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| Of Valley’s FM generation and silver screen | | Before they were born militants imposed ban on cinema halls | |
Sikander Khan
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 1: The younger generation of the Valley also known as FM generation is bereft of watching a movie on the silver screen. Before they were born, the militants imposed a ban on the cinema halls. 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 were detained inside the hall for the night. The owner called it a day and Broadway was closed down.
In the vicinity of the civil secretariat, Neelam cinema continues to attract some people. A defiant Qazi Javed is one of them. “I would go to cinema twice a week. The militant ban shocked me. But in 1998 when this theater reopened, I felt relieved. Since then I have been visiting the hall every week.”
Qazi is not scared. “You die when you have to die. Death follows a strict calendar. It (death) protects you till your time to die comes and when it comes nobody can save you”, he said.
But there are others who fear death. “Getting killed in a cinema hall is not a good thing to happen in this conservative society. I come here to watch movies but as long as I remain in the hall, my heart misses a beat every now and then”, said Tufail (name changed).
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 Theater in the apple town Sopore were consumed by flames during similar encounters.
Naaz (Sarai Bala), it has been reliably learnt, is being demolished. A huge shopping complex is expected at the place. Khayam (Nowpora) now houses a nursing home. Shiraz (Khanyar), Firdous (Hawal) and Shah (Qamarwari) have been occupied by the security forces.
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