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Srinagar, Sep 09:<\/strong> Renowned Bollywood actor and filmmaker Akbar Khan has hailed the first-ever film festival in Srinagar, saying the event has the potential to grow into an international cultural landmark and eventually compete with the Cannes Film Festival.<\/p>\n Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Khan congratulated Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the organisers for what he described as a “spectacular opening festival”.<\/p>\n “The show was mesmerising, soulful and captured the rhythm and the purpose of this first-ever film festival in Srinagar,” Khan said, praising the musical performances at the opening ceremony.<\/p>\n He particularly recalled the performances of Dr Janas-e-R Akhtar, Rani and Falak, saying they “captured the mood of the festival” and “the heart of the beginning of such a beautiful initiative”.<\/p>\n Khan also praised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s speech at the inaugural event, describing it as “very heart-rendering”.<\/p>\n “He was so prolific, recollecting the nostalgia of the Indian film industry, the Bollywood film industry, capturing chapter by chapter, moment by moment, how the people of Jammu and Kashmir love the units and the film stars and the directors and the producers who come and make the films here,” he said.<\/p>\n Recalling Bollywood’s long association with Kashmir, Khan referred to films that helped establish the Valley as one of Indian cinema’s most evocative locations.<\/p>\n He specifically mentioned Junglee, saying the famous “Yahoo” call by Shammi Kapoor <\/p>\n “had become a kind of a call of the Valley for every filmmaker to come and shoot”. “I would say that there could not have been a better place than Srinagar to be the chosen city for such a grand first-ever film festival,” he said.<\/p>\n He predicted that the event would rapidly acquire an international profile.<\/p>\n “I feel from year to year this festival will grow from strength to strength and very soon would be in competition with the Cannes Film Festival and maybe even get better,” Khan said.<\/p>\n He argued that Kashmir’s landscape itself could become one of the festival’s greatest attractions.<\/p>\n “Because Cannes does not offer such an environment. Such a beautiful landscape,” he said. “It becomes a source of all filmmakers when they visit such a place.”<\/p>\n According to Khan, filmmakers attending the festival would not merely watch films from different countries but would also be inspired by Kashmir itself.<\/p>\n “Besides watching films of each other countries and different great directors, they also get inspired by the soul of Kashmir,” he said.<\/p>\n ‘Cinema is the most powerful medium’<\/strong><\/p>\n Khan placed particular emphasis on cinema’s ability to build bridges across communities and countries.<\/p>\n “I would like to mention that cinema is the most powerful medium that makes bridges between nations and civilisations,” he said.<\/p>\n “It carries across borders, stories, civilisations, culture, people from different parts of the world who interact and meet and bring out, above all, their souls to understand each other.”<\/p>\n He said film festivals should therefore be judged primarily on artistic and cinematic merit.<\/p>\n “The greatest part of a film festival is that it should be judged on merits,” Khan said. <\/p>\n “Every film that is being chosen should be judged on merits, on its cinematic excellence, free of prejudice, free from the changing winds of ideology.”<\/p>\n He said filmmakers, actors, producers and singers should be allowed to present their artistic work without ideological interference.<\/p>\n “Actors, directors, producers, singers come on to a platform and present their artistic cinema, music, art, culture,” he said.<\/p>\n Khan also spoke at length about the responsibility of filmmakers when dealing with India’s history and communal relations.<\/p>\n “I am very vocal. I respect every filmmaker. Every filmmaker has the right to present his film, his ideas, but never distort history. Never distort history to serve a purpose of creating disturbance, hatred [against] one another,” he said.<\/p>\n He added: “Cinema which spreads hatred should be discouraged in every nook and corner of the world, especially when it is designed for a specific propaganda.”<\/p>\n Khan said filmmakers could portray historical figures as heroes or villains, but should not manipulate history for a predetermined narrative.<\/p>\n “There are people who make films on villains and heroes and give the correct perspective as it is without dabbling it, without the historians and filmmakers diverting [it],” he said.<\/p>\n ‘Kashmir has a very distinctive identity’<\/strong><\/p>\n Khan also spoke about Kashmir’s cultural identity, describing it as deeply rooted in Sufi traditions and communal coexistence.<\/p>\n “Jammu Kashmir is a very, very beautiful concept and identity. Kashmir has a very distinctive identity,” he said.<\/p>\n “Like every state has its lovely identity in different ways. But Kashmir has the Sufism involvement where people of all caste and creed are one.”<\/p>\n Describing Kashmir as “a secular centre which is mixed with warmth, love, affection”, Khan referred to Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs living together through its history.<\/p>\n He said India’s civilisational diversity should be preserved and reflected responsibly through cinema.<\/p>\n “India is one of the greatest countries, a 5,000-year-old civilisation,” he said, before invoking the historical reigns of Ashoka and Akbar.<\/p>\n Khan recalled his own work on historical television productions, including The Sword of Tipu Sultan and Akbar the Great, saying his intention had always been nation-building.<\/p>\n “I first directed the first 22 episodes of The Sword of Tipu Sultan when my brother was struck by an unfortunate hand of destiny,” he said, adding that he later made Akbar the Great.<\/p>\n “At that time, Sulh-e-Kul was the religion of Emperor Akbar, where every religion comes under one umbrella. Peace for all, submission to all,” Khan said.<\/p>\n “I made that serial Akbar the Great again for nation-building. It brought harmony amongst the Hindus, the Muslims.”<\/p>\n Plans to bring Taj Mahal to Kashmir<\/strong><\/p>\n Khan also announced plans to bring his film Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story to Kashmir for a premiere.<\/p>\n “My film Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story, inshallah, I will bring it to Kashmir to have a premiere of the film shortly and release it all over India again,” he said.<\/p>\n He said the film had already begun its international journey and recalled its screening in Malaysia.<\/p>\n “My film Taj Mahal has already started to take its first international journey on 6th February, 2006, where the Prime Minister of Malaysia had watched the film and he wrote a review, the same with the Minister of Culture,” Khan said.<\/p>\n He described the Taj Mahal as a symbol of love and said he wanted that message to reach audiences across the world.<\/p>\n “I want that this symbol of love, Taj Mahal, should sink into the minds and heart and soul of the people of the world,” he said. “It is the greatest message and Taj Mahal is one of our greatest monuments of pride before all the country.”<\/p>\n Khan concluded by thanking the organisers and praising Omar Abdullah and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah for what he described as their commitment to an inclusive society.<\/p>\n “I have enjoyed every moment of my stay here with the warm hospitality of every officer, bureaucrat,” he said.<\/p>\n He described Farooq Abdullah as “one of the tallest leaders of a country” who believes in “the inclusive society, the love and harmony of a Brahman, of a Muslim, of a Christian, and a Jain”.<\/p>\n Khan said the presence of both father and son in Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership offered hope for the future.<\/p>\n “It is an amazing combination of a father and son and I am sure there will be great amount of peace, harmony, success and the people of Jammu Kashmir will soon be seeing a golden period,” he said.<\/p>\n
Khan said the festival had been organised in a location uniquely suited to bringing filmmakers and cultures together.<\/p>\n