[Reader-list] Second Post: Cinema Revival a lost tale in Kashmir

[Shahnawaz Khan]

 Cinema Revival a lost tale in Kashmir



For the generation that grew up with the turmoil in Kashmir, entertainment
in life is limited to confines of house. And beyond that one can not think
of it.  For people here believe that entertainment is under siege!

Usually going to cinema halls and watching a movie is considered a sort of
entertainment and a break from the routine but in valley the cinema halls
were closed with the outbreak of armed insurgency.

Although a couple of cinema halls like Broadway and Neelam in Srinagar city
were reopened much to showcase the return of normalcy, however owing to cold
response from people the eupohoria died down soon. Broadway downed its
shutters while Neelam drags on playing shows for just five people at times.

Ten years down the line, the first cinema hall (Broadway) that braved the
odds in 1997 to reopen got again closed. This time the decision to close the
Cinema hall was proprietor's' own. Nowadays the building is being renovated
to be converted into a hotel.

Neelam is now the only functional cinema hall in the Kashmir. Neelam has the
appearance more of a military installation than a place of entertainment.

CRPF men wielding guns atop the bunkers in the Cinema premises keep eye on
visitors and anyone passing by. The outer fence has coils of razor wire
around it. The area has a restricted movement and people prefer the
alternate route to avoid any untoward incident.

Noor Mohammed, an old man in his late sixties sells the tickets for the
show. Waiting under the porch in the wintry sun, wait for customers on
Noor's wrinkled face is conspicuous. Holding ticket books in his left hand
he signals anyone entering the premises towards him. Behind him are the
couple of hoardings of the latest show.

In spite of having no competition Neelam has a tough time getting viewers.
For example when I visited the the first show had been abandoned for want of
visitors.

The second show was running on just 15 people only. The tickets are  sold
only for the balcony. The Dress Circle has an ghostly aura unlikely of a
functional cinema hall.

With total capacity of 800, the number of persons watching the show had
rarely crossed 40 since its reopening.

Employees in the cinema hall say year 2004 was an exception. A good number
of people thronged the cinema hall during a film festival organized by
Directorate of Information.

Otherwise the hall never witnessed a houseful.

"I am associated with this cinema hall since 1966, the year it began
initially. Those days I was young and it was a peaceful era. People used to
throng cinemas to entertain themselves. Tickets were sold in black but now
…," sighs Noor.

"The proportion of cine goers both male and female was fifty- fifty, Those
were the golden days," he adds.

Noor Mohammed is skeptic about the revival of cinema culture in the valley
and is finding it hard to earn livelihood out of it.

"Unless and until Pakistan and India reach a compromise on Kashmir, nothing
can happen. Revival of cinema culture and opening of cinema halls can't be
expected without return of peace," he feels.

Mohammed Ayub Wani is the projector operator in the cinema. After 1990, when
the Cinema halls ceased to function here, his employer shifted him to other
business units and appointed him as a clerk there.

"From 1990- 1999, I was working in the floor mill. When the decision to open
the cinema matured I was brought back to my job," said Ayub.

>From the schedule of running five shows a day prior to 1990, today it is
mere three and most of the times show is being played just for five people.

"Now ours is the only functional one but God knows how long will it go on
like this. Broadway got closed, Regal that joined the fray in 1999 pulled
down the shutters the same day it was opened following a grenade attack
outside it," Ayub says.

The ruins of another famous Cinema hall in the heart of city at LalChowk are
still intact. Experts say that it is enough to gauge the scenario of
entertainment in the valley. Instead of film hoardings announcing the show,
it has hoardings exhibiting CRPF men with the text praising there role in
valley.

The area which was once the seating arrangement for viewers has now sycamore
and others plants growing from it.

S, Khurshid ul Islam teaches behavioral science at institute of
Managementand Public administration (IMPA)
Srinagar. As a social expert Khurshid believes that entertainment has an
important place in the society as well as in the life of an individual.

"Entertainment can't be replaced from the society as it provides relax and
respite from the routine. There 's no alternative to it. The worst part of
the turmoil was that it affected the spheres of environment badly," said
Khurshid.

Prasing the role of cable TV in Kashmiri society, Khurshid says that it
became the mega source of  entertainment for the people but cautions about
its ill affects as well.

"With insurgency in place valley witnessed closure of cinema and video
halls, moratorium on sports activity and excursions. Result of this was TV
received the prime importance.

"as a father I would like to see  my son becoming a sportsman and going
outside the house for playing but at the same time keeping in view the
circumstances prevailing outside I won't allow him to venture outside the
premises of my house and not to talk of playing in the play ground,'
Khurshid explains.

It may be noted that Cable TV operators have also received threats from
militant groups often, but Cable TV remains one of the very few medium of
entertainment in Kashmir Valley.

Turmoil in Kashmir has left its impact on the outdoor games and sports as
well. Situation in Kashmir is not considered favorable enough to allow the
younger generation to gather in a playground for playing sports.

Even the two outdoor stadiums and one indoor stadium in the Srinagar city
have been closed for the general public as forces battling the militancy are
stationed there.

"The Sher e-Kashmir stadium, Bakshi stadium as well as the indoor stadium
have been closed for people. None one can enter the grounds for playing. At
times it's being opened specially for players but spectators are not
allowed," said Ghulam Mohammed a tea vendor outside in the market outside
the Sher-e Kashmir stadium.

The dressing rooms of the stadium now store ammunition.

The fear coupled with the restrictions during the past 17 years has
flourished the culture of indoor games and in city some privately run
snooker clubs and other centres are slowly opening up.


-- 
Shahnawaz Khan


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