Film fest signs off with hope to clear Valley’s negative image

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 4

The Kashmir World Film Festival (KWFF) concluded on Tuesday with the screening of Bollywood movie “Laila Majnu” even as the organisers hoped that the event would send a positive message from the Valley, which is usually synonymous with militancy and violence.

As Sajid Ali-directed “Laila Majnu” played at Tagore Hall, youngsters clapped as many of them were watching a film on the big screen for the first time. “As kids, we had heard stories from elders of cinemas functioning in Kashmir…. I hope that cinema will return through the organisers of the festival,” said young cricketer Manzoor Pandav, who was invited as a guest.

Incidentally, the cinema halls in the Valley were shut soon after the eruption of militancy in 1989. Though a few cinema halls had reopened in 1999, the same had to shut again soon.

Festival director Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan assured that they would continue to hold the film festival with the hope that it would clear the “negative image” of Kashmir. “This was our fourth edition and there are more to come. I promise the show will never stop now. We want that the KWFF should send out a positive message…to clear the image that Kashmir is not as unsafe as portrayed by the media,” said Khan.

Mushtaq Chaya, chairman of the J&K Hoteliers Club – one of the sponsors of the festival – said such events would also promote tourism in the Valley.

“We want to promote tourism through these events. Well-known actors and directors from Bollywood came here to attend the festival and the event has already generated a lot of positive news. We are hopeful that tourists will also come here once they hear news of film festivals being held in Kashmir and celebrities coming here,” he said.

Several celebrities from Bollywood, including actress Tabu and film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar, had flown to Srinagar city for the inaugural function. Besides the screening of films and documentaries in different foreign and regional languages, the KWFF also held workshops for students on film-making.