Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is currently basking in the historic success of his latest release, The Kashmiri Files. 

Based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the Kashmir insurgency in 1990, the film is getting appreciation from all quarters. 

It is getting praises for the heart-wrenching storyline and strong performances of Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumar among other cast members. 

Besides all the love pouring in, The Kashmir Files is also making headlines due to a slew of controversies. 

Well, Agnihotri has now courted another controversy with his remarks on Bhopalis (people from Bhopal). 

A video has now surfaced on the internet in which the director can be heard saying that Bhopalis are assumed to be homosexuals. Yes, you read that right!

In the interview clip, he says, "I am from Bhopal, but I do not call myself a Bhopali because that carries a certain connotation. If someone calls himself a Bhopali, it generally means that person is a homosexual.. someone with 'nawabi' fantasies". 

Watch it below:

इस दोयम दर्जे की मान्यता के लिए मेरी ओर से..#I_M_Sorry_Bhopal

भोपाली होना होमोसेक्सुअल होना कैसे हो सकता है..?

लखनऊ,हैदराबाद,मैसूर भी तो नवाबी शहर हैं..तो क्या वहां भी..! छि:

अगर हम भी कहते फिरें कि तनु श्री दत्त आपको लेकर ऐसा बोलती है तो क्या आप मान लेंगे.!@vivekagnihotri pic.twitter.com/teh5fmixZ0

Interestingly, the clip went viral on social media just before his visit to Bhopal to participate in a film festival organised by RSS associate Chitra Bharti. 

For obvious reasons, Bhopalis have raised objections over the director's statement. 

Digvijaya Singh, the senior Congress leader, has called out Agnihotri for his controversial remarks. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "विवेक अग्निहोत्री जी यह आपका अपना निजी अनुभव हो सकता है। 

यह आम भोपाल निवासी का नहीं है। मैं भी भोपाल और भोपालियों के संपर्क में 77 से हूँ लेकिन मेरा तो यह अनुभव कभी नहीं रहा। आप कहीं भी रहें "संगत का असर तो होता ही है"। (Vivek Agnihotri ji, this could be your experience, but not that of the Bhopal citizens. I have been in Bhopal and with the people of people since 77, but I never had this experience. Wherever you stay, there's always an influence of the company you keep)".

विवेक अग्निहोत्री जी यह आपका अपना निजी अनुभव हो सकता है।
यह आम भोपाल निवासी का नहीं है।
मैं भी भोपाल और भोपालियों के संपर्क में 77 से हूँ लेकिन मेरा तो यह अनुभव कभी नहीं रहा।
आप कहीं भी रहें “संगत का असर तो होता ही है”।#KashmirFiles@vivekagnihotri https://t.co/L98WIQvgd2

We wonder how the director would react to the criticism

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