Umaisar Gull Ganie
Anantnag, May 28: After a decline in film shootings in Kashmir post-1990s, recent developments such as the introduction of a New Film Policy have reignited interest from Bollywood and British actors in filming in the picturesque locales of Kashmir.
Tourist spots in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district like Verinag, Sinthan Top and Daksum Kokernag are witnessing the filming of a movie titled “A Million Dollar Tourist” featuring actors from London. The primary goal of the movie is to attract foreign tourists, reminiscent of those who visited Kashmir before the 1990s.
Kary Shaw, one of the British actors, expressed excitement about filming in Kashmir. “I am very excited to be here, and I believe foreign tourists should come; it is a safe and brilliant place,” she said.
A scriptwriter for the movie said the script was designed to facilitate collaboration between European locals and Bollywood artists. He said that while many foreign tourists travelled to Kashmir in the past, their numbers have dwindled over the years.
“The main aim of the movie is to attract international tourists, and this movie should serve as an attraction for them,” he said, adding that foreign tourists should visit Kashmir not only for movie shootings but also to boost tourism.
Another actor in the movie expressed joy at filming in Verinag and encouraged both Bollywood and Hollywood industries to consider Kashmir for their shoots.
“There are three projects planned in the valley, all set to be shot in south Kashmir, including Shopian,” the actor said, adding that 70 percent of the production costs would be spent in south Kashmir.
The movie’s director said, “Since the abrogation of Article 370, I have visited Kashmir three times, and it’s unbelievable. This inspired me to shoot the feature film ‘A Million Dollar Tourist’. We have British actors, crews from Mumbai, and local actors from the valley.”
He praised the suitability of south Kashmir for filming and lauded the overall safety and beauty of the region for movie shoots. “We obtained all necessary permissions for our movie within two to three days, thanks to the new film policy,” the director added.
