Well-known film producers from Bollywood are on a 4-day visit to the Valley. Big banners reached Kashmir on Thursday and addressed the media on Friday. Mesmerised by its natural beauty, producers, expressed their desire to shoot their upcoming films in the Valley.
A 24-member delegation representing most of the big banners of Bollywood is expected to visit Gulmarg and Pahalgam to explore locations for film shoots. Speaking to the media, the delegates said that Kashmir can easily be an international film shooting destination.
The recently formed Union Territory is facing over ₹2,615 crore revenue losses and around 65,000 job loss owing to the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and pandemic.
We have so much potential here for film making that not only Bollywood, but filmmakers from around the globe can shoot here.Aashish Singh, Film Producer
The delegation visiting the Valley includes members of the Ajay Devgun Films, the Sanjay Dutt Productions, the Reliance Entertainment, the Rohit Shetty Films, the Zee Studios, the Adhikari Brothers & SAB (Marathi), the Endemol, director Rajkumar Hirani, the Excel Entertainment, and representatives from the Producers Guild, Mumbai.
Shooting destination for the world
Popular film producer Aashish Singh, who has already shot movies like 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' in the Valley, said Kashmir provides a perfect backdrop for the filmmakers and has the potential of becoming the shooting destination for the world.
"We have so much potential here for filmmaking that not only Bollywood, but filmmakers from around the globe can shoot here," Singh said.
He added that many filmmakers want to visit Kashmir and capture its breathtaking visuals. Singh also said that the connection between Bollywood and Kashmir is very old and will be long lasting.
The CEO of the Producers Guild, Nitin Ahuja, said they want to revive the old relations with Kashmir when the Valley used to be the favourite backdrop for the filmmakers.
From ‘Haider’ and ‘Rockstar’ to ‘Roja’ and ‘Kashmir Ki Kali,’ many iconic films have been shot in the Valley.
"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," Ahuja said.
Film and Food Tourism
At a time when Paradise on Earth is struggling to keep the tourism sector afloat, attention from Bollywood could prove to be beneficial. The CEO of Ajay Devgn Productions, Meena Ayer, also praised the beauty of Kashmir and said the Valley possesses huge scope for film tourism which needs to be tapped.
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.Nitin Ahuja, CEO of the Producers Guild
Sanjeev Kapoor, popular chef and the host of the famous cooking show 'Khana Khazana', said that the UT can also be promoted for food tourism.
He said Kashmir is among the top three exotic food destinations in India. "I have tasted Kashmiri exotic food and will promote it throughout the world. There is a need of having a national campaign to promote Kashmir's delicious food," he said.
(With Inputs from IANS)