From Abhishek Bachchan-Taapsee Pannu-starrer Manmarziyan to Salman Khan-starrer Race 3, Bollywood is trying to revive its old bond with Kashmir.
With spring giving way to summer, Bollywood is back in the Valley here, to discover the paradise for yet another time.
From Abhishek Bachchan-Taapsee Pannu-starrer Manmarziyan to Salman Khan-starrer Race 3, Bollywood is trying to revive its old bond with Kashmir. Even south Indian filmmakers are making a beeline to shoot in Kashmir.
"Entire Bollywood knows that Kashmir is shooting-friendly. Travelling time between the hotel and the shooting location is very less. Here you can shoot even on the premises of the hotel like what used to happen in seventies and eighties. Plus people give the filmmakers good services," said Mehmood Ahmad Shah, director of Tourism, Kashmir.
Tourism department has already issued permissions for at least four crew to shoot in the Kashmir valley. It excludes the south Indian filmmakers who are soon starting shooting a serial in Kashmir.
"I have issued three to four permissions. I also issued permission for shooting of a south Indian serial. We have given many permissions. Many more crew will come to Kashmir," said Shah.
Kashmir, which was once favourite destination for the filmmakers for movie shooting, became a no-go zone for Bollywood after the onset of militancy in 1990. Though some films were shot in Kashmir in mid-1990s amid tight security, the Bollywood could not reconnect itself fully with Kashmir.
A few years ago, Bollywood started rediscovering Kashmir before the Valley slipped into unrest. From Saif Ali Khan-starrer Phantom to Tiger Shroff-starrer Heropanthi to Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider, Bollywood tried to reconnect with Kashmir once again.
More than five films including Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jab Tak Hain Jaan were shot in Kashmir before the unrest.
According to tourism planners, cheap rates, breathtaking natural features, and hassle-free permits are the biggest take-aways for the filmmakers shooting their movies here.
"We have been to be hassle-free. If not, nobody would come here. Ease of shooting ought to be there. People walk into my office and they get permission on the same day. You have to facilitate it. At the end of the day, it is all about making Kashmir shooting-friendly," said Shah.
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