Vivek Agnihotri apprehensive of controversy around The Vaccine War? Director answers

After the commercial success of his last theatrical release The Kashmir Files, Vivek Agnihotri's next project titled The Vaccine War is ready for release. As described by the director, the movie is "an incredible true story of a war that you didn't know India fought. And won with its science, courage and great Indian values". While details surrounding the film are under wraps, it will be based against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and how a nation of over a billion developed the vaccine that saved lives globally.

Vivek, who is unapologetic about his political views and faced backlash from a section of the audience for The Kashmir Files which was labelled as a "propaganda" film, told Republic Digital's Mugdha Kapoor that it is not easy to get funding for the kind of films that he is making. He said, nonetheless, he will continue to touch on subjects of his liking. He also expressed his apprehension over a potential controversy as The Vaccine War's release nears. 

2 things you need to know

• Apart from The Vaccine War, Vivek Agnihotri is also making The Delhi Files. 
• The filmmaker's docu-series The Kashmir Files Unreported is streaming on OTT.

The Vaccine War celebrates Indian womanhood, feminism in India

The director is no stranger to controversy. When The Kashmir Files was released in 2022, it polarised the audience. Despite emerging as a box office hit, the talk about it being a "propaganda" film did not subdue. When asked if he has apprehension about his upcoming film The Vaccine War being seen in a negative light, Agnihotri replied in the affirmative. He, however, maintained that the movie is about the "greatest scientific achievement" and "feminism" and hoped that the message does not get lost in political controversies.

"I have my apprehensions. But the only thing is, I don't want an important film that celebrates the soul of Indian womanhood, feminism in India, what makes it different from Western feminism, and the greatest achieved scientific achievement which was made possible by women like our mothers and sisters, ever to get lost in political controversies," the director told Republic Digital.

'I'm worried about the film,' says Vivek Agnihotri

Continuing, Vivek Agnihotri said that since his name is attached to The Vaccine War, there will be controversies. He added that a section of people within the country "don't want positive news about India during elections". "That would be an injustice to our mothers and sisters," he said while expressing his worry over the film getting lost because of box office comparisons with his last release The Kashmir Files.

(The Vaccine War prep underway as Vivek Agnihotri works with his team | Image: Vivekn Agnihotri/Instagram) 

"Indian election times are such there so many people who don't want to hear anything positive about India. But that would be an injustice to our mothers and sisters. That's why I'm so confused and worried. I don't want this to happen as it (The Vaccine War) is a tribute to my mother, to your mother, and their sacrifice. The West cannot imagine that a woman can live without vanity. But in India, our mothers sacrifice their youth, ambition and aspirations to create a product that has value addition and not valuation. This is a tribute to them. I'm not worried about the box office. I pray to god that the theme of the film does not get lost in these discussions," the director said.

About funding his own films

Vivek Agnihotri has been making films considered non-mainstream by many. However, he has tasted box office success with The Tashkent Files (2019) and The Kashmir Files (2022). He expressed dismay over producers not backing the kind of films he is making and shared that he channels profits from his own projects into his new endeavours, including The Vaccine War. 

(Vivek Agnihotri is the director of The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files | Image: Vivek Agnihotri/Instagram)

"It is very difficult. If you want to follow the traditional system of filmmaking, it's impossible. Tell me something, who would invest a penny in a subject like The Vaccine War? Nobody. No studio, no producer, nobody, no actor would work in a film like this. Why should we work on a subject like The Vaccine War? Who will invest in it? So, whatever money we earned from The Kashmir Files, as we invested in this. This (the film) is our commitment," he concluded.