Opinion | When Peace Creates Possibilities: Kashmir’s New Chapter in Cinema and Film Tourism

The International Film Festival is more than a celebration of cinema; it is a reminder of what peace makes possible. Our responsibility is to ensure this space expands, enabling Kashmir’s youth to choose classrooms, businesses, studios and stages over conflict, and turning cinema into a lasting story of talent, tourism and opportunity.

For a very long time, film stars and filmmakers from India, particularly Bollywood, have been drawn towards the breathtaking landscapes and natural blessings of Kashmir. The era of film tourism is certainly not a new concept for the Valley. Its cinematic association with Indian cinema goes back to the late 1940s, when Raj Kapoor shot portions of his iconic film Barsaat in the Kashmir Valley in 1949, a film widely regarded as the first Bollywood film shot in Kashmir. Since then, the association between Kashmir and Indian cinema has only grown stronger, with films such as Barsaat, Jab Tak Hai Jaan and numerous others carrying the Valley’s landscapes to audiences across the country and beyond. However, the story of cinema in Kashmir cannot be separated from the larger story of the Valley itself. During the instability and deeply painful era of the 1990s, when lawlessness and terrorism cast a long shadow over everyday life, uncertainty gripped almost every institution and sphere of society. With the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, several sectors of Kashmir’s social and cultural life were deeply affected. Among those affected was the world of arts and cinema. Kashmir had a rich tradition of artists and performers, including members of the Kashmiri Pandit community such as MK Raina, Pran Kishore Kaul, Pushkar Bhan, Bhajan Sopori and many others who contributed to the region’s cultural landscape.

Film tourism was never an isolated phenomenon in Kashmir. It was closely connected with the broader tourism economy, while also providing opportunities and a platform to local artists, actors, technicians and other people associated with the creative sector. As the security situation deteriorated, however, film production and film tourism in Kashmir declined considerably, and an important part of the Valley’s cultural and economic ecosystem was left dormant. We all know how the security situation in Kashmir has evolved in recent years. The prevailing environment of peace and relative stability has created space for several sectors to grow and evolve. As a peace activist, I have always believed that peace is the essence of life and that when peace prevails, opportunities follow. Kashmir has witnessed changes across several institutions and sectors, while the improving environment has also encouraged greater interest in tourism, investment and economic activity.

It is in this continued cycle of development that Kashmir recently witnessed the first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, held from September 7 to 10, 2026, under the theme ‘Rang-e-Cinema’. The inaugural festival brought 135 films representing 41 countries to Jammu and Kashmir, with screenings and programmes held across Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg. Being the first international film festival of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir, the event deserves to be looked at beyond the screenings, celebrities and glamour associated with it. It has the potential to become an important instrument for reviving film tourism, bringing filmmakers and production houses back to Kashmir, opening avenues for local artists and strengthening the Valley’s creative economy. More importantly, the very possibility of hosting an international cinematic gathering of this scale in Kashmir tells us something about the changing environment of the Valley. The festival, therefore, has something more to offer and something more to be understood than what may appear on the surface.

