Vivek Agnihotri Suggested A 'Vegetarian' Wazwan and Kashmiris were Quick to React

Kashmiri Twitter users have roasted Bollywood filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri for trying to cook a ‘vegetarian’ Wazwan.

Agnihotri, who is in the valley to shoot ‘The Kashmir Files’, a movie based on the Kashmiri Hindus migration, was spotted having food at a local hotel.

Wazwan is multi-course mutton cuisine usually served to guests during marriages in Kashmir. The spicy and flavoured cuisine ranges from seven to 25 mutton dishes.

It all started when Agnihotri tweeted, “Nobody knows how to make a vegetarian Wazwan in Kashmir. But I am here to bring about change. #TheKashmirFiles.”

People were quick to react and give Agnihotri some lessons about Kashmir and its culture.

“Could you kindly confirm is there something like a ‘vegetarian’ Wazwan on your menu at Grand Palace Hotel, Srinagar? While we appreciate your business here but would that come at the cost of tampering with the local culture? Wazwan last was about non-vegetarian,” tweeted one.

“First, you are not a Kashmiri and second, a ‘vegetarian Wazwan’ does not exist and never will although someone with an alter ego may keep pushing for it,” wrote another user.

A Twitter user advised him to take a dip in the freezing Dal Lake and relax. “Wazwan is an alternative word for Non-Vegetarian. Your Firdous is also crying after he saw this tweet,” he said.

Here are some more reactions:

Wazwan is part of Kashmir’s rich culture and every Kashmiri is touchy and proud of the gourmet. That is why successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir had to face criticism when they tried to moderate the fat guestlist and mutton varieties. Some social activists too had advocated austere marriages in Jammu and Kashmir and asked families to tone down expenditure as it was becoming a vice for the poor. But many Kashmiris were unhappy about the suggestion saying no one should have a business to strike down a law on local culture and whoever wants to tone down the festivities can do it on their freewill.

Under the order, a cap was imposed on the number of guests to be invited and food dishes to be served in marriages and other social functions. Any violation of the directive was to invoke the criminal action under the relevant sections of the CrPC.

Seven vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes were allowed to serve to the guests during marriages and social functions. However, the high court later restrained the government from taking coercive measures.

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