Once Bollywood’s favourite backdrop, now-forgotten Kashmir opens doors to cinema again

When Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lit the ceremonial lamp to inaugurate Jammu and Kashmir’s first International Film Festival – Rang-e-Cinema (the Colours of Cinema) Monday evening, it was more than an opening of a new cultural event.

It marked a significant moment in the revival of cinema in a Valley where theatres fell silent and shut their doors after militancy erupted in the early 1990s. The symbolism was hard to miss. The festival's opening film, a Lebanese movie called ‘Dead Dog’, was screened at INOX — the Valley's only functional cinema, opened in Srinagar four years ago.

“The four-day festival marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the silver screen,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in his inaugural address to an audience that included filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ramesh Sippy.

“Jammu and Kashmir has always held a special place in the world of cinema, not only because of its spectacular natural beauty but also because its landscapes can become an integral part of a story.” While the lush springs, golden hues of autumn and the white landscape of winter have "always inspired filmmakers to explore different shades of human emotion, the appeal of Kashmir Valley goes beyond its geographic landscapes, Omar said.

“Kashmir’s appeal goes beyond its mountains and scenic landscapes, with its culture, traditions, people, warmth, hospitality and artistic heritage forming an equally important part of its identity,” he said. “Music, poetry, handicrafts and oral traditions have kept the region’s stories alive for centuries.” Directed by the Beirut-based filmmaker Sarah Francis in 2025, ‘Dead Dog’ is a 92-minute drama that explores the tense, four-day reunion of an estranged middle-aged couple, Aida and Walid and their dog, Punto.

Filmed in a mountain village near Beirut, the film made its debut at the International Film Festival, Rotterdam, and won the Saad Eldin Wahba Award for Best Arabic Film at the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF). Over the next three days, 134 more films — shortlisted among more than 1100 submissions – will be screened.

Sixty of these films have been produced outside India in 41 countries — including France and Iran. The movies will be screened at the Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, the Gulmarg health resort, INOX Srinagar and the Wave Cinema in Jammu.

The Kashmir Valley has once been a favourite destination for Bollywood and attracted film crews to its beautiful landscapes. However, with the onset of militancy in Kashmir, the cinemas became the first target, leading to movie theatres being shut down across Kashmir.

While Neelan cinema briefly opened in Srinagar, it was again shut down as it failed to attract viewers who had to pass through a multi-layered security apparatus. In 2022, the INOX theatre in Srinagar was opened in the high-security Shivpora area.

‘Rang-e-Cinema’, the four-day International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir that will run from September 7 to September 10, has an eminent jury. It has eminent cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan, Academy Award-winning Indian sound designer and audio mixer Resul Pookutty, German film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner, Japanese entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker Keiko Bang, and Himansu Sekhar Khatua, director of the 1997 Odia movie, ‘Sunya Swaroopa’.

The government has announced nine categories with a total prize money of Rs 96 lakhs. The Best Film Award will fetch Rs 25 lakh, while the award money for the 'Best Director' and 'Best Debut Director' has been set at Rs 15 lakh each.

'Best Film-J&K Select' would be awarded 10 lakh, while 'Best Actor' male and female would be awarded Rs 8 lakh each. The government has announced Rs 5 lakh each for 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Sound Design' and 'Best Editing'.

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and ... Read More