‘Past is past, future is bright’: AR Rahman calls for more Bollywood films to be shot in Kashmir

‎Abrar Nabi
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‎Srinagar, Sep 12 (KNS): Oscar-winning music composer A R Rahman has called for more Bollywood filmmakers and musicians to come to Kashmir, saying the industry should showcase the region’s natural beauty and peace rather than keep returning to stories of violence and the past.
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‎Speaking to reporters as per Kashmir News Service (KNS) at Royal spring golf course, Rahman said the Valley offered artists an uncluttered and inspiring setting and that its beauty could be reflected in films, songs and music.
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‎“They should bring the beauty and the peace, when you see nature as a positive thing, rather than taking anything about violence or the past. The past is past, the future is bright,” Rahman said.
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‎Rahman, who was in Kashmir for an advertisement shoot, said he had just completed the shooting and recalled his earlier association with the Valley through Rockstar.
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‎He said local Kashmiri folk music had been recorded for the film and used in its music.
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‎“I came here for Rockstar. I recorded the ladies singing folk songs and we used it in Rockstar, and we want to come and do more things here,” he said, as per KNS.
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‎Asked about the possibility of working with Kashmiri musicians, particularly on Sufi and folk music, Rahman said he was open to the idea and hoped to return to Kashmir to perform.
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‎“Yes, we have some plans and we are talking. Hopefully, I want to come and perform here,” he said.
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‎Rahman also backed the idea of greater use of Kashmiri instruments and musical traditions in Bollywood, saying such collaborations could bring local sounds to a wider audience.
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‎The composer was also asked about the use of the rabab and Kashmiri musical elements in Haider, and the wider potential for collaborations between Bollywood musicians and artists from Kashmir.
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‎Calling the suggestion a “beautiful” one, Rahman pointed to his own work in Rockstar as an example of how local music could be incorporated into mainstream cinema.
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‎On the international film festival being held in Kashmir, Rahman said the event could help bring more visitors to the Valley and give them an opportunity to experience its landscape and hospitality.
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‎“It’s a beautiful place and it’s blessed, and having an international film festival is commendable,” he said.
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‎Rahman said he hoped the festival would attract more people to Kashmir and grow into a major event.
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‎“This is a great opening, this is a great idea and I wish it will grow and grow and become beautiful and become such a great experience,” he said.
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‎Drawing a comparison with international film festivals in Amsterdam, London and Sundance, Rahman said he hoped Kashmir would eventually host “the best festival of India.”
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‎He said artists came to places such as Kashmir in search of inspiration and that the Valley’s natural surroundings provided that setting.
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‎“First of all, artists are, you know, we seek inspiration. And when we come here, it’s uncluttered, it’s beautiful and it inspires us,” he said.
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‎Rahman also expressed hope that Bollywood would increasingly return to Kashmir for film and music projects, saying the region’s landscape and musical traditions offered opportunities for new creative collaborations.(KNS)