BOLLYWOOD IN KASHMIR
As the dapper Shammi Kapoor danced with Saira Banu in a colorful, flower filled meadow in the 1961 blcokbuster Junglee, the audience was mesmerized. Beautiful picturisation combined with some memorable songs, such as the peppy Mere yaar shabba khair made sure that the movie, as well as its exotic locale, left a mark upon the minds of its viewers. Barsaat , the 1949 Raj Kapoor Nargis starrer , was the first Hindi movie to be shot here, but it was the astounding success of Jungle which was the high point of Bollywood’s love affair with Kashmir.
With its golden brown chinar leaves falling in sepia toned meadows in late autumn, snow filled meadows in late qutumn, snow filled meadows and a colourful sea of roses, lilacs and lilies in summer, Kashmir looks stunning in every season, making its landscape the perfect romantic setting for movies.
In Shakti Samanta’s Kahsmir Ki Kali (1964) , a young Sharmila Tagore is wooed by Shammi Kapoor singing melodious Ye Chand Sa Roshan Chehra on a cheerful shikara. The combination of Mohammad Rafi’s lilting voice with picturesque cinematography made shikara rides on the Dal a honeymooners’ delight.
The hugely popular Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Ho from the film Bobby starring teen sensations Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, was shot at Highland Park Hotel in Gulmarg in 1973. The cottage where this hit song was shot was christened Bobby Hut by the hotel owners and is in great demand even today!
New stars joined the Bollywood milieu as year’s passes, but Kashmir, with its spectacular beauty, remained a hot favourite. In 1983, 2 fiery new stars were born Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh when their debut film Betaab became a major box office hit. Such was the craze surrounding the movie, that the valley in Annatnag district, about 15 kms from Pahalgam, where it was shot, was renamed Betaab Valley.
Film shooting came to a halt in the recent past due to disturbances in the valley. Few films have been shot here recently; Mission Kashmir (2000), Yahaan (2005) and Rockstar (2011) being the major exceptions.
With employment in the state linked directly to tourism, Bollywood’s ability to romanticize locations might just be the ticket to get tourism back on track in the valley.
The locals hope that the dry run of Kashmir, as far as films are concerned, will end soon. Recently, the highly publicized Yash Rah Film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), was shot at Pahalgam and Gulmarg . With an impressive star cast of Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, it may help bring tourists back into the valley.
Some memorable Bollywood blockbusters shot in Kashmir:
Barsaat (1949)
Junglee (1961)
Kashmir Ki Kali ( 1964)
Arzoo (1965)
Bobby ( 1973)
Roti ( 1974)
Kabhu Kabhi ( 1976)
Betaab ( 1983)
Roja ( 1992)
Mission Kashmir ( 2000)
Yahaan ( 2005)
Shaurya (2008)
Lamhaa( 2010)
Rockstar (2011)
Jab Tak Hai Jaan ( 2012)
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ( 2013)
Haider ( 2014)
Highway ( 2014)
Bajrangi Bhaijaan ( 2015) ***
Fitoor (2016)
Aiyaary ( 2018)
Raazi(2018)
As the dapper Shammi Kapoor danced with Saira Banu in a colorful, flower filled meadow in the 1961 blcokbuster Junglee, the audience was mesmerized. Beautiful picturisation combined with some memorable songs, such as the peppy Mere yaar shabba khair made sure that the movie, as well as its exotic locale, left a mark upon the minds of its viewers. Barsaat , the 1949 Raj Kapoor Nargis starrer , was the first Hindi movie to be shot here, but it was the astounding success of Jungle which was the high point of Bollywood’s love affair with Kashmir.
With its golden brown chinar leaves falling in sepia toned meadows in late autumn, snow filled meadows in late qutumn, snow filled meadows and a colourful sea of roses, lilacs and lilies in summer, Kashmir looks stunning in every season, making its landscape the perfect romantic setting for movies.
In Shakti Samanta’s Kahsmir Ki Kali (1964) , a young Sharmila Tagore is wooed by Shammi Kapoor singing melodious Ye Chand Sa Roshan Chehra on a cheerful shikara. The combination of Mohammad Rafi’s lilting voice with picturesque cinematography made shikara rides on the Dal a honeymooners’ delight.
The hugely popular Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Bandh Ho from the film Bobby starring teen sensations Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, was shot at Highland Park Hotel in Gulmarg in 1973. The cottage where this hit song was shot was christened Bobby Hut by the hotel owners and is in great demand even today!
New stars joined the Bollywood milieu as year’s passes, but Kashmir, with its spectacular beauty, remained a hot favourite. In 1983, 2 fiery new stars were born Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh when their debut film Betaab became a major box office hit. Such was the craze surrounding the movie, that the valley in Annatnag district, about 15 kms from Pahalgam, where it was shot, was renamed Betaab Valley.
Film shooting came to a halt in the recent past due to disturbances in the valley. Few films have been shot here recently; Mission Kashmir (2000), Yahaan (2005) and Rockstar (2011) being the major exceptions.
With employment in the state linked directly to tourism, Bollywood’s ability to romanticize locations might just be the ticket to get tourism back on track in the valley.
The locals hope that the dry run of Kashmir, as far as films are concerned, will end soon. Recently, the highly publicized Yash Rah Film, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), was shot at Pahalgam and Gulmarg . With an impressive star cast of Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, it may help bring tourists back into the valley.
Some memorable Bollywood blockbusters shot in Kashmir:
Barsaat (1949)
Junglee (1961)
Kashmir Ki Kali ( 1964)
Arzoo (1965)
Bobby ( 1973)
Roti ( 1974)
Kabhu Kabhi ( 1976)
Betaab ( 1983)
Roja ( 1992)
Mission Kashmir ( 2000)
Yahaan ( 2005)
Shaurya (2008)
Lamhaa( 2010)
Rockstar (2011)
Jab Tak Hai Jaan ( 2012)
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ( 2013)
Haider ( 2014)
Highway ( 2014)
Bajrangi Bhaijaan ( 2015) ***
Fitoor (2016)
Aiyaary ( 2018)
Raazi(2018)
