and I am totally involved in content based cinema. The next is Kartikeya 2 and Tiger Nageswar Rao which I am sure will captivate the imagination of audiences.”
Does he think his film has polarised the audiences? “There are many subjects in India that have to be told and we need to see which segment it should cater to. People are now aware and are awakened, they want things to come out. I am very happy that I could bring all Hindus to one platform. I am very lucky and I have no words to express my happiness. I am happy that I became a medium to tell the public and show graphically what happened to the Pandits three decades back. I am gratified that I have done something for the country. Lots of people make money but to get an opportunity like this which shows and involves patriotic fervour and humanism..has given my life a new meaning. I think very early in life, I got a chance to contribute something for my country. I take pride in making Kashmir Files,” he says.
Were you apprehensive of a backlash post the release? “You are on a mission to do something, no one can stop or hurt you. When I started this project people said I have gone half mad and asked me who’ll invest in the project, how will I release it but I had faith and I said dekha jayega. We should continue to do our work, rest will be taken care of by God.” None of the industry people lauded him or congratulated him, does it bother him? The Prime MInister took upon himself to promote the film and people did notice and understood what he said. Abhishek laughs it off, he doesn’t reply to the question. He instead says, “Movie making is my passion, I am banking on the subjects and sometimes it takes time. Two years of filmmaking came to an abrupt halt due to Covid. But now I am back and I will make films in all languages. Tiger Nageswar Rao is a Pan Indian film, I want to make Hindi films that will be released in English too. I am making a Punjabi film too. I am proud of Kartikeya 2 and we are planning promotions soon. It will be one of the best films I have produced. It will be released in Hindi too and I am personally taking care of it.”
He says that there is a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, luckily he was able to create that in a short time..creating a brand for himself and wants to continue picking strong content oriented cinema.
