Pahalgam terror attack casts shadow over Kashmir as Bollywood's top filming destination

Dubai: Just days ago, Bollywood actor-director Farhan Akhtar stood before the gorgeous waters of Dal Lake in Kashmir, speaking of hope, storytelling, and Kashmir’s cinematic revival.

“Shooting Ground Zero here was a privilege,” he said, addressing a crowd of journalists and film enthusiasts in Srinagar.

The atmosphere was buoyant. His film’s special screening —held in the Valley for the first time in nearly four decades along with Indian soldiers —was poised to mark a cultural milestone.

Farhan Akhtar's Ground Zero, directed by Tejas Deoskar and produced by Excel Entertainment, was filmed extensively across Kashmir. The promotional push in Srinagar, attended by Akhtar’s wife Shibani Dandekar and co-producer Ritesh Sidhwani, was more than a marketing stop. It was a symbolic return—an acknowledgment of Kashmir’s enduring spirit and Bollywood’s historic ties to the Valley.

A special screening for BSF and CISF jawans underscored the film's thematic link to the armed forces and the emotional terrain they navigate. Local media covered the event with enthusiasm, and visuals of Akhtar soaking in the spring sun along Dal Lake went viral, reigniting the conversation about Kashmir’s potential as a filming destination.

But the mood shifted swiftly. A terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 —a destination often hailed as the "Switzerland of the East"—ripped through that fragile optimism, reminding everyone of the precariousness of peace in this valley. Uncertainty looms large now when it comes to filming in Kashmir.

According to a report in Zee News, this was the first Bollywood film premiere in Srinagar in 38 years—a staggering statistic that reveals just how long the region remained out of bounds for the industry due to insurgency and political instability.

Akhtar is not alone in this rediscovery. Filmmakers have increasingly turned their cameras back toward Kashmir, buoyed by improved security and a 2021 Jammu & Kashmir film policy that offers subsidies and single-window clearance for shoots.

As per a report in Zee News, in 2023 alone, over 100 films, TV series, and web shows were shot in the Valley. More than 200 filmmakers have applied for permission to film there in 2024, as per another report in Rising Kashmir. The numbers signal not just a creative resurgence but a strategic one—film tourism is being positioned as an economic driver for the region.

Big names have been part of this new wave include Karan Johar who filmed a romantic song from Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani in Gulmarg in 2023.

Bollywood heavyweight Shah Rukh Khan shot crucial portions of Dunki in Sonamarg, Pampore, and Srinagar, while Kabir Khan's Chandu Champion used the Valley as a dramatic war backdrop.Even regional and pan-India cinema has flocked to Kashmir. Films like Sita Ramam (Telugu) and Hindi productions such as Mission Majnu and Notebook have leaned heavily on the Valley’s visual grandeur.

But the recent terror strike in Pahalgam has unsettled this fragile balance.

The attack comes as a jarring contrast to the carefully curated narrative of peace and creativity that Bollywood and the administration have tried to build. Locations once known for romantic duets are now back in the headlines for far more grimmer reasons.

Bollywood’s romance with Kashmir has always been layered. In the past, it was the setting for love stories and escapist fantasies. Farhan Akhtar’s recent visit was both a homage and a statement—that cinema can still offer a lens of empathy and optimism, even in regions haunted by unrest.

But the recent attack in Pahalgam has once again placed a question mark over the future of film production in the Valley. While government incentives and filmmaker interest have surged, incidents like these expose the fragile line between progress and peril.

Industry insiders now wait to see whether this latest bout of violence will deter future productions or simply pause the momentum temporarily.