Showing posts with label Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Show all posts
"Physics, biology can be taught; filmmaking must be experienced"
1:48 PM
20 Kashmiri students who flew down to MAMI for their first ever theatre-going experience
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 7, 2015)
For the 23-year-old Nazir Gillo, watching Manoj Bajpayee's Aligarh on the big screen was memorable, one reason being that it was his first time in a movie theatre. "Just seeing how it looks from inside was fascinating," says the mass media student from Kashmir University, part of the delegation in the city to attend the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. While Bollywood has rekindled its romance with Kashmir (with films returning to be shot in the Valley), cinema halls in Kashmir continue to remain shut.
The access to cinema is therefore limited to DVDs, TV and the Internet. Gillo, who is an aspiring filmmaker, also credits the debates and interactions with filmmakers during the film festival for giving him an insight into the process of filmmaking. "I want to film stories that have never been showcased. These are stories of people I've seen around me while growing up," he says.
In a first at MAMI, the initiative to invite a delegation from Kashmir was backed by filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to encourage the youth of Kashmir acquire an insider's look at filmmaking. Chopra, who grew up in the Valley, remembers the lack of resources to venture into the field. "I was a student of DAV Public School in Srinagar. When I was in the seventh or eighth standard, a film was being shot at the bridge near Dal Lake. My friends and I gathered about in our khaki shorts (the school uniform) to check out the shooting but we were shooed away by the production. That's when I decided to make films. When I shared my plans with my teachers, they thought I was crazy," laughs Chopra. He also recalls how, at the time, Srinagar had only one operational movie theatre but it wasn't affordable for all. "I would stand outside the door, from where the dialogues were audible and I remember listening to many Dilip Kumar films like Ram Aur Shyam with my ears glued to the door," adds Chopra. Today, he hopes to build a system in conjunction with the Kashmir government to enable aspiring filmmakers from the Valley in getting acquainted with the various faculties that contribute to the making of films.
"We don't have a structure of making or watching films in Kashmir," says 22-year-old Arshie Qureshi, also a part of the delegation. But Qureshi has been luckier than most in her group and has watched films in theatres in Jammu on account of her father's transferable government job. But watching a range of movies at the festival introduced her to the fact that "films can be effective even without song and dance numbers". "My favourite was Manju Borah's Bodo film Dau Huduni Methai (Song of the Horned Owl). I identified with the film as the political situation in the North-East is similar to that in Kashmir," adds Qureshi, who feels that films should have a "human side" and wants to make films on individual struggles.
For Marouf Gazi, 22, a media student from the delegation, whose short Break has won in intercollegiate festivals, listening to filmmakers sharing their journey, reinstated her belief that if one is driven, all odds can be negated. "Physics, biology and chemistry can be taught but filmmaking has to be experienced. Today, one can even shoot a film using a cell phone so one is only limited by one's imagination," she says.
Now a single window permission within 7 days flat for shooting in Kashmir
7:47 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 12, 2015)
Srinagar may not have opened
up their cinema theatres yet, but the Chief Minister of
Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, recently made a visit to the
headquarters of Entertainment, Mumbai. He met some of
Bollywood's top stars and producers, inviting, encouraging and assuring
them of his government's full support if they decided to shoot their
films in Kashmir. Kashmir, over the years, has been a victim of the
combination of events that have taken place and the disproportionate
disruption in perception that has led to the fall of tourists travelling
to the beautiful valley. It is estimated that more than about 50% of
people living there directly or indirectly are dependent on tourism and
thus, if the number of tourists come down, many livelihood
are affected as a result. While films like Haider and Highway shot there
last year, Bajrangi Bhaijaan is currently being shot there.
Vashu Bhagnani was amongst the first to accept the invitation of the CM and decided to make a visit to Srinagar with two of his lead actors of his upcoming satire Welcome To Karachi - son Jackky Bhagnani and the stunning Lauren Gottlieb - to promote his film.
While Kashmir is often linked to our neighbour Pakistan, often for the wrong reasons, the only thing common between Welcome To Karachi and being welcomed into Kashmir was the uncanny similarity in the name 'W2K'.
When Vashu Bhagnani was asked his reasons for coming to Kashmir, he said, “I will come here to even promote my sequel - Welcome To London.“ He also committed to shooting his next film there.
This was Jackky's first visit and talking about it he said, “I am loving being in Srinagar. Prior to coming here, I had a different perception of Kashmir. That when I land in the city, there would be army people all around and that people would not be peaceful. But in contrast, it's just like another Indian city. Yes, there are hardships and it's not an easy life for people here, but everyone has a smile on their face and they look peaceful. People are so much warmer than I thought. People say it's pretty, but it is way prettier than I thought. I have travelled all over the world and you think of the Alps when you think of beauty, but this is way more than that and that may also be as it is in our India. If Srinagar is like this, I can't even imagine how beautiful Gulmarg and Pahalgam may be.“
Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary, Tourism, said, “Over the last two decades, barring a few films, not much shooting has happened here. We find that the largest challenge with the tourism department is to fight the perception that exists outside. If films will be shot here, then people will get the message that Kashmir is back to being normal and that they can come and enjoy their summers here. There is so much to be explored in Kashmir in terms of locations. Till the film Betaab was shot here and we built the Betaab Valley, no one would go beyond a point in Pahalgam. After 3 Idiots was shot in Pangong Lake, the number of tourists there have increased many times. Even though we don't charge for any locations, the film fraternity told us how it takes them months to get clearances for permission. And while we don't give incentives to a producer for shooting here, we have decided to give them a one window clearance for shooting anywhere they want, within 7 days of their submitting the exact locations where they want to shoot.“
Vashu Bhagnani said, “We don't need any incentive as naturally, Kashmir is so beautiful. Our problem is only the 14 inches of distance between the heart and the brain that we need to cover.“
Vashu Bhagnani was amongst the first to accept the invitation of the CM and decided to make a visit to Srinagar with two of his lead actors of his upcoming satire Welcome To Karachi - son Jackky Bhagnani and the stunning Lauren Gottlieb - to promote his film.
