In 1965 hit film Jab Jab Phool Khile directed by veteran filmmaker Suraj Prakash, a poor and illiterate Kashmiri Shikara owner Raja (Shashi Kapoor) falls in love with the modern, well-educated high-class girl from Mumbai Rita (Nanda).
Trouble apart, the return of elected government of Dr Farooq Abdullah in 1996, witnessed some of the production units returning to Kashmir. In 1997, Rattan Irani shot “Mere Apne” that was first ever film to be shot after 1990. The films cast comprised of newcomers Mukul Dev and Mayuri Kango apart from the veteran Amrish Puri. The films cast and crew were given round the clock security cover and were treated like state guests by Dr Abdullah. However the film never saw light of the day, as it remained unreleased.
Parts of `Mann’ starring Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala were shot in Gulmarg. Even Anil Kumar with some others were here for the film titled “Pukaar”.
Even some tele-serials were shot in Kashmir. This included Cinevista’s Rs 20 Cr period-soap `Noorjehan’ in 1998-99 by Producer-Director Imtiyaz Khan and Kashmiri playwright Pran Kishore.
Now when the guns seems to have fallen silent, efforts are on by the present government to bring back the tinsel town crowd to lure Indian tourists back to Kashmir. Is it going to be yet another series of patriotic films with Kashmir bashing theme or will it be confined to beautiful Tulip Garden and Dal Lake as background fillers?
