news details |
|
|
| Film producers flock valley as situation improves | | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | Nov 4
It is shooting going on in Kashmir these days. Not the gunfire of sophisticated rifles, but filming of movies, much to the delight of the tourist industry hit by insurgency over the years.
With situation in Kashmir improving, film producers have returned to 'Paradise on earth'. A film unit from Tamil Nadu is currently picturising a film in the heart of Srinagar.
SVR movies private limited film 'Bhimoos Bang Bang Kids' starring Upendra in double-role with Ramya aka Divya and Parvathi Milton is shooting in and around Dal lake for the past few days.
This is the second time the national fame director SV Rajendra Singh Babu is shooting here rekindling the hope among the people associated with tourist industry of better days. Earlier he made 'Muttina Hara' with extensive shooting in Srinagar.
For 'Bhimoos' 20 days schedule has been planned also featuring Rekha V Kumar, Doddanna, Master Vikram and Master Nayan Shekar in almost the similar areas a few days back Upendra took part in the shooting in the ice cold weather for 'Buddivantha', a Kannada film.
A children entertainer 'Bhimoos bang bang kids' highlight is the graphics that demands a budget of more than one crore of rupees says Babu. Robin Bhat of Hindi films has written the screenplay for this film with JM Prahallad. MS Ramesh has penned the dialogues, R Giri is the cameraman and Gurukiran scores the music. Mukesh Rishi, Doddanna, Rajesh, Girija Lokesh, CR Simha, Harini, Pratap, Sunil, Nandakishore, Mangalore Suresh are also in the cast.
Welcoming the resumption of shooting of films in the valley, director Tourism, Farooq Ahmed Shah said it is a good omen for the tourist industry that film units from Tamil Nadu have come here. It will definitely benefit the tourist industry many ways.
A word of mouth has much weight than publicity, he added.
He appealed to Bollywood to resume shooting in their best hunting ground often described as 'Switzerland of East'. Kashmir was one of the star attraction for film producers before the eruption of militancy. Almost all the film units of Bollywood used to throng Kashmir because of its natural beauty, Shah said adding the situation has improved considerably and they need not to go to Holland and Switzerland but come here to contribute in peace in the valley.
This way, they would not only contribute for peace but would save crores of rupees which they spend in European countries, he said.
As per official statistics violence in the valley has shown a considerable decrease in Kashmir. There has been 60 per cent decrease in violence in the city and 40 per cent decrease in other parts of the valley due to people's cooperation, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, SM Sahai said.
He said inspite of increase in infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC), violence decreased because the ultras who crossed over from other side of the LoC gauged the mood of the people of Kashmir who are against violence.
Tourism being the mainstay of economy of the state, government is making all out efforts to put in place state-of-the-art tourist infrastructure to harness huge tourism potential for attracting domestic and foreign tourists to the state, officials said.
Efforts are also on to remove the security forces from the tourist spots in the valley. While they have moved out of the Verinag tourist park, efforts are being made to relocate the security forces from Gulmarg, the officials said.
They said the natural beauty and places of attraction put Jammu and Kashmir in an envious position of great tourism potential, whether conventional, adventure or sports, which needed to be harnessed optimally.
They said tourism is the mainstay of the people as a large chunk of population is directly and indirectly associated with it.
During the peak of turmoil, tourist inflow drastically came down in the valley which, however, showed upward swing from 2002 when it was just 28,000. It picked up and touched 1.80 lakh mark in 2003, 3.70 Lakh in 2004 and highest six lakh in 2005. However, militants made tourist direct target of their attacks in 2006 as a result of which their arrivals received a set back and dropped to four lakhs.
So far this year 3.70 Lakh tourists have visited the valley and more are expected in coming months. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
