Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 07
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday urged filmmakers to look beyond the region’s mountains and landscapes and draw on its culture, traditions, and people as the government seeks to establish the territory as a major film destination.
Speaking at the opening of the four-day International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, Abdullah said the region needed to develop a sustainable film industry rather than remain a backdrop for outside productions.
“Nostalgia alone can’t build an industry,” Abdullah said, recalling Kashmir’s long association with Indian cinema.
He cited films including Junglee, Kashmir Ki Kali, Aradhana, Bobby, Silsila, Kabhi Kabhi and Jab Tak Hai Jaan, saying they had shaped generations’ perceptions of Kashmir.
He also pointed to films such as Mission Kashmir, Haider, Rockstar, Highway and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which he said had used the region to tell more complex human stories.
“Cinema is more than landscapes; cinema is culture,” Abdullah said, urging filmmakers to engage with local communities and traditions.
He highlighted cultural elements including santoor and rabab music, Sufiyana Kalam, Rouf, walnut carving, carpet weaving, kehwa and saffron cultivation as potential sources of stories.
Abdullah said the government was seeking to make Jammu and Kashmir more accessible to filmmakers through its film policy, including a single-window clearance system covering location permissions and security coordination.
The government also offers financial subsidies linked to shooting days and local expenditure, as well as incentives for productions employing local artists, technicians and crew or showcasing the region’s heritage, he said.
“We are building a robust local workforce of cinematographers, line producers, sound engineers, and actors,” Abdullah said.
He said the festival was intended to help establish Jammu and Kashmir as a destination for filmmakers and creative talent.
