Srinagar, Sept 07: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday said Srinagar hosting the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) has sent a “very strong message” across the country and the world about the improved situation in the Union Territory.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the festival in Srinagar, Singh, according to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the improved situation that has enabled Jammu and Kashmir to host an international-level film festival.
“We are grateful to PM Modi that the situation here has improved to such an extent, enabling us to organise such a programme here,” he said.
The Union Minister also acknowledged the efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his team in facilitating the festival.
He said the event demonstrates that cinema remains as popular in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir Valley, as it is in other parts of the country.
Singh recalled Kashmir’s historic and close association with the Indian film industry, saying there was a time when film shootings were a common sight across the Valley, with streets, lanes, gardens, hotels and houseboats witnessing the presence of the film fraternity.
“I say this with particular emphasis because we have seen the time when, gradually, one cinema hall after another began to shut down. For nearly 20 to 25 years, we were deprived of cinema,” he said.
He said Kashmir has always shared a close relationship with Indian cinema and expressed hope that the revival of the industry in the region would bring new opportunities for the people, particularly the youth.
Singh said the festival would not only create avenues for income generation but also open up new opportunities for young people in Jammu and Kashmir across various fields associated with cinema.
The first IFFJK has brought together filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from different parts of the world and is showcasing a wide range of films, marking a significant cultural event in the Valley. (KNO)
