Anil Raina (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 8, 2015)

The recent floods in Kashmir may have scared away a few tourists but Anupam Kher is not one of them.

The actor, a Kashmiri Pandit, was invited by the state's Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to visit the valley to boost its dwindling tourism. And he took to the task with gusto.

Kher, started at the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, delighting the locals and tourists by riding a snow mobile. But it was not all fun and frolic. He then addressed a press conference and blamed the media for "twisting facts" to creating panic among tourists by overplaying the news of the threat of floods in the Valley.

When Mirror contacted the actor, he said: "Ironically, a place which in today's time is not known to be peaceful, is actually the most appropriate place for those seeking peace of mind. Its paradise but with a wounded soul."

Kher will continue his journey with a tour of the Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal district.