Srinagar: The three-decade-long wait for cinemas in Kashmir came to an end on Tuesday with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurating the ‘INOX’ Multiplex in Srinagar.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that congratulating the people, Vijay Dhar, and INOX Group on the occasion, the LG said that a major socio-economic revolution was sweeping through J&K in the last three years and it was a reflection of a new dawn of hope, dreams, confidence, and aspirations of people.
He said that the opening of multipurpose cinema halls in Shopian and Pulwama and the first-ever multiplex in Srinagar marks the revival of cinema culture in Kashmir after three decades.
“Culture is a way of life and cinema being a powerful medium of sharing thoughts and ideas reflects societal values and change. Cinema brings people together. Apart from entertainment, it gives hopes, dreams, and inspiration to youth to pursue their dreams till they realise them,” the LG said.
“Following the inauguration of two multi-purpose cinema halls in Pulwama and Shopian, J&K government is building multi-purpose cinema halls in all districts of J&K. Young generation has a strong urge to see a better society, to learn about other cultures, to become part of the inter-dependent world. It is the responsibility of the administration to provide the youth opportunities and support.”
He said that the new cinema halls and ongoing film shootings would renew the beautiful bond between J&K and the Indian film industry.
The LG said that the New Film Policy had been rolled out with special provisions and incentives for encouraging local youth to take up the film as a career.
“We are in talks with various stakeholders and have identified the land for developing film city in J&K and the facility will come up soon,” he said.
The LG said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government had accelerated the pace of implementation of numerous developmental initiatives.
“After August 2019, a new social order has been established in J&K which promotes inclusive development, social harmony, and equitable access to resources for all citizens without any discrimination. J&K is today stronger and more self-confident than ever before,” the LG said.
Former Rajya Sabha member and Chairman Essel Group, Subhash Chandra congratulated the J&K government and everyone associated with the newly-inaugurated multiplex on the occasion.
He lauded the J&K administration for the transformation taking place in Kashmir through the opening of cinema halls, which had a great legacy of filmmaking and a massive film-loving population.
Editor-In-Chief and Chairman, India TV, Rajat Sharma said that the cinema was the perfect medium to unite people.
He appreciated the efforts of the LG and the J&K administration for creating facilities to cater to the needs of the Indian film industry and reviving a new era of cinemas in Kashmir.
Executive Director, INOX Group, Siddharth Jain said that the launch of the new multiplex in Kashmir would make the region a part of the country’s creative economy and contribute to strengthening the soft power of the country.
“With ‘Myoun INOX, Myoun Cinema’, we are also looking to win the hearts of cinema lovers of Kashmir by offering them a world-class cinema-viewing experience, an amalgamation of top-notch technology, great hospitality, best of cinema comforts, a blend of local designs, Dolby Atmos audio technology, latest 3D and projection technology and a professionally-trained team. We are also looking forward to taking our artistic learning from Kashmir to the world,” he said.
Chairman Delhi Public School, Srinagar, and owner of Broadway theatre Vijay Dhar expressed gratitude to the LG-led J&K administration and the ‘INOX’ group for bringing back the joy of movie-viewing in cinema halls to Kashmir.
He also threw light on the golden era of cinema and film shooting in J&K.
On the occasion, a special screening was held for the cinema lovers of the region.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Vice Chairperson J&K KVIB Dr Hina Shafi Bhat, ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole, and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Muhammad Aijaz were also present on the occasion.