Srinagar: Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali says Kashmir has largely been viewed through two contrasting lenses, either as a heaven or as “something else only.” According to him, it is time to look beyond these narratives and bring the stories of ordinary Kashmiris and their everyday lives to the forefront.
“I think comedy in Kashmir will be very good because Kashmiri humour is also very interesting,” Ali said, while interacting with media persons on the sidelines of Jammu & Kashmir’s first international film festival in Srinagar on Tuesday.
The filmmaker also thanked Kashmir for reviving Laila Majnu, which was also being screened at J&K’s film festival.
“There is no place in the world as cinematic as Kashmir. Whenever I have shot here, my films have done well. Laila Majnu is one film which is shot head to toe in Kashmir,” Ali said. “When Inox opened here, people requested to re-release this film, and it became so popular that it was re-released in the country.”
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Beyond Kashmir stereotypes
Notably, Laila Majnu, starring Tripti Dimri and Avinash Tiwary, completed eight years of release on 7 September.
“The film is more popular than it was when it was released. I thank Kashmir for Laila Majnu,” Ali said.
He added that many Kashmiri poets fascinate him, especially Kashmiri poet and saint Lal Ded and Habba Khatoon. However, it’s the common people who pique his interest. He also highlighted the importance of such film festivals in helping dispel false narratives about the city.
“When people come to J&K’s film festival, they will see Kashmir not through any narrative but through their own lens,” he added.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)