The Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri’s remark on the term ‘Bhopali’ being synonymous with homosexuality has puzzled Vivek’s close friend writer-director Rumu 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 baton mein kuch ajeeb sa keh diya. Hota hai,” says Rumi, adding that he didn’t want to comment on it.

“Vivek is a dear friend.We’ve worked together.In fact during 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’d be much more vocal. But Vivek…I don’t know where he got his statistics from. There are so many well-known artists from Bhopal in Bollywood,” says Rumi.