First Kashmir-based film to be released across country

SRINAGAR: For the first time a locally made twoandahalfhour film Kashmir Daily will be released across the country this week

Updated At : 06:34 AM Jan 04, 2018 IST

Poster of ‘Kashmir Daily’, a film produced in the Valley.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 3

For the first time, a locally made two-and-a-half-hour film — ‘Kashmir Daily’ — will be released across the country this week. Even as only a handful of films have so far been produced in the Valley without cinema halls, the scheduled country-wide release of the film has brought cheer to its makers.

‘Kashmir Daily’ has well-known Bollywood actor of Kashmiri origin — Mir Sarwar — in the lead role, who has acted in acclaimed films Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Phantom, Dishoom and Jolly LLB-2.

“This is for the first time that a film made in Kashmir is releasing across the country. It’s a small release compared to other big budget films, but we are thankful to God that at least it is getting released across the country,” Sarwar told The Tribune.

Though he has made a mark in Bollywood, Sarwar said ‘Kashmir Daily’ was very close to his heart. “I expect more independent filmmakers to come forward and make films. We have paved a way for others,” he said.

He said Friday onwards, the film would be screened at PVRs of different cities like Jammu, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Udaipur, Bangalore, Pune, Faridabad, Chennai and Kolkata.

Hussein Khan, writer, producer and director, said ‘Kashmir Daily’, shot in Urdu and Kashmiri, was completed over a period of around three years. “There was no help from the government or private sector. We shot the movie on our own. Due to financial constraints, we shot in small schedules of two to four days for around a total of 50-60 days over two and a half years. It was a dream to make a film in Kashmir and nourish the film industry here,” he said.

The cinema halls in the Valley were shut soon after the eruption of militancy more than 27 years ago. Even as a few cinemas tried to reopen later, they had to shut again and the movie lovers, for years now, have been watching films on pirated DVDs or the Internet.

Produced by Seven2Creations with Safdar Arts, Khan said the film had been approved by the Central Board of Film Censorship with a “U” certificate. The film also has popular actor Zameer Ashai, besides Neelam Singh, Sanam Ziya and Rajinder Tickoo in the cast.