Ram Charan terms Valley as coolest place to shoot in India
Srinagar: Kashmir is the finest destination for film shooting, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Monday, as the three-day third tourism working group meeting of the powerful grouping kick-started here. The “RRR” star Ram Charan also termed Kashmir Valley as the “coolest” place to shoot films in India.
He said the Kashmir Valley has been attracting filmmakers due to its unique nature, which has something for everyone.
“Kashmir is not just a destination but a unique experience. Kashmir is an amazing destination because of Alpine forests, streams etc. There is no better destination than Kashmir as it has something to offer to everyone. It has everything,” Kant said.
He was addressing the delegates from the G20 countries on the side event ‘Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation’. The event is a part of the third Tourism Working Group Meeting of the G20 countries being held in the city.
“We believe in peace and prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes tourism has a multiplier effect and it is a job creator. This destination is unique because no Bollywood movie was complete without a shoot in Kashmir. No romance in India was complete without Kashmir,” he said.
He added that Kashmir is the finest destination to shoot movies, especially of the romance genre.
“We will help you to bring more and more romance and glamour to your films,” Kant said addressing the event.
Referring to famous movies which were shot in Kashmir, Kant said “Bobby” — the 1973 Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia starrer — which was shot in a cottage in Gulmarg, became a household word in India.
“Kashmir Ki Kali”, “Jab Jab Phool Khilay” were also shot and went on became hits, he added.
“This has led to 370 films taking permission to shoot in Kashmir,” the India’s G20 Sherpa said.
He said while many filmmakers went to Switzerland and elsewhere for shooting, many international movies were shot in India.
“It has been a two way process…Natu Natu (the Oscar-winning song from the movie “RRR”) was shot in the presidential palace of Ukraine. So, it is a two way process,” Kant said.
Moreover, “RRR” star Ram Charan said Kashmir is the “coolest” place to shoot films in India and it is a surreal feeling to visit the Valley.
The actor was speaking at the ‘Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation’ event here at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), being hosted as a part of the three-day Tourism Working Group Meeting of the G20 countries.
Charan said Kashmir was an “untapped” destination.
“It will sound cliche, but the coolest place to shoot in India is Kashmir. I am a second generation actor. My dad has shot extensively in Kashmir,” the actor, son of cinema veteran Chiranjeevi, said.
Charan said he visited Kashmir for the first time in 1986 and last shot for a movie in the Valley in 2016.
“I have shot in this auditorium (SKICC) in 2016. So, visiting Kashmir in Sumner feels like an achievement for me. This is such a surreal feeling. It has been 95 years of existence of the film industry, (but) it will take them another 95 years to explore Kashmir. It is untapped, it is virgin,” the Telugu star said, adding that he would be filming his next two features predominantly in India.
“I want to explore India more. I do not want to travel abroad for my next two movies unless the producer is from Hollywood.”
Charan’s last big screen outing was the global blockbuster “RRR”, directed by SS Rajamouli. The period action film won the best original song award for its Telugu track “Naatu Naatu” at this year’s Oscars.
The actor will next be seen in S Shankar’s feature directorial alongside Kiara Advani. The film is currently in production. (Agencies)
