Kashmir Film Policy: A boon or bane for the state?

The “Megha” segment of Onir’s 2010 anthology film I Am was about a Kashmiri Pandit returning home to Srinagar on a work trip after more than two decades of enforced exile and meeting her Muslim childhood friend only to realise that their sufferings cut across religious divides, and that they both had to pay a big price for the political turmoil. The segment was shot in Kashmir.

Now, Onir has been planning to shoot one of the short films of the anthology’s sequel, We Are, in Kashmir again. Not only has he been location hunting, but also holding filmmaking workshops with the local film students. “I want to use as many locals as possible as part of the film crew.”

Unfortunately, Jammu and Kashmir’s recently announced film policy might throw a spanner in the works. It was launched with much fanfare on August 5 by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha in the presence of Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Mahaveer Jain.

The wide-ranging document aims at making J&K the favourite shooting destination of the film industry that it once used to be and promoting film tourism in the state, thereby also generating livelihood opportunities for the residents of the state, giving boost to the economy and eventually fostering a local film industry of its own.

From fiscal incentives to subsidies to security issues and single window clearance and infrastructure development, the document appears to take a 360-degree view of film development, right down to constituting a Jammu & Kashmir Film Development Council (JKFDC) to realise the objectives of J&K Film Policy.

While filmmakers are still going through the newly launched film policy with fine toothcomb, a clause that is causing much consternation has to do with the permission for shoot being subject to submission of the film script for approval from the concerned authorities. Who will these experts be? On what basis will they evaluate the script? Will there be redressal mechanism in the face of rejection?

Earlier, just a formal letter to the local administration and the army was enough to get the approval. Now the online submissions require, among other things, “detailed script and synopsis in case of a Feature Film, TV/Web show and series and detailed concept in case of TV/Web Reality shows and series”.

The document clarifies that the permission for shooting of the film will be given by the Chairman Single Window Cell based on the recommendations of the Location Permission Committee and the Script Screening Committee. Script Screening Committee will be headed by an eminent person as Chairman and three nominated members from the fields of film making/ script writing/art culture or any relevant field.

“I don’t agree in principle with the idea of having to submit script if a film is not seeking subsidy. Overall, though, it looks like a forward-looking film shooting policy,” says filmmaker Utpal Borpujari. According to him, what is not clear in this is the security aspect. “Does one have to submit the script even if a production is seeking no subsidy but only security (which is crucial in Kashmir). Since no film can be shot in Kashmir without adequate security measures in place, this is a grey area that needs to be explained clearly,” he says.

“This will make it impossible for independent filmmakers to shoot in Kashmir,” opines another film director on condition of anonymity. “They are trying to monitor content shot in the state,” says Onir. “The Union government abolished the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. Now they want to censor films at the script stage itself. What is the logic to have a Censor Board then?” questions another filmmaker.

The “management” of the Kashmir narrative apart, what has been irking Onir is that nowhere (apart from J&K and UP) is script submission essential for getting a clearance for shooting. Scripts are required only when filmmakers want access to film funds or grants.

There are some reading bigger conspiracy theories. Whether Kashmir is a testing ground; if filmmakers don’t react and keep quiet, script submission might become the norm everywhere. “They want to control cinema, not just at the execution but at the thought level itself,” says one.

Onir is further upset because, not just the crew, he was planning to cast local actors, use Kashmiri language to bring alive the real flavour of the place and its people. He is adamant for now that he won’t submit the film script, come what may. If need be, he will readapt it and shoot it elsewhere. “It’s sad but, left with no alternative,” he says.