Happy Days Are Here Again!
To revive Kashmir’s glory of yesteryears, LG Shri Manoj Sinha launched J&K’s Film Policy in August this year. According to reliable sources in the LG administration, the government is contemplating reopening the iconic Palladium Cinema in the heart of Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. The decision to revive the cinemas was taken on priority basis, as cinemas used to be one of the sublime sources of entertainment in the Valley, and helped to boost the local economy too. During Kashmir’s harsh winter, people are usually idle and have long leisure hours to spend with their families. Cinemas are a favourite option to seek a break from the monotony. Our first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had rightly said, “The influence of the films in India is greater than the influence of newspapers and books combined.”
Sources reveal that the authorities are working on the upgradation and renovation of cinemas in Kashmir. The technologies and facilities are being ramped up. The opening of cinema halls will have a hugely positive impact on Kashmir. Since the 1990s, Kashmiris have borne the brunt of the conflict and have felt desolate in many ways, cut off from the rest of the country and the outside world. The cinemas will help the Kashmiris to align with the normal, happy world. Weary of conflict, we have forgotten how to laugh. The joy of going to a cinema will give us that happy space again.
