After a gap of 32-year the big screen has returned to the Kashmir valley which otherwise were shut in early 1990s when armed uprising erupted in the valley.
In September 2022, the first multiplex in Srinagar, INOX was inaugurated where Amir Khan’s movie Lal Singh Chadda was screened as the first movie.
Zamir Bhat, a class 12 student, skipped class on the day of the opening ceremony of INOX in order to attend the theatre’s grand opening and see the movie on the big screen.
“I had never been to a movie theatre. I used to watch movies on TV or phone,” he says.
Bhat stayed in the lobby during the movie’s intermission with a bucket of popcorn and a soft drink, periodically taking pictures, which gave him happiness.
He was delighted after he experienced the theatre and also sent photos and videos to his friends who couldn’t attend, he says.
There are three movie theatres in the complex, each with high-tech sound systems, and a play area for children.
Vikas Dhar, the owner of INOX multiplex said that it took him four years to get to this point. The eight-room guest house was rebuilt by the family to make room for the four-story multiplex.
“We always wanted to show the films to people in Kashmir because every film has a message for them, but there were no big screens available in Srinagar after 1990, despite our father running a normal cinema in the same area, which was also forcibly closed like the other cinemas,” he said.
Almost a dozen independent movie theatres operated in the valley in the late 1980s, but they were forced to close as militancy expanded throughout the valley. The shutdown of all theatres in Kashmir was further driven by militant attacks on movie theatres and the proprietors of those establishments.
In the late 1990s, the administration attempted to reopen several theatres, but militants thwarted those efforts by assaulting them and driving away the audience.
Another attempt by the Farooq Abdullah-led government to reopen cinemas by permitting Regal, Neelam, and Broadway to start filming movies was unsuccessful due to a militant attack on the Regal theatre.
In 1999, militants attacked the Regal cinema in Lal Chowk, which was regarded as one of Kashmir’s most prestigious theatres in Srinagar. One person was killed and numerous others were hurt in the grenade attack.
In Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Sopore, Handwara, and Kupwara, the Kashmir Valley had 19 movie theatres before the early 1990s, when the fear of violence began to grip the local population. Many of the cinemas have either been destroyed or are currently being used for other commercial projects.
Before the 1990s, Srinagar alone had about 10 cinema halls including Firdaus, Shiraz, Khayam, Naaz, Neelam, Shah, Broadway, Regal, and Palladium.
With the exception of those who travelled to Jammu or other parts of the country, Kashmiri youth, particularly those born in the 1980s and later, had never seen a movie in a theatre.
The world of movies and Jammu and Kashmir have a long-standing relationship. However, things appear to be improving for the valley, according to LG Manoj Sinha.
At the opening ceremony of INOX cinema LG said, “the new film policy and infrastructure have made the Union Territory the favorite filming site and have brought back the golden era of filmmaking here.”
“More movies are now being filmed here thanks to the state’s new film rules. We will also be constructing a film city in the upcoming months as the site allocation for the film city is already complete,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir, known to be “Heaven on Earth,” was once a favourite spot for big Bollywood filmmakers. However, in the 1990s filmmakers shifted to foreign countries as the atmosphere didn’t remain conducive for them.
A long-standing relationship between Kashmir and the Hindi film industry exists. In Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Kashmir Talkies, subsequently known as the Palladium, debuted as the city’s first movie theatre in 1932.
The 7 p.m. showing of a Hollywood film, which ran every night until midnight, was the most well-liked.
Since Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s movie Pathaan was released, the cinema in Srinagar has been running housefull shows. Thousands of people in the valley have watched the movie in this theatre since its release.
As per the staffer at INOX, since the Pathaan movie was released, the house has remained full throughout the day and six shows of Pathaan are running. He said they are receiving a lot of love from the people.
Inox Theatres, while expressing gratitude to people, tweeted, “Kashmir has shown “extraordinary love” to Pathaan and Shah Rukh Khan. Today, with the Pathaan frenzy gripping the nation, we are grateful to King Khan for bringing the treasured “Housefull” sign back to the Kashmir Valley after 32 long years. Thank you, Shah Rukh Khan.”
“This movie fulfilled our dream for the revival of jam-packed cinema in Srinagar,” Dhar said.
The staffer also stated that they did not expect such a positive response from the public following the release of the film.
More than 15,000 people have seen the film so far, and it’s still playing and will undoubtedly continue to expand. People are travelling from far-off places to see the movie on the big screen, and it’s not just in Srinagar or other districts in the Kashmir region.
A young group of youth from Srinagar who went to see their favourite actors’ movie stated that it was their first experience watching a movie on the big screen in the valley. They said they enjoyed the movie with their loved ones.
Fazil Bhat, one of the group members, told Rising Kashmir that they came earlier but the house was full, so they booked their tickets for the evening show.
Bhat stated that people in the valley have no other option for entertainment, adding that they visit Dal Lake every evening to spend their free time, but watching movies with friends gives them a new experience.
“People here in Kashmir are fed up, and they have nothing to enjoy.People should visit this place in their free time with their families to enjoy the theatre experience,” Bhat added.
Bashir Ahmad, 60, recalls his childhood days in the Kashmir valley when cinemas were open for business. “We would save money for days to buy a ticket. We wouldn’t mind if it was a late-night show or if there was no transport available to go home. We would walk home, discussing the film,” Ahmad says.
There was no reason to be afraid of returning home late at night because everything was normal and there was no fairness among the people. Residents in Srinagar were out late at night without fear, despite the fact that the city was not as well-lit as it is now.
The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has become a popular filming site for the film industry since the new Jammu and Kashmir Film Policy went into effect in 2021. More than 150 films and web series have been filmed in J&K in less than two years.
