By Zishan Amiri
Srinagar, Mar 25: Signifying how Kashmir is can be any film-maker’s go-to destination, a few young Kashmiri filmmakers have raised the bar after shooting an instrumental video on the popular web show Games of Thrones (GOT) entirely in Gulmarg.
Titled ‘The Cure: An instrumental tribute to Game of Thrones’, the video uploaded by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism on its Facebook and YouTube handles on Saturday, has taken the social media by storm with above 1000 reactions, around 500 shares and over 23,000 views, already.
The 6:21-minute video, as per the Director Ruman Hamdani, was shot in a span of three months with basic production equipment, “thus showing the possibilities of filmmaking in Kashmir”.
With a view to display the scenic beauty of the valley and blow the minds of the viewers, Hamdani said, “We shot this completely on a shoe-string budget and with really very basic cameras and production equipment. Trust me; if you’re a filmmaker, Kashmir has everything to offer you.”
Hamdani said that the young team purposely tried to shoot the video in exactly the same way GOT has been originally shot in order to make the filmmakers realise the valley’s potential for filmmaking.
Asked why specifically GOT was chosen as a theme, he said: “We knew that this theme will attract a lot of viewers keeping in mind its popularity. And initially, we were just going to play music on the snow, the idea of storytelling came later.”
While the video has already attracted plenty of film lovers in Kashmir, former chief minister Omar Abdullah, too, took to Twitter to appreciate the team.
“This tribute to #GameOfThrones comes all the way from Kashmir. It’s a visual delight & hearing the theme music played on the traditional rubab is amazing. Well done,” he tweeted.
The music composer, Sufiyan Malik, who is also seen playing the traditional Rabab in the video, as well believes that Kashmir, other than tourists, is also a paradise for filmmakers.
“The best part about shooting here is its affordability. Shooting in Gulmarg for three months was one amazing experience,” he said, crediting the J&K Tourism for sponsoring the entire shoot.
Director Tourism, Mehmood Shah, whose main aim in 2018 is to eradicate the valley’s negative perception, said that videos like these will make tourists know the “other side of Kashmir”.
“A highly complicated theme like GOT was easily depicted by them. This shows how talented the youngsters in J&K are,” lauded Mehmood.
Those who acted in it included Muazzam Bhat, Yousuf Gul Dev, Sheikh Neelofar, Tariq Ahmed Mir, Imbesat Ahmad, Mosin Sheikh and Faheem Yousuf.
Here is the video
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