The Kashmir Files

In 1989-1990 Islamic militants storm the Kashmir valley and force Kashmiri Pandits to flee. They chant slogans like Raliv Galiv ya Chaliv and Al-Safa Batte Dafa, signaling a campaign of conversion, exile, or death. The violence triggers a mass displacement and fear that will echo for years.

Pushkar Nath Pandit asks his friend Brahma Dutt to protect his son Karan. Brahma travels to Kashmir with Pushkar and witnesses the violence first-hand. He raises the issue with the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, who suspends Brahma.

Militants raid Pushkar's house and Karan, who had hidden in a rice container, is discovered and shot. Sharda and Pushkar plead for mercy as the militants terrorize the family. Bitta’s men force Sharda to eat rice soaked in Karan’s blood in exchange for the family’s lives.

Pushkar arranges for an ambulance, but the hospital is taken over by militants who forbid treating non-Muslims. Despite the attempt to save him, Karan succumbs to his gunshot injuries. The failure of medical aid seals the tragedy for the Pandit family.

To protect the Pandits, Pushkar and family seek refuge with Kaul, a Hindu poet who hosts Pandits in his home. Militants arrive to collect Kaul and his son under the guise of protection, and the Pandits are forced to flee. Later, Kaul and his son are found hanged, a grim warning about the violence.

Refugee Pandits settle in Jammu camps, living on meager rations. Brahma becomes an advisor to the new Governor of J&K, and the Home Minister visits the camps. Sharda is appointed to a government job in Nadimarg, and the family moves there, seeking stability.

Militants disguised as Indian Army soldiers raid Nadimarg and begin rounding up Pandits. Sharda resists when they grab her elder son Shiva; Farooq strips her and shoots her, then lines up the remaining villagers and murders them in a mass grave. Pushkar is spared to spread the word about what happened.

In the present day, Krishna is raised by Pushkar after his mother's death and studies at ANU. He falls under the influence of professor Radhika Menon, who advocates Kashmiri separatism. Brahma, Vishnu Ram, and other friends remember the Kashmir events, which Brahma calls a genocide.

Krishna runs in ANU's student elections, prompted by Menon's guidance to address Kashmir's history. He places blame on the Government of India for the ongoing crisis, causing tension with Pushkar and some of his peers. The debate highlights differing perspectives on accountability and history.

After Pushkar's death, Krishna travels to his ancestral home in Kashmir to scatter his ashes as Pushkar wished. The journey reconnects him with the region's traumatic history and his family's losses. It marks a turning point in his personal journey and political awakening.

While in Kashmir, Krishna meets militant leader Bitta, who presents himself as a 'new-age Gandhi' advocating non-violent methods. Bitta claims the Indian Army killed Krishna's mother and brother, flipping Krishna's perceptions of the violence. This encounter deepens Krishna's struggle to separate propaganda from truth.

Back in Delhi, Brahma hands Krishna files of newspaper cuttings showing militants disguising themselves as Indian Army to kill Pandits. The evidence challenges Krishna's assumptions and deepens his understanding of the conflict. The material fuels his resolve to expose the truth in his upcoming speech.

Krishna returns to the ANU campus and delivers a highly charged speech detailing Kashmir’s history and his family’s suffering. At first, he faces ridicule from some students, but gradually a crowd embraces his message and applauds. The speech signals a shift in his public stance and the dialogue around Kashmir.