Vidya’s Day Out in Kashmir

Umar Ganie captures glimpses of Vidya Balan and Arbaaz Khan’s visit to Kashmir for Rediff.com.

Bollywood will definitely return to Kashmir to shoot films and bring the valley back to the silver screen like in the 1950s and 1960s, Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur announced in Gulmarg on Sunday, February 6.

Kapur had accompanied his wife, actress Vidya Balan, and actor-producer Arbaaz Khan to Gulmarg in north Kashmir to attend a two-day winter festival organised by the Indian Army.

“I say on behalf of the Indian film industry that we will definitely be coming to Kashmir very often in the future to shoot,” said Kapur, who also heads the Producers Guild of India.

Kashmir, he said, was a beautiful place and he intended to visit the valley often.

“We do not need to talk about how beautiful the location is… we intend to come here very often and bring film crews here. We will see that we are able to bring Kashmir back to Indian screens the way it was in the 1950s and 60s,” Kapur said.

Thanking the Indian Army for the invite, Kapur said the visit gave them an opportunity to experience such a wonderful place.

“The hospitality of the army and the Kashmiri people has been incredible,” he said, adding Kashmir is “a sentimental place” for him as his parents happened to have met in the valley.

“I hope I get another opportunity to visit Kashmir. I hope I come here for a film shooting,” Vidya said.

Arbaaz Khan also expressed the hope that film crews will return to the valley.

“There is no reason not to be here, this place is truly amazing,” he said.

The event witnessed a host of activities including skiing, snowmobile, ATV race and snow cycling, besides cultural performances by renowned artists of the valley.

<> 

General Officer Commanding Dagger Division Major General Virendra Vats said the event was organised to provide a platform to local artists to showcase their talent and to provide a fillip to the tourism industry in Kashmir and lend support to the people who rely on the industry.

More images from Vidya Balan’s visit to Kashmir