Kashmir Daily' is the first Kashmiri language film released in 30 years, however, there are no movie halls to screen it in Kashmir.
The Valley has had no cinema halls since 1989 when the outfit 'Allah Tigers' banned them and threatened those operating them. It is being screened in a Srinagar event hall three times daily from May 23-26.
With tickets priced at Rs 150- students are eligible for a discount of Rs 50 per ticket, 50-60 people people came to watch the first day-first show of the that cost filmmaker Hussein Khan about Rs 70 lakh to prooduce. The movie will screened in Tagore Hall till may 26.
Khan has spent his own money and borrowed from his friends to make Kashmir Daily, which depicts the life of a journalist.
"I spent Rs 70 lakh for this movie. It has been certified `U' by CBFC. While the actual shooting took only 65 days, it took me three and half years to complete the film because of financial constraints. If everything goes well we may release the movie across the country and world," he said.
Before the 80s, Kashmir's movie scene was lively and thriving. "There were long queues outside the iconic Palladium cinema in Lal Chowk, and getting a ticket was very difficult," says Bhawani Bashir Yasir, a veteran theatre personality.
"There would be tea vendors lined up outside (after late-night shows)…It would be safe to walk back home even at 1am," recalls Bashir Manzar, editor of Daily Kashmir Images.
The Valley has had no cinema hall since 1989, when the outfit Allah Tigers banned them and threatened those operating. Earlier, there were over 15 halls in Kashmir.
In 1999, the government reopened Regal, but militants attacked the inaugural show. One died and 12 were injured.
Heavy security was provided when Neelam and Broadway reopened, but presence of personnel also deterred viewers. Both shut down again.
Absence of theatres hasn't hindered the Valley's movie-lovers. If not halls, they learnt to do with the small screens of their televisions and computers.
Though sellers of video cassettes were also threatened by militants, the business thrived.
Sales of CDs and DVDs gradually picked up. Eventually, internet downloads too became a regular thing. However, since internet is unreliable in Kashmir, the industry sustains itself.
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