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| Talaash for Kashmir's silver screen | | Neelam succumbed to 2010 agitation | | early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 27: In early 2010, Dr Farooq Abdullah called for reopening of cinema halls in Kashmir to trumpet `return of normality'. However, same year, Kashmir lost the only cinema hall that was running despite odds.
Srinagar city had the distinction of having as many as eight cinema halls. Bor-adway, Naaz, Firdous, Sheraz, Khayam, Regal and Palladium and Shah attracted large crowds. But the militants imposed a ban on cinema halls in1989. It was `Air Marshal' Noor Khan of Allah Tigers who led the tirade against the cinema halls in late 1989 leaving the theater owners with no option but to wind up.
Perceived as a sign of normality, the state government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah tried his best to reopen the cinema halls in 1997. Incentives were also announced to lure business men within and outside the state. A Jammu based business tycoon got the Broadway cinema hall reconstructed in Badami Bagh Cantonment. Amid much fanfare the hall was thrown open. Initially the theater attracted a number of people but massive frisking and security in and around the hall adversely affected the business. The fatal blow was dealt in 1999 when fidayeen attacked the headquarters of 15 Corpse. People inside the hall watching a movie was detained inside the hall for the night. The owner called it a day and Broadway was closed down.
Regal cinema situated half a kilometer from city centre was also reopened around the same time in 1998. On the first day many people came to watch Pyaar koi khel nahi, Late in the evening when people were coming out of the hall, a grenade exploded near the main entrance of the hall. Two persons died and scores sustained injuries. The hall was closed down. Now it has been purchased by Cottage Industries Exposition (CIE) group.
Palladium in the heart of Lal Chowk is becoming history. It was gutted in a devastating fire that engulfed the hall during an encounter between militants and border security force (BSF) men. Samad Talkies and Kapra Theatre in the apple town Sopore were consumed by flames during similar encounters.
Naaz (Sarai Bala), now houses a bakery and confectionary while Khayam has become a hospital. Shiraz (Khanyar), Firdous (Hawal) and Shah (Qamarwari) have been occupied by the security forces.
In the vicinity of the civil secretariat, Neelam cinema continued to attract some people till 2010.
A defiant Qazi Javed is one of them. He would go to cinema twice a week. Qazi was not scared and there were many like him. But,the 2010 agitation took its toll on the cinema. It was closed down as well.
Qazi has seen Amir Khan's Talaash but his Talaash (search) for a cinema hall in the summer capital is on.
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