Top Bollywood production houses on Friday called for “rediscovering and repositioning of Kashmir as a major shooting destination”, as they made their first visit to the Valley since the abrogation of J&K’s special status in 2019.
“The sky is the limit for filmmakers in Kashmir. It has the potential to become not only a national but also international shooting destination. It’s time to rediscover Kashmir with the cooperation of locals and the administration. We need to scale up shooting and relaunch Kashmir,” said film producer Aashish Singh, who has previously shot the movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan in Kashmir.
Nitin Ahuja, chief executive officer of the Producers Guild, said training sessions for local talent on camera work, cinematography and latest technology would be organised soon “so that the talent is hired locally during shootings”. “We want to revive old relations with Kashmir and establish the feeling of brotherhood,” Mr. Ahuja said.
“We visited several locations and found them absolutely stunning. We also got overwhelming responses from the locals. The food is also amazing. The place is a complete package,” he said.
Meena Ayer, CEO of Ajay Devgan Productions, said, “Kashmir has untapped locations and offers much more scenic beauty than even Switzerland.”
A 24-member delegation from big banners of Bollywood arrived here on January 27 to draw attention to Kashmir, which has been in the throes of militancy for the past three decades.
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who runs his own online channel and hosts the cookery show Khana Khazana, said, “After Hyderabad and Goa, Kashmir is in the top three places of the country offering exotic food. Kashmir can also be promoted for food tourism. There is a need for a national campaign to promote Kashmir’s delicious food.”
G.N. Itoo, Director of Kashmir Tourism, said the Bollywood production houses’ visit was organised “to rebuild Kashmir’s relations with filmmaking”. “We have countless meadows that remain unexplored besides the Bollywood hotspots of Gulmarg and Pahalgam,” Mr. Itoo said.
