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SRINAGAR: Bollywood is coming back to Kashmir finally. And let’s hope we get to see a happily-ever-after climax. The interesting part is,the man who actually led the tinsel-town majors to oppose the idea of returning to Kashmir—for a varied set of reasons, including security— was in the valley for around a month and he is now talking about Kashmir as an unparalleled destination.
It is Anupam Kher, a Kashmir-born actor, who during his shooting in Pahalgam, was caught in snow blizzard near Chandnawari. But he has no problems with the overall security scenario. State government has provided the entire unit proper security cover and the shooting was kept a low-key affair till the unit almost completed the job.
Kher and Rahul Bose are shooting Santosh Sivan’s Daastan in Pahalgam for the last three fortnights. Co-actors Akshay Khanna and Sarika finished shooting and and have gone back.
“I still remember when we flew to Mumbai and had a meeting with the Bollywood biggies requesting them to return to Kashmir for shooting and contribute in peace efforts, this great actor was not ready,” said a senior officer who accompanied the chief minister then. “He had his own reasons and some of them quite solid. But the same gentleman shooting in Kashmir conveys that the situation is improved,” the officer said.
The actors and the director are not ready to talk much about the film that is reportedly related to contemporary Kashmir. But after shooting in Pahalgam’s Betaab Valley — taking the name from Sunny Deol-Amrita Singh film Betab of 1983 — they are sure that the shooting will change the mindset of not only the Bollywood but also international producers.
“Here is my prediction. It is not gonna be just Bollywood, its gonna be international after this film. I can guarantee you; this will be one of the places where every single great international film with real scope would be shot. My prediction is that this will be a really coveted spot for international movies,” Bose said.
But the most reassuring comment come from Kher: “I have travelled almost half the world and almost all the beautiful locations, but there is no place on earth like Kashmir. Ours is a film which will change the perception of Kashmir at international level”. Returning to Kashmir after 21 years, Kher says: “Nature looks a bit scared, people look harassed. The locals are warm towards us, although at times the fear factor does set in”.
Officials think the shooting and the film would supplement their efforts to help tourism revive its full potential. Owing to turmoil and unfavourable attitude by western countries, Kashmir tourism is yet to pick up. This year only 4,30,000 tourists, including 23000 foreigners, visited Kashmir. “One great thing about arrivals this year was there were no highs and lows — we had a smooth traffic. Even on Monday 600 tourists landed in Srinagar,” said tourism secretary Naem Akhter, insisting the voices about a stable and peaceful Kashmir are gradually triggering a turnaround.
“We expect better season next year”, said Akhter. Already the government has asked the hospitality sector to refurbish their infrastructure. Part of the infrastructure, that includes even gardens, is with the security forces. Of late, a dozen-odd hotels have been vacated but 64 hotels and lot of infrastructure related to the sector is still under occupation of the counter-insurgency grid.
Besides, some of the tourist spots are with the security forces. “In Kokernag they do not even permit us to implement certain development projects and so is the case of Sonamarg.” an officer in Kashmir’s tourism directorate said. “In Gulmarg, troops are constructing huge buildings in the 270-acres they have illegally occupied,” he added. |
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