Bollywood returns to it's lost paradise

Kashmir and Bollywood were once inseparable and every odd movie had a glimpse of Kashmir be it the Dal Lake or the valleys of Gulmarg. Nobody can forget the famous numbers from the Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore starer Kashmir Ki Kali. During the 60s and 70s all major Bollywood movies especially the songs used to be shot in floral gardens in Kashmir. None of the Bollywood stars from that era might have missed a shoot in Kashmir: The Paradise on Earth.

All that changed with the start of militant uprising in Kashmir. The security issues forced Bollywood to search for alternative destination in the Swiss Alps and mountainous regions of Canada. This meant budgets for the movies went up many times and generations of movie watchers were denied scenic beauty of the Kashmir valley on screen.

All that is supposed to change and the cameras have started rolling once again in Bollywood's long lost paradise. Shatrugan Sinha's son Luv Sinha and Kashmiri actress Fareena Wazir shot a song for the movie Sadiyaan. This is the debut movie for Luv Sinha. The movie is being directed by Raj Kanwar who has been a regular visitor to Kashmir. It will also star Rekha, Hema Malani and Rishi Kapoor

The State Government opened the gates of the parks for shooting and the response from the cine industry has been encouraging. It plans to project the image of a peaceful Kashmir through Bollywood. Ironically the last movie that focused on Kashmir was Mission Kashmir which talked about the same violence in the valley which we have been so used for the last two decades. Hope Sadiyaan stands as a landmark of Bollywood's return to Kashmir.