Jammu And Kashmir

Indian Cinema emerged as a powerful medium of socio-cultural transformation in the country during the 20th century. Being an entertainment industry, it has not only left a memorable mark on people’s social behavior but also assumed the form of an important economic activity. Cinema has played a major role in promoting tourism by familiarizing the viewers with a large number of scenic and culturally rich locations. Without any doubt, Indian films have been of great help in projecting the image of contemporary India not only within but also outside India. The global impact of cinema is increasing day by day for the aforesaid reasons and the Government of India has decided to accord the status of an Industry to films.

Since the film industry is an important vehicle for social, cultural and economic development, a well- nurtured film industry can be a major source of wealth creation, employment generation and effective tool and platform for preservation of culture and expression of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The industry can promote Jammu & Kashmir’s potential as an investment and tourist destination even as it acts as a powerful tool for the dissemination of its culture. The J&K Film Policy-2024 has been formulated to attract greater investment in the film sector and will make Jammu and Kashmir a choicest destination for film shooting of both national and international Producers.

In 1960, the Kashmir region of the UT was quite popular amongst Bollywood Directors who endeavored to capture the beauty of the region in the best way they could. Films like “Kashmir Ki Kali”, “Jab Jab Phool Khile”, “Himalaya Ki Goad Mein”, and “Janwar”, made Srinagar and Gulmarg popular destinations with people marveling at their scenic and pristine beauty.

From Yahoo of Shammi Kapoor to the romance between Shashi Kapoor and Nanda to that of Shahrukh Khan and Katrina Kaif with beautiful Kashmir based scenic backdrops, Jammu & Kashmir needs no introduction as an ideal film tourism destination. Anyone with an eye for cinematography would consider Jammu and Kashmir ideal for film shooting. Throughout 1970 and 1980, Jammu & Kashmir remained a preferred film shooting location in India. The scenic landscape of Jammu & Kashmir continued to charm not only the Indian Producers but also some international ones. Two films - Bill Murray’s “The Razor’s Edge” (1983) and “The Climb” (UK Film) 1986 were also shot in varied locations of the Kashmir Valley. At the beginning of the 21st century, Jammu & Kashmir was able to catch the eyes of numerous documentary makers. Some documentaries by Indian and International Documentary makers were also shot in Jammu & Kashmir. Amongst the popular ones are “Riding Solo to the Top of the World” (2006), “Living in Emergency” (2008), and “The Highest Pass” (2011). A German movie “Escape From Tibet”, Brazilian movie “Bollywood Dream” and Russian movie “The Fall” were also shoot in the UT beckoning Jammu & Kashmir as one of the finest films shooting locations in the world.

The relation between Jammu and Kashmir and films is legendary. Jammu & Kashmir has breath-taking locales, a large number of religious and heritage sites, dense forests, waterfalls, manpower with film exposure and a long and cherished tradition of film shooting. All these features make J&K an attractive site for film shooting and its development. The Film Industry in Jammu & Kashmir can not only be a good source of investment, direct and indirect employment but also serve as an effective branding measure that will pull in tourists. The movies shot in J&K have been recognized in India and abroad. Jammu & Kashmir has the potential for attracting or pulling millions of film tourists leading to higher revenues in the coming years. Film shoots in Jammu & Kashmir have helped promote existing as well as new tourist destinations. Heritage and spiritual sites in J&K have also been another favorite destination for film producers for shooting films. Most destinations of J&K have gained tourists attraction by virtue of being the venue for shooting of some famous domestic movies. Adventure tourism in J&K has given additional opportunities to film producers to add adventure activities in their movies. There is a huge untapped potential for pre-production and post- production related activities relating to the film and Television Industry.