At Café Liberty on Srinagar’s MA Road, Khawar Jamsheed is with the gathering of his Valley-based line producers — their meeting centres around discussions about shooting Bollywood and South Indian films in the picturesque landscapes of Kashmir. For almost 25 years, Khawar has been closely connected with Bollywood's presence in Kashmir. He is the sole go-to figure for Bollywood in the region.
Khawar’s journey began in 2010 as line producer for the movie ‘Rockstar’, which featured scenes and a song amidst the Valley’s breathtaking backdrop. Following this, he collaborated as line producer in Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year’, and subsequently facilitated Imtiaz Ali’s production of ‘Highway’.
“My journey as a line producer started accidentally. One of my relatives in the film industry came to Kashmir and I started showing him locations as Kashmiris do. And with it, I started helping ‘Rockstar’ with logistics and they gave me the title of Line Producer. Then, I got a call from Karan Johar as he too wanted to shoot in Kashmir and this is how I came into the field,” Khawar says.
The release of ‘Haider’ marked a shift in Kashmir’s cinematic landscape. With its production, the narrative around Kashmir transformed. “Kashmir after ‘Haider’ emerged as an undeniable cinematic destination,” Khawar says. When he began line production in the Valley, Bollywood had started exploring Kashmir.
This year alone, he has worked as a line producer in the Valley for films like ‘Sam Bahadur’ and ‘Kushi’.
“I also worked on Dulquer Salmaan’s film that was shot here in 2023. We worked with Karan Johar for shooting ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’. We also worked on Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani's romantic song ‘Naseeb Se.’ There is more,” Khawar says.
Khawar also worked as a line producer in Kashmir in 2023 for actors Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in the action thriller ‘Fighter’. The film was shot in Kashmir in February. Most of the shoot in Kashmir took place in Pahalgam. In April, actor Shah Rukh Khan returned to Kashmir after years to shoot for his film ‘Dunki’ and Khawar was his line producer.
The last time Shah Rukh was in Kashmir was for the shooting of Yash Chopra’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ (2012). The actor shot some scenes in Sonmarg.
“It was a small shoot here. There was a huge response from the people. He shot in Pulwama also. People came to see him and they were very happy,” Khawar says. He adds that the stars are delighted to be in Kashmir and they also do small shows to promote Kashmir as a tourist destination.
Like other states across the country, Jammu and Kashmir has also come up with a comprehensive film policy, giving substantial advantages to filmmakers. The policy has clauses to give rebates upon a film’s successful release.
“Several films made under this policy are about to be released. We are waiting to see how the government will extend subsidies to these filmmakers and how much they will provide,” Khawar says, adding that robust subsidies will empower local filmmakers to explore a diverse array of cinematic narratives.
After the initial Covid-19 phase, Kashmir experienced a significant influx of South Indian filmmakers. Vijay Deverkonda spent 40 to 50 days in the region last year, immersed in shooting his film and Khawar was his line producer in the Valley.
“A trend we've noticed both in Mumbai's film circles and in the South is that once a movie gains recognition for its extensive Kashmir shoot, it serves as a catalyst for more productions to move towards the Valley,” Khawar says.
Khawar cites the example of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, saying after Salman Khan shot the film in Sonmarg, filmmakers started rushing to Kashmir.
“We’re seeing an increasing presence of Bhojpuri filmmakers venturing into Kashmir. While these productions may not have huge budgets, their influx is significant,” Khawar says.
According to Khawar, despite the high cost of shooting in Kashmir, the region continues to attract filmmakers.
“The airfare from Delhi to Srinagar consistently exceeds Rs 15,000. We have a shortage of hotel accommodations, and it’s a persistent challenge. The surge in tourism has created a scenario where securing lodging, especially for sizeable casts and extras, becomes an almost impossible task. These are some of the obstacles,” Khawar says,
However, Khawar says the Valley’s landscape is so attractive that it draws in filmmakers.
He says, “Just in Pahalgam, you can shoot an entire film, and in the winters, if you have a storyline, you can shoot a whole film in Gulmarg. “For a long time, I have interacted with actors and other crew members. They are happy to be in Kashmir. Some artists who travel to Kashmir for the first time usually say that they have heard about Kashmir since childhood. Once they visit Kashmir, they come back as travellers.”
As a line producer, Khawar believes it’s essential to accept these challenges. He worries that the film policy has given the impression among certain filmmakers that any location within the Valley is fair game for shooting.
“However, that’s not the reality. Acquiring the required permissions and selecting shooting sites that don't disrupt the local populace are essential considerations,” Khawar says.
Films play an important role in the tourism economy; but, this doesn’t mean that filmmakers can shut down entire roads for filming purposes. While the government has streamlined the permission process, it doesn’t grant an unrestricted mandate for shooting locations.
Khawar says, “Certain filmmakers think that even defense installations like army camps and airports are open for shooting, without realising the army has its own rules. Obtaining clearance from the defense ministry for such locations is necessary, and having this awareness is important.”
Two decades of experience in providing logistical support to film crews who come to shoot in the Valley make him a skilled logistical professional. “The market has seen an influx of newcomers since. But even one instance of unprofessional conduct from them could cast a shadow and discourage filmmakers from considering Kashmir as a shooting location,” Khawar says.
Khawar points out that the role of line producers is to guide filmmakers toward suitable locations and provide them with everything according to the set plan so that the producer’s money doesn’t go waste.
He says, “We advocate for the government’s registration of line producers based on well-defined criteria. We have a situation now where anybody can become a line producer and that shouldn’t happen. They should have some kind of experience.”
Khawar also emphasises that filmmakers who come to Kashmir shouldn’t be treated as tourists.
He says, “They are working tourists who come to Kashmir and work. Films are also very important for promoting tourism. Once you see the film and the location, it promotes the place, and people from everywhere make plans to visit.”
As a large number of filmmakers from Bollywood and South India are now coming to the Valley for shooting, finding a shooting location has become an issue.
“For instance, I see Bangas Valley in Kupwara district as a good location, but I don’t see any nearby hotel, and it will be difficult for me to move the film crew there,” Khawar says.
