As violence in Kashmir escalates, Bollywood seems to be ready to step into the valley at a precarious time, that too with a story of violence in the region.
Lamhaa, which stars Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu, will hit theaters on July 16.
The film has already fallen foul with the
censors and people of the state. The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) reportedly objected to Kashmir being described in the trailers as “the most dangerous place in the world”, forcing its director Rahul Dholakia to make some cuts. During the shoots, locals forced the crew to re-do a scene, as they were upset at the depiction of their homeland.
Dholakia hopes his film will help foster dialogue. “There is a tremendous trust deficit and we need to bridge that by talking and keeping our past prejudices aside,” he says. Dutt concurs, “I am not a politician. All I know is that the people of Kashmir want peace.”