Before "The Kashmir Files" These Hindi Films Showcased The Troubled Paradise On Earth

Hindi films on Kashmir have touched upon various topics over the years, sometimes with the use of a love story and at times with a direct political commentary. It has been a fulcrum of a number of spy films like Mission Kashmir, amongst others. The union territory has been constantly in the news for the atrocities on people living in the valley, something that frequently makes it to films based on Kashmir.

The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, is the latest Bollywood film to join this list. Based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits through the late 80s and early 90s from Kashmir, the film features Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar and Mithun Chakraborty, amongst others.

The film has been applauded by the Centre and state governments, even becoming tax-free in many Bharatiya Janata Party ruled states. Although, the film has been criticised for being promoted as propaganda against Muslims of the state and has been criticised for dismissing the deaths and systematic oppression of Kashmiris through the ages.

However, aside from The Kashmir files, many Hindi films from the recent past have showcased the trouble in the valley of Kashmir, a few of them also bringing some heartwarming stories that advocate love and kindness above everything else.

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So here are five Hindi films on Kashmir that one must watch:

Haider 

The 2014-film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj was an adaptation of Willam Shakshpere's Hamlet. The film is about a young man named Haider, played by Shahid Kapoor, who returns to Jammu and Kashmir at a time when the union territory is ridden with the insurgency. While unravelling a family drama, it shows Haider's journey to understand the disappearance of his father. The film approached issues like illegal disappearance and the concept of half-widows in Kashmir. The cast of the film also includes Tabu, Shraddha Kapoor, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan Khan, amongst others.

Shikara 

The 2020-film directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra revolves around the life of a young couple, who is forced to leave their homes along with thousands of Kashmiri pandits during the communal tensions in the state. The film shows their struggle to accept their situation. Although, the film was criticised for focusing a tad bit more on the love story than the political situation that it opted to show. It features Aadil Khan, Sadia Khateeb, Zamir Ashai, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Vinay Raina and Bhavana Chauhan, amongst others.

Hamid 

The 2018-film, which is directed by Aijaz Khan tells the story of Kashmir through the eyes of a young boy who is trying to decipher the truth behind his absent father. He is unable to process that his father might be dead and has several questions for his mother, who is also suffering and has no answers for him. In a futile and unreal attempt, Hamid tries to contact God by dialling the number 786. His life takes a turn when his call is answered. But on the other side of the phone is a uniformed man who has been posted in Kashmir. The two talk and discuss, thus leading to the humanisation of both sides and revealing the politics of bloodshed in Kashmir. It features Rasika Dugal, Talha Arshad Reshi, Sumit Kaul, Mir Sarwar, Vikas Kumar, amongst others.

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Harud 

Directed by Aamir Bashir, Harud features Reza Naji and Shahnawaz Bhat in lead. It is a story about a family who lives in the conflict-ridden region of Kashmir. In 2010, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It shows the reality of the place which has often been called heaven on earth or a state of terror. It was shot entirely in Srinagar and choose to go beyond the romanticisation of hills in Kashmir. It is a story of an adolescent boy who is angry about his missing brother. He chooses to cross the border to join militancy and when he chances upon his brother's camera, things change for him.

Inshallah, Football 

This 2010 documentary by Ashvin Kumar is about an aspiring footballer, who is denied the right to travel abroad on the pretext that his father has joined militancy in the 1990s. It shows the life of an 18-year-old Basharat Baba, known as Basha, who is a new generation of Kashmiri and he has grown with a passion for the sport. The film is based on the life of a young footballer from the valley by the same name, who was coached by Juan Marcos Troia, a FIFA accredited football coach.

(Feature Image Credit: Indian Express)