While Kashmir is often linked to our neighbour Pakistan, often for the wrong reasons, the only thing common between Welcome To Karachi and being welcomed into Kashmir was the uncanny similarity in the name 'W2K'.
When Vashu Bhagnani was asked his reasons for coming to Kashmir, he said, “I will come here to even promote my sequel - Welcome To London.“ He also committed to shooting his next film there.
This was Jackky's first visit and talking about it he said, “I am loving being in Srinagar. Prior to coming here, I had a different perception of Kashmir. That when I land in the city, there would be army people all around and that people would not be peaceful. But in contrast, it's just like another Indian city. Yes, there are hardships and it's not an easy life for people here, but everyone has a smile on their face and they look peaceful. People are so much warmer than I thought. People say it's pretty, but it is way prettier than I thought. I have travelled all over the world and you think of the Alps when you think of beauty, but this is way more than that and that may also be as it is in our India. If Srinagar is like this, I can't even imagine how beautiful Gulmarg and Pahalgam may be.“
Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary, Tourism, said, “Over the last two decades, barring a few films, not much shooting has happened here. We find that the largest challenge with the tourism department is to fight the perception that exists outside. If films will be shot here, then people will get the message that Kashmir is back to being normal and that they can come and enjoy their summers here. There is so much to be explored in Kashmir in terms of locations. Till the film Betaab was shot here and we built the Betaab Valley, no one would go beyond a point in Pahalgam. After 3 Idiots was shot in Pangong Lake, the number of tourists there have increased many times. Even though we don't charge for any locations, the film fraternity told us how it takes them months to get clearances for permission. And while we don't give incentives to a producer for shooting here, we have decided to give them a one window clearance for shooting anywhere they want, within 7 days of their submitting the exact locations where they want to shoot.“
Vashu Bhagnani said, “We don't need any incentive as naturally, Kashmir is so beautiful. Our problem is only the 14 inches of distance between the heart and the brain that we need to cover.“
J&K CM Mufti Mohammed Sayeed meets filmmakers; urges them to shoot in the Valley
7:45 AM
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 2, 2015)
Says an industry source, “Mittra told him that many movies have been shot in Kashmir, but security issues act as a hindrance. They also discussed the possibility of introducing a subsidy system like it exists in Uttar Pradesh. Some Bollywood members also suggested that a similar meeting be conducted in Kashmir soon so that filmmakers can go for a recce there.”
Boney Kapoor, Imtiaz Ali, Manoj Bajpayee and Bhushan Kumar are said to have proposed for a series of film-related activities to be hosted in Srinagar so that the film folk feel confident about taking their projects to J&K. A source said Mittra is likely to lead a delegation to the state and is also contemplating hosting a film festival there.
Vishal Bhardwaj, who filmed Haider in Kashmir, interacted with Sayeed while Irrfan Khan spoke about shooting experiences in the Valley. Anupam Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit, was seen conversing with the chief minister in his mother tongue. Rishi Kapoor made a brief visit to the venue and spoke to J&K finance and culture minister, Haseeb Ahmed Drabu. Among others, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Madhur Bhandarkar, Gul Panag, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu and Rajiv Shukla were also seen at the event.
Sayeed, who was accompanied by Drabu and his deputy Nirmal Singh, met Shah Rukh Khan earlier in the day at a fivestar hotel in Bandra. The CM also visited veteran actors Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu at their house and invited them to Kashmir.
Check out Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's meeting Shah Rukh Khan
10:51 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (May 1, 2015)
Last evening, Shah Rukh Khan met Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who was in the city to meet a Bollywood contingent. The 49-year-old actor told the CM that his grandmother was of Kashmiri origin and he would love to relive the good old days of 2013 when he filmed Yash Chopra's last directorial, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, there.
Sayeed, who is in Mumbai to promote the Valley as a shooting and film destination, described Shah Rukh as a great and versatile actor who has portrayed an array of roles in his long and memorable career.
A few days ago, Mirror had reported that Mufti's party leaders had met with Salman Khan who was filming his upcoming film, Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan, in Kashmir till a few days ago, to endorse the State. But the actor had rejected the offer
According to a source, SRK too has no plans to shoot in the valley in the immediate future as the locations of both his upcoming films, Raees and Dilwale, have already been finalised.
Check out Anupam Kher's Fast & Furious moment in Gulmarg
7:37 AM
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.
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