1980’s like

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is in the Kashmir valley these days. After the stupendous success of ‘Pathaan’, the actor is in the Valley for the shooting of his upcoming film ‘Dunki’. Amid the shoot diaries, Shah Rukh Khan’s photograph in a black puffer jacket and matching cargo pants went viral on social media. As ‘Dunki’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani also stars Taapsee Pannu, is slated to release later this year, SRK’s presence in Kashmir has sent out positive vibes. Once a second home to Bollywood, the government in the past has taken several measures to revive Hindi film industry’s Kashmir connection. Even as Bollywood has of late started making a gradual comeback to the Valley, South Indian film producers too have shown keen interest to shoot in Kashmir. On top of that, numerous music videos and ad-films too were shot in Kashmir. In the backdrop of SRK’s Valley visit, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that the ‘1980’s like wonderful era’ of Bollywood is returning to Jammu & Kashmir with the support of the people. Talking to reporters on the side-lines of a function in Sumbal, LG Sinha said that over the years around 300 movies have been shot in Kashmir. He also said that this year, the J&K administration is expecting the arrival of two crore tourists which will be record breaking. He further pointed out that Bollywood director Rajkumar Hirani came to meet him and went on to say: “The return of Bollywood will help in employment generation and improve the economic condition of Jammu and Kashmir.” It may be noted that this is Shah Rukh’s first visit to the Kashmir valley after he shot for his 2012 movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan, directed by late filmmaker Yash Chopra, with Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. Other Bollywood superstars including Aamir Khan and Salman Khan too have visited Kashmir during the past few years. Now, SRK’s latest Kashmir shoot is bound to attract more film crews to the Valley. Even as the film crews have always received a grand welcome from the locals as well as the administration, the government should continue to provide a conducive atmosphere for shootings. Film-makers have underscored the need of having a single window clearance system as a lot of time gets wasted in getting permissions from different offices. Then, there are other issues of getting heavy cameras and vanity vans and getting them here poses a big risk due to security and other concerns. Also, local line producers do not have qualified persons here in Kashmir who are trained to operate big cranes and other sophisticated equipment. Though the stakeholders had been assured that all their concerns will be addressed, the recently introduced film policy is not merely confined towards easing the process of shootings in Kashmir. The policy will also endeavour to involve the local population in the productions with an aim to generate employment and give a platform to the Valley-based artists and other performers.