No, ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie did not win the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award 2023; Fact Check

Vivek Agnihotri, director of the movie controversial movie “The Kashmir Files” tweeted recently that the movie has won the best film award at the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards 2023. He went ahead to say that it was “dedicated to all the victims of terrorism and to all the people of India” for their blessings.

ANNOUNCEMENT:#TheKashmirFiles wins the ‘Best Film’ award at #DadaSahebPhalkeAwards2023.
“This award is dedicated to all the victims of terrorism and to all the people of India for your blessings.” pic.twitter.com/MdwikOiL44

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) February 21, 2023

The tweet has gone viral on social media after Agnihotri tweeted it personally here and here.

FACT CHECK

Digiteye India took it up for fact checking and realised that Vivek Agnihotri’s tweet has actually misled many people. News reports stated clearly that the movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ has won the ‘Best Film’ award at ‘Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023’, not the national ‘Dada Saheb Phalke’ award given by the Government of India’s Directorate of Film Festivals.

The ‘Dada Saheb Phalke’ award is the highest award in the field of cinema and given by the government for persons in recognition of their contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and not to a film. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (golden lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. clearly, it’s different from the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards given to “The Kashmir Files” in 2023.

Heartiest Congratulations to the recipients of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023

You all are known for your distinguished contribution to Indian Cinema and appraisal from one & all. We wish you all success that equals your artistry and determination#dpiff pic.twitter.com/BcBYqJJIF7

— Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (@Dpiff_official) February 23, 2023

The present award for “The Kashmir Files” was given by a private organization in the name of Dada Saheb Phalke and it has no link in any way to the National Film Award (Dada Saheb Phalke Award) given by the Directorate of Film Festivals. In fact, the said private organisation  tweeted on Feb 21, 2023 congratulating the movie “The Kashmir Files” for winning the best film award at DPIFF as seen here:

And the so called Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) is an independent international film festival as claimed on their website. More over, the images tweeted by Vivek Agnihotri have a trophy carved with the name DPIFF. Several awards and film festivals have been named after Indian cinema pioneer Dadasaheb Phalke, often leading to confusion such as — the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards, Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards, among others. 

Claim: The film “The Kashmir Files” wins the ‘Best Film’ award at DadaSaheb Phalke Awards 2023.

Conclusion: The title is true but clearly different from the prestigious national “DadaSaheb Phalke Award” given by the Directorate of Film Festivals of the Government of India. The last official recipient was Asha Parekh and the award is not given in the form of a trophy.

Rating: Misleading —