At Srinagar Film Festival, Akbar Khan Calls For Cinema That Promotes Love, Harmony

Srinagar : Veteran filmmaker and actor Akbar Khan on Wednesday called for greater responsibility in filmmaking, urging filmmakers to use cinema as a medium to promote love, harmony and understanding rather than hatred and division.

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Film Festival in Srinagar, Khan congratulated Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the organisers for what he described as a spectacular opening to the festival. He said the performances and cultural presentations had captured the spirit and purpose of the event.

“Cinema is the most powerful medium that makes bridges between nations and civilisations,” Khan said, stressing that films have the ability to carry stories, cultures and people across borders and foster greater understanding among communities.

Khan, who has directed and produced historical television projects, expressed concern over what he described as a trend of filmmakers and historians using cinema to spread hatred and create divisions among religious communities.

“But of late there have been certain winds of change, where historians and filmmakers unfortunately are involving in making films that spread hatred and separate the unity and harmony of all religious people here,” he said.

“I respect every filmmaker. Every filmmaker has the right to present his film, his ideas, but never distort history,” Khan said.

Calling for greater responsibility in filmmaking, he added, “We have to spread love through cinema. We have to give entertainment through cinema – meaningful entertainment.”

“Cinema which spreads hatred should be discouraged in every nook and corner of the world, especially when it is designed for a specific propaganda,” he said.

Khan also expressed confidence that the Srinagar film festival would grow from strength to strength and eventually emerge as a major international cinematic event, saying the Valley’s landscape and cultural heritage could serve as a powerful attraction for filmmakers from across the world.

He predicted that the event would rapidly acquire an international profile.

“I feel from year to year this festival will grow from strength to strength and very soon would be in competition with the Cannes Film Festival and maybe even get better because the Cannes does not offer such an environment such a beautiful landscape,” Khan said.

“It becomes a source of all filmmakers when they visit such a place. Besides watching the films of each other, countries and different great directors, they also get inspired by the soul of Kashmir,” he added.

Khan said his own historical projects, including “The Sword of Tipu Sultan” and “Akbar the Great”, were aimed at nation-building and promoting communal harmony.

He also announced his desire to bring his film “Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story” to Kashmir for a premiere, saying the monument represented a universal message of love. (Agencies)