Representations of Kashmir in Bollywood Cinema

Abstract

Literature is a reflection of culture and art today due to ever growing dynamic of film studies variety of critical approaches are used for analysis of films. Film theory seeks to develop concise and systematic concepts that apply to study of film as art. Bollywood movies have a wide appeal and audience not only in India but have wider audience throughout the world. Bollywood has looked at Kashmir as picture perfect place ‘’Kitni khoobsurat yeh tasveer hai yeh Kashmir hai’ (Bemisal) and has projected the beauty of Kashmir time and again. The paper intends to trace the journey of Bollywood and representation of Kashmir in Indian cinema. Attention is drawn on certain song sequences filmed in Kashmir. It will be an attempt to show how regional music strikes a chord across the audience and created a massive buzz in the industry by captured millions of hearts with vibrant beats to melodious lyrics and how Kashmir as a symbol of love and romance has caught an eye of Indian cinema and but over the years hardly any film has been created where Kashmiri culture has got a chance to be portrayed.