Most of the cinema halls in Kashmir were closed in the 1990s following diktats issued by terrorist groups. With the strength of terrorists enervating in Kashmir, the revival of big screens in the Valley seems very likely in the near future. 

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A three-storey multiplex will soon come up in Srinagar, the first of its kind in Kashmir, which will allow Kashmiris to enjoy Bollywood films on the big screen. The multi-screen movie theatre is likely to start its operations by March next year.

The license to operate, however,  will be issued after the completion of construction. It will be after more than 20 years when a movie is played on a big screen in the Valley. 

The first multiplex in Kashmir is being built by M/S Taksal Hospitality Pvt Ltd company in the Badami Bagh cantonment area of Srinagar which is owned by the Dhar family. The Dhar family also runs Delhi Public School branches in Srinagar.

The multiplex will have three theatres and is being built adjacent to Srinagar's once-famous cinema hall Broadway cinema. 

Taksal Hospitality's Vijay Dhar said youngsters of the Valley need entertainment which they have been deprived of for 30 years. 

"We felt that the youth here have never got anything in the last 30 years. These youth have not got any entertainment. Basically, a child or a youth here should have the same facility Which is available in other places," he said. "My aim is to give entertainment.

People associated with filmmaking have welcomed the move and said Kashmir needs such facilities.

"I welcome the move. Kashmir needs this type of facilities, it can bring Bollywood back to Kashmir as most of the Bollywood films are shot in Kashmir, Bollywood has decades-old relation with Kashmir," Kashmiri filmmaker Mushtaq Ali said.  “I am waiting when it will open and I will be the first to see the show." 

Before terrorism grew head in Kashmir in the 90s, Srinagar city alone had 10 cinema halls, including Firdaus, Shiraz, Khayam, Naaz, Neelam, Shah, Broadway, Regal and Palladium, which mostly screened Bollywood films. 

They were closed in the 1990s after terrorists threatened the theatre owners to shut the halls. 

Later in 1999, the government of erstwhile state Jammu and Kashmir tried to reopen theatres and three Srinagar halls - Regal, Neelam and Broadway - started operations. But with their opening, the terrorists launched an attack and one of the viewers was killed in the explosion during the first show at the Regal Cinema, and 12 others were also injured. 

The theatre was locked again. Although Neelam and Broadway continued to run under strict security for a few years, there was a lack of visitors due to security reasons and eventually, they also shut shops. 

Nowadays, many of the old theatres in Kashmir either are either makeshift camps for security forces or have been converted into hospitals. The revival of cinema in Kashmir depends on the success of this new multiplex.