Delhi hosts Kashmir Before Our Eyes

When Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir, he fell in love with the place, believing it to be paradise on earth. Films Division of India to host a three-day film festival that showcases the different realities and experiences of Kashmir.

When Mughal emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of Kashmir, he fell in love with the place, believing it to be paradise on earth. Now, as Bollywood once again rediscovers the beauty of the Valley and showcases it on the big screen, the Films Division of India is organising a three-day film festival titled Kashmir Before Our Eyes. Curated by filmmakers Ajay Raina and Pankaj Rishi Kumar, it will feature acclaimed full-length feature films, fiction shorts and documentaries made between 1948 and 2012.

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The screenings will be followed by interactions with filmmakers. “We simply want to bring together a variety of films about Kashmir, which are mostly made by Kashmiri filmmakers, on a single platform. The idea is to invite a dialogue not only between audiences and the filmmakers, but also have a dialogue between the films themselves,” says Raina, curator, Kashmir Before Our Eyes.

The festival aims at clearing a lot of preconceived notions and perceptions about Kashmir. “I do not know if there really can be a complete or a greater awareness about the state, but every film or book alludes to an aspect of Kashmir’s many meanings. This event raises the possibility of engaging with different realities and experiences of the state through its cinema,” adds Raina.