The four-day International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, held from September 7 to 10 under the theme “Rang-e-Cinema”, brought Kashmir into direct conversation with the wider world of cinema. The inaugural edition featured 135 films representing 41 countries, with screenings and programmes spread across Srinagar, Gulmarg and Jammu. What made the festival particularly memorable was that cinema was not confined to conventional auditoriums. Iconic films shot in Kashmir, including Kashmir Ki Kali, Kabhi Kabhie, Arzoo and Junglee, were screened on floating screens on Dal Lake, allowing audiences to watch cinema against the backdrop of the lake and Zabarwan hills. The festival also brought together some of the most recognisable names from Indian cinema, including filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director Imtiaz Ali, actors Pankaj Tripathi and Divyendu Sharma, and singers Usha Uthup, Sunidhi Chauhan and Palak Muchhal. Masterclasses, panel discussions and conversations on acting, filmmaking, OTT and emerging technologies added an important dimension to the event, making it more than a conventional film screening programme. Filmmaker and academic Ashoke Viswanathan, who conducted a masterclass on acting, particularly noted the enthusiasm of the Kashmiri audience and the depth of their questions.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the festival was the message that came from within the film fraternity itself. Oscar-winning composer A. R. Rahman described Kashmir as “beautiful” and “blessed” and welcomed the idea of an international film festival in the Valley, expressing the hope that it would grow into a globally recognised platform. He also recalled recording Kashmiri folk singers for Rockstar and spoke of the possibilities of greater collaboration between Bollywood and Kashmiri musicians and folk artists. At the closing ceremony, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah similarly argued that the festival’s ambition must go beyond the films screened and the personalities who attended, saying that Kashmir should become a place “from where stories emerge, talent is discovered and films are conceived and created.” He spoke of building a continuing platform for screening, learning, training and collaboration throughout the year. The festival also concluded with a performance by celebrated singer Usha Uthup, while filmmakers and participants called for sustained screenings, training programmes and stronger infrastructure to nurture a film culture in the region. These remarks perhaps capture the real significance of the festival: its success will ultimately be measured not merely by what happened during these four days, but by the opportunities, collaborations and careers that emerge from them.

As I mentioned earlier, development finds its strongest foundation in peace. A major international event like the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir could take place in the Valley because the prevailing security environment has created the necessary space for cultural, economic and social activities to flourish. We witnessed a similar moment in 2023 when Srinagar hosted the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting from May 22 to 24, bringing around 60 foreign delegates to the Valley. The event showcased Kashmir’s landscape, culture and tourism potential to an international audience, while discussions also included film tourism and sustainable tourism. The International Film Festival now carries that process a step further. In the coming years, it can bring filmmakers, producers and other professionals from across the world to Kashmir while simultaneously providing a platform for local artists. We are already witnessing Kashmiri talent making its presence felt in the wider entertainment industry. Qazi Touqeer, a young artist from Srinagar, has recently returned to the national spotlight through Bigg Boss 20, while Farrhana Bhatt, another artist from Srinagar, gained considerable recognition through Bigg Boss 19, where she emerged as the first runner-up. These are only a few examples of the talent that Kashmir continues to produce, and with sustained opportunities, there is every possibility that many more names will emerge from the Valley.

What is perhaps most important is that Kashmir is now able to utilise opportunities that were severely constrained during decades of instability. The hosting of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in 2023 and now an international film festival are visible examples of the kind of cultural and economic engagement that becomes possible when security conditions allow institutions and people to function with greater confidence. The Government of India has consistently presented the post-August 2019 security and governance framework as a foundation for development and greater integration, while the Union Territory administration has similarly linked the improved environment with expanding tourism and investment. Whatever one’s assessment of the broader political changes, the return of large international gatherings, the revival of tourism and the emergence of new platforms for artists are developments that deserve to be examined through their tangible impact on the people of Kashmir. The real test now is to ensure that this peace dividend reaches the local artist, filmmaker, technician, entrepreneur and young person who wants to build a future in the Valley.

The success of such an event is never the achievement of one institution or one individual. It is the result of the collective efforts of the filmmakers, artists, organisers, civil administration, security forces, local businesses and, above all, the people of Kashmir who have embraced every opportunity for peace and progress. The Union Government deserves acknowledgement for the policies and initiatives through which it has sought to create an environment conducive to development, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the J&K administration have been important stakeholders in maintaining an environment in which students can attend schools and colleges, businesses can operate, entrepreneurs can invest and artists can pursue their craft without being drawn into cycles of violence and radicalisation. The International Film Festival is therefore not merely a celebration of cinema; it is also a reminder of what becomes possible when peace creates space for aspirations. The responsibility now lies with all of us to ensure that this space continues to expand, so that Kashmir’s young people choose classrooms, laboratories, businesses, studios, cameras and stages over the streets of conflict, and that the Valley’s renewed engagement with cinema becomes a lasting story of talent, tourism and opportunity.

The writer is Srinagar-based student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com