In a community hall in Dangiwacha, a small town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, young boys and girls recently formed a long queue for a movie screening — Onir’s 2018 film, Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz. Earlier, a similar screening and interaction took place in Handwara, too. By his own admission, the involvement of young students, especially girls, in the screening and post-screening interaction sessions was Onir’s most special takeaway from his recent Kashmir trip.

“For 30 years, movie halls have been missing from Kashmir. These kids and all the other people here watch films on their mobiles and TVs. Hence, we planned this screening. I was overwhelmed to see how the students, especially young girls, queued up to watch the film,” said the filmmaker.

Talking about his screening experience, Onir said that Kashmir is “full of talent and little opportunity”. Elaborating on his thoughts, he said, “An entire generation has grown up without cinema halls and I’m sure they have their stories to tell. One of the reasons why I decided to screen Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz there is because it features a Kashmiri actor. I want to make films with more of such actors and get Kashmiri musicians to sing in my films. I plan to screen more films there — maybe have a seven-day festival featuring films from Bengal, Kerala and all over the country. Kashmiri short films should also be featured at such festivals.”

Onir, who seems to have a strong connection with Kashmir, was there last December, too. While catching up with his friends in Srinagar, he told us that there are several stories beyond the perceived image of Kashmir. “The only stories that we get to hear about this place are those of conflict. There is so much more to this place. Let’s talk about their art, music and craft. There are stories that go beyond just conflict, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. I want to explore that,” he shared.

In his pursuit of exploring the place, Onir created memories and incorporated those in his travel vlog. “I love Kashmiri cuisine and hence, I talked about gushtaba. I also went to a dargah and heard a beautiful song. Some of their crafts are dying. Let’s talk about those things. This time, I went to Sun Temple in Martand. I learnt about the amazing Surya temple built during the 8th century CE,” he said.

Talking about the budding talents, Onir said the youngsters in Kashmir need more opportunities. “Kashmir needs to nurture its talent. There is a music academy in Srinagar and it is heartwarming to see how children there are practising Sa Re Ga Ma. I wish there was a film institute for these kids so that they did not have to go to Delhi or Mumbai to study. Maybe one day we will have one there,” said Onir.