Ishfaq-ul-Hassan
Srinagar: Cinema can wait but OTT cannot!
For the first time, two award-winning movies from Kashmiri filmmakers are making digital debut on Voot Select.
‘Lihaaf’, which is a joint venture of Surankote-born filmmaker Rahat Kazmi and Oscar-winning French producer Marc Bachet of ‘No Man’s Land’ fame, is being premiered in Voot Film Festival on July 31. ‘Lihaaf’ is a story based on famous Urdu writer and novelist Ismat Chugtai.
‘Lines’, which encapsulates the story of divided families living across the Line of Control, is a joint venture of Rahat Kazmi and famous Kashmiri television star Hina Khan. The movie is set to premiere at Voot Select film festival on July 29.
“Lihaaf is Ismat Chugtai story. It has been extensively shot in Kashmir. Some parts have been shot in Jammu as well. It has a very big star cast. To name a few: Tannishtha Chatterjee to Sonal Sehgal to Virendra Saxena and others,” said Rahat.
Lihaaf’s first look was launched at the Cannes film festival a few years back. Later it went on to win 11 international awards in different film festivals across the globe. “I have directed this movie. Plus I have also acted. I play the role of Ismat’s husband in the movie. This movie has won 11 international awards. Oscar-winning French filmmaker Marc Bachet of `No Man’s Land’ fame has co-produced the movie,” said Rahat.
‘Lines’ has been jointly produced by Rahat Kazmi Films and Hina Khan’s Hiro’s Faar Better Films besides Alpha productions and others. Hinna Khan of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Kasautii Zindagii Kay fame is playing the main character in the movie. Based on divided families, the movie has been directed by Kashmiri filmmaker Hussain Khan of `Kashmir Daily’ fame,
“This movie has a star-studded cast. Besides Hina Khan, it has Bollywood actor Fareeda Jalal, Reshi Butani, Zahir Qureshi from Poonch, and Ahmad Hyder from Kashmir. I and Kuwar Shakti Singh have jointly written it. Singh’s grandfather was king of Akhnoor and he is a revolutionary poet and writer. I have creatively mentored the film,” he said.
‘Lines’ has also premiered in different film festivals across the globe. Hina Khan won the best actress award in the US Montgomery Film Festival for this movie. Zahid Qureshi won the best supporting actor in the festival. It was also nominated for best film and best director.
“It is about two sisters who were separated in 1947. The film revolves around their grandkids who act as a bridge to reunite the two families,” he said.
Hailing from Surankote, Rahat Kazmi, 42, comes from a family of noted Sufi poet Vilayat Ali Shah Bukhari who had a tremendous influence in the area. For Kazmi, Bukhari was the first inspiration and he started writing prose and poetry when he was in eighth standard.
Films were the first love and such was the passion that he shot a movie on a small camera and screened it in the video halls of the area to test his skills. When he was in class 12th, he left for Mumbai to try his luck, but to no avail. Life changed for him when he shifted to Delhi to make series on Bollywood personalities for ETV.
