MJ Akbar retraces the history of Kashmir uptill 1990s
Our Moon has Blood Clots
Narrative Non-Fiction, Biographical
Rahul Pandita’s celebrated book about the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus. Gives a peek into the KP emotional pysch.
Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer
Narrative Non-Fiction, Biographical
The Kashmiri Muslim experience of the turbulent years of 1990s.
Fiction
Shalimar the Clown
Novel by Salman Rushdie, Magical Realism
The span of the story is from 1940s to 2005 and while I have some reservations with how some people and communities are portrayed, I think this has to be one of the best works of fiction on a global scale.
Movies and Documentaries
Kashmir Files
Film by Vivek Agnihotri
I have my reservations with the narrative liberties taken by Vivek Agnihotri in this film, but at the same time, this is the only mainstream movie that tackles the subject of 1990s exodus head on and does not dance around it.
*Note:
Shikara which was loosely based on Our Moon has Blood Clots was also a mainstream bollywood movie dealing with exodus but the was turned into a romantic movie which felt tone deaf to me and many more.
I had predicted S
Notebook from Kashmir
Documentary on Youtube by Naveen Pandita
About Nandimarg Massacre, which took place around 2003 where around 24 Kashmiri pandits were killed. The victims ranged from a 65-year-old man to a 2-year-old boy.
Kashmir Files’ closing scene is (in my view) inspired from this incident.