Srinagar: 

Bollywood stars, including Suniel Shetty, Atul Kulkarni, and Vijay Deverakonda, have urged for unity during the crisis, with many in the film industry condemning the incident and vowing to stand with Kashmir.

Mushtaaque Ali Ahmad Khan, a noted actor, filmmaker, and cultural activist,   while the attack initially impacted the shooting schedules, the situation is gradually improving.

Several upcoming music videos and ad films scheduled to be shot in Kashmir over the next two months have been put on 'hold' following the Pahalgam terror attack, but local filmmakers remain hopeful that the situation will stabilise, thanks to strong support from Bollywood.

"Initially, there was an impact, but gradually it is recovering positively," Khan said. "We are getting encouragement and support from Bollywood. Some cancellations happened at first, but now even those are being reconsidered. Our art, culture, and film-related activities are resuming. Kashmir is okay, and that is the message Bollywood itself is sending."

He also pushed back against narratives framing the incident along religious lines, calling them exaggerated by some national media outlets. Actor and line producer Javed Gora echoed the optimism, saying that no projects had been outright cancelled.

Line producer Irshad Bashir added that while ad film shoots scheduled for this month were cancelled, projects for the coming months are still on track. "This is temporary," Bashir said. "Several big banners are scheduled to come in the next few months. If there had been cancellations, we would have been informed by now. Hope is alive and will always remain alive."

"There are concerns, but I hope the impact won't be much as several actors have spoken positively," Gora said. "Top banners have projects lined up in Kashmir. Some shoots are on hold but not cancelled. Pahalgam remains the most sought-after destination for filmmaking here."

Khawar Jamsheed, another top-line producer from Kashmir, said he has not received any cancellations. "I only received calls for our welfare, nothing else," Jamsheed said. "I thank everyone who reached out to stand with us in this time of crisis."

Pahalgam, long a favourite as a crown jewel of Kashmir's movie shoots, has witnessed the shoots of more than eight big films in recent years. The Hajan Valley was put in the limelight at the national level after the shoot of Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh starrer Betaab (1983) was held in Pahalgam, which gave the Valley a new name, "Betaab Valley."

Imtiaz Ali's Highway (2024), featuring Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda, also showcased the essence of Kashmir, as Bhatt's character took refuge in the Aru Valley in Pahalgam. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Kabir Khan's hit, featuring Salman Khan, Harshaali Malhotra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, also featured the picturesque landscape of Pahalgam's Aru Valley.

For Yash Chopra's direction of Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Katrina Kaif, the top-of-the-charts Jiya Re was filmed against the rolling green meadows of Pahalgam, with part of the movie being filmed in Srinagar and Gulmarg as well. Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider (2024), starring Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, and Kay Kay Menon, was mostly shot in Kashmir. Haider's song Khul Kabhi, featuring the intimate romance of Shahid and Shraddha Kapoor, was filmed against Pahalgam's snow-covered landscape.

South Indian cinema, too, has captured Kashmir's scenery for storytelling. Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha's Kushi (2023) was shot over Anantnag, Pulwama's Pampore railway station, the Mamaleshwar Temple in Pahalgam, and Srinagar's Dal Lake. The new Hit: The Third Case, featuring Nani and Srinidhi Shetty, and to be released on May 1, 2025, also has a few scenes shot in Kashmir, including in Pahalgam.

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