The Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri’s remark on the term ‘Bhopali’ being synonymous with homosexuality has puzzled Vivek’s close friend writer-director Rumi Jaffery who is from Bhopal.

“I don’t know why Vivek would say such a thing. My first response was that of disbelief. I thought he was being misquoted. Then I saw the video, and it seems he did say it. Baaton baaton mein kuch ajeeb sa keh diya. Hota hai,” says Rumi, adding that he did not want to comment on it.

“Vivek is a dear friend. We have worked together. In fact, during the pandemic, we completed a film together which I wrote and he directed. We have the same circle of friends. If it was someone else saying something like this, I would be much more vocal. However, Vivek… I do not know where he got his statistics. There are so many well-known artists from Bhopal in Bollywood,” says Rumi.

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