SRINAGAR: Music composer AR Rahman has praised Kashmir’s natural beauty and called for greater use of the Valley as a filming destination, saying the region’s landscape and peaceful environment should be projected through cinema.
Speaking about the recently concluded International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, Rahman described the event as a commendable initiative and said it could help showcase Kashmir’s beauty and vibrancy to a wider audience.
“Kashmir is a beautiful place and it is blessed, so having an international film festival here is commendable,” he said.
Rahman expressed hope that the festival would gain international recognition and draw more visitors to Kashmir, allowing them to experience the hospitality of its people.
Asked whether Bollywood should increasingly shoot films in Kashmir, Rahman said filmmakers should focus on presenting the Valley’s natural beauty and peace rather than violence or its past.
He said the industry should portray nature positively, adding that “the past is past, and the future is bright”.
Rahman also backed greater collaboration between Bollywood musicians and Kashmiri folk artistes, saying the region had significant potential in traditional and folk music.
Recalling his work on the film ‘Rockstar’, he said he had earlier travelled to Kashmir and recorded women singing folk songs, some of which were subsequently used in the film.
Rahman said he would like to return to Kashmir for more musical projects.
He also revealed that his latest visit to the Valley was connected with an advertisement shoot, which he said had recently been completed.
