Encouraged by the fair weather and semblance of tranquillity, the tourist footfall have begun to increase in Kashmir valley. As part of the “perception management”, the State authorities are focusing on Bollywood to showcase the Valley for attracting more domestic and foreign tourists. “I saw overwhelming response from the Bollywood actors and directors. When I met them in Mumbai in 2003, their response was not that much encouraging. They want to send their crews for shooting and highlighting Kashmir’s beauty”, Chief Minister Mufti Mufti Sayeed told mediapersons during an interaction.
“Salman Khan returned to shooting immediately (after getting bail)”, Sayeed, who toured Mumbai, Gujarat and New Delhi to meet stakeholders of film and tourism industries earlier this month, said. In fact, his campaign has already started showing results. On Saturday, first time since the militancy erupted in Kashmir, a Mumbai-based film producer Vashu Baghnani held promo of comedy film ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’ starring Arshid Warsi, Jackky Baghnani and lauren Gotlib here. The promo was organised at historical Hari Niwas Palace situated in the lap of Zabarwan Hills, a plush property dedicated by the State Government for the tourism promotion.
Baghnani said that promo in Kashmir for his film was aimed at sending a message that Kashmir was the choicest destination for entertainment and commercial activity. The Arizona (US) based lead actor of the film lauren Gotlib said that she was mesmerised by the beauty of Kashmir and the conduct of highly hospitable people. The film has been shot in Dubai and is due to release this month.
State Commissioner Secretary Tourism Shailendra Kumar said that state government was offering logistic support to the Bollywood and most often charges are not levied on using locations. He denied that incentives were offered for shooting in Kashmir. Interestingly, Kashmir has no theatres but most of the people watch films on television. Armed insurgents banned beaming films in early 1990s and most of the theatres were converted into security camps. Some theatres have completely vanished or their owners changed them into hospitals or shopping malls.
Mufti remained tight-lipped on possibility of reopening theatres. In 1999, during Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s regime, three theatres were reopened with government’s financial assistance but they closed down immediately. In fact, now bulldozed Regal theatre was closed after second show only following a grenade blast in its premises that killed a film-viewer.
In this backdrop, the Government is focusing on film-shooting rather than film screening in Kashmir. “The return of Bollywood helps in perception management”, Kumar said, adding, the recent situation events including the flood situations, the negative publicity damaged the tourism projections for the time being.