Pahalgam Terror Attack Cuts Short Bollywood’s Cautious Love Affair With Kashmir

On Tuesday, the idyllic city of Pahalgam in Kashmir – also known as India’s “mini Switzerland” – was shattered by a ugly terror assault that claimed the lives of 26 vacationers. 

Allegedly focused for not providing prayers, they had been gunned down in chilly blood, a first-of-its-kind unprovoked assault on civilians in a area that had lengthy been thought of an oasis of peace, even throughout Kashmir’s darkest chapters. 

In contrast to neighbouring areas like Anantnag or Pulwama which have endured insurgency-related violence for many years, Pahalgam had remained untouched. The assault not solely shocked the nation but additionally severed, maybe indefinitely, Bollywood’s tentative rekindling of its once-flourishing relationship with the valley.

Native voices painted a stark image. “Humaari toh rozi roti gayi,” stated a shopkeeper within the bustling foremost bazaar of Pahalgam. For hundreds whose livelihoods trusted tourism and movie shoots, the tragedy introduced with it not simply mourning however financial devastation.

Betaab And The Start Of Betaab Valley

The cinematic historical past of Pahalgam started in 1983 with the discharge of Betaab, the debut movie of Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh. Directed by Rahul Rawail, the movie was a sweeping romance set in opposition to the breathtaking backdrops of lush meadows, pine forests and snow-capped peaks. 

The love story between two children from totally different worlds struck a chord, however what left an indelible mark was the situation.

A nonetheless from Betaab

Such was the movie’s visible impression that the world the place it was shot got here to be often called “Betaab Valley”, a reputation now formally marked on the vacationer map of Jammu & Kashmir. 

It turned one of the vital photographed and visited locations within the Valley, pulling in each movie crews and vacationers for many years.

The Golden Period Of Filming In Kashmir

Following Betaab, a wave of filmmakers turned their lens towards Kashmir. Movies like Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) starring Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore, had already captured Pahalgam’s magnificence, however the post-Betaab period noticed a marked uptick in big-budget productions selecting the Valley as their set.

A nonetheless from Kashmir Ki Kali

Between the Sixties and Nineteen Eighties, Kashmir was a central hub for Bollywood movies. Identified for its breathtaking landscapes, it turned the setting for quite a few iconic films which have outlined Indian cinema. Movies like Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Arzoo (1965), Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965), and Kabhi Kabhie (1976) featured the majestic Dal Lake, lush meadows and snow-capped mountains.

A nonetheless from Silsila

The grandeur of Kashmir was captured in classics like Silsila (1981), Satte Pe Satta (1982), and Roti (1974), which created an inseparable hyperlink between Bollywood and Kashmir.

A Break In The Romance

The Nineties had been marked by a wave of militancy in Kashmir, significantly in areas like Anantnag, Pulwama and Sopore. Bollywood pulled again, not prepared to threat taking pictures in a area that had turned risky. Pahalgam, regardless of being comparatively untouched by violence, suffered from the broader notion that Kashmir was “unsafe”.

The tide started to show within the 2000s. After a hiatus of 28 years, Kashmir’s silver display presence was reignited by director Imtiaz Ali, who in 2011 determined to movie Rockstar, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, within the well-known Betaab Valley. 

A nonetheless from Rockstar

The selection of location was not coincidental: the valley had earned fame many years earlier with the 1983 movie Betaab. Imtiaz Ali’s movie introduced Kashmir again into the cinematic fold, and shortly, the Valley’s magic was found by extra filmmakers.

In 2012, Bollywood’s “Badshah”, Shah Rukh Khan, visited Pahalgam for Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The movie’s romantic observe Jiya Re, shot in opposition to the gorgeous Betaab Valley, reintroduced the Valley to a worldwide viewers. The Valley’s pristine magnificence, captured by Yash Chopra’s digicam, signalled the revival of Kashmir as a movie vacation spot, and Bollywood’s love affair with the area was reborn.

A nonetheless from Jab Tak Hai Jaan

In 2013, Ranbir Kapoor returned to the snow-clad landscapes of Gulmarg and Pahalgam for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani alongside Deepika Padukone, taking pictures in temperatures as little as -6.7°C. 

A nonetheless from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Regardless of the 2014 floods, which devastated Kashmir and led to huge lack of life and property, filmmakers didn’t draw back. Movies like Fitoor (2014), an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nice Expectations, was filmed round Srinagar’s Dal Lake and Pahalgam. 

The identical 12 months, Freeway, starring Alia Bhatt, was shot within the Aru Valley in Pahalgam. The movie, launched in 2015, targeted on the themes of freedom and escape, and used Kashmir’s landscapes as a metaphor for the protagonist’s emotional journey. 

A nonetheless from Freeway

Haider (2014), directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, was shot in Pahalgam and different components of the Kashmir Valley. 

Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) shot scenes in Pahalgam that doubled for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, was additionally shot in Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Srinagar.

A nonetheless from Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Other than this, Sam Bahadur, which tells the story of India’s first Area Marshal Sam Manekshaw, was shot in Pahalgam and Srinagar, each situated within the Kashmir area. 

Every movie contributed not simply to India’s popular culture reminiscence but additionally helped rebuild Kashmir’s picture as a protected, scenic haven. The shoots introduced in cash, visibility, and jobs. Lodge occupancy rose, homestays thrived, and a brand new era of Kashmiris noticed Bollywood not as a distant dream however a tangible alternative.

The abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 additionally performed its half. This constitutional change revoked the particular standing of Jammu and Kashmir and was adopted by the implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Movie Coverage in 2021. 

Supported by actors like Aamir Khan and filmmakers similar to Rajkumar Hirani, the coverage aimed to carry normalcy by attracting filmmakers again to the Valley.

The outcomes had been swift. The plan appeared to work. Pahalgam emerged as a logo of Kashmir’s rebirth. Till now.

A Terror Attack That Shook The ‘Protected Haven’

In contrast to different components of Kashmir Valley which were theatres of violence, Pahalgam had, till now, managed to remain insulated. There had by no means been a significant terror assault on this scenic locale. That is why the current assault hit more durable. It wasn’t only a humanitarian tragedy – it was a psychological blow.

The terrorists wore “garments much like these of native police” and opened hearth. One of many survivors stated there have been a number of vacationers round, however the terrorists particularly focused males after asking whether or not they had been Hindus or Muslims.

“This has by no means occurred right here earlier than,” stated one native, his voice trembling with disbelief. “Pehli baar aisa hua hai Pahalgam mein. Humaari toh rozi roti gayi.” 

For the locals, the results are instant and extreme. “We rely on vacationers. In the event that they cease coming, what’s going to we eat?” requested a vendor close to the Lidder River.

Floor Zero: Final Bollywood Movie To Be Shot In Kashmir (For Some Time)

Mockingly, it’s Emraan Hashmi’s movie Floor Zero, a film on the killing of terrorist Ghazi Baba, that now marks an abrupt halt to Bollywood’s cautious affair with the valley. Starring Emraan and Sai Tamhankar, the movie wrapped up taking pictures in Pahalgam days earlier than the phobia assault. In a merciless twist, the title has develop into eerily prophetic.

For now, the clapboards have closed and the cameras have stopped rolling. This assault in Pahalgam, the area that had lengthy been Kashmir’s crown jewel and most secure wager, has minimize brief a narrative that had simply begun to be re-written. 

From Betaab to Floor Zero, what began as a romantic saga now dangers turning into a closing chapter.