Sonamarg: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan arrived in Kashmir on Monday for the shooting of his upcoming movie 'Dunki'.
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, ‘Dunki’ marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and the four-time National Film Awards and 11-time Filmfare Awards winning director.
It also has actress Taapsee Pannu of the ‘Pink’ fame in the lead role.
Shah Rukh is visiting Kashmir after a gap of 11 years since the shooting of ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ in 2012.
Sources said that Shah Rukh arrived in Kashmir on Monday afternoon.
People familiar with his visit disclosed to Greater Kashmir that the Badshah of Bollywood is visiting Sonamarg resort in Kashmir to shoot for his latest flick, Dunki. They said Khan would be in Sonamarg for a couple of days before returning to Srinagar.
The film director Rajkumar Hirani and his production team visited Sonamarg resort in Ganderbal last week.
People familiar with the development said that the crew visited Thajiwas glacier for reconnaissance on Monday before the shooting schedule.
Sources said that Dunki is a comic film.
Rajkumar Hirani’s films are always a mix of comedy and a lot of emotions about the country.
“So, it is a big journey film, and the film goes through different areas around the world and finally comes back home to India. Dunki is set to release in December 2023,” the sources said.
They said that apart from King Khan, the film also features Taapsee Pannu in the lead role.
Earlier this month, Kiara Advani of the ‘Fugly’ fame shot the final portions of ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’ with Kartik Aaryan of the ‘Pyar Ka Punchnaama’ fame in the picturesque Sonamarg.
Advani delighted her fans by sharing stunning glimpses from Kashmir on her Instagram stories soon after landing in Kashmir.
In a recent post, the actress shared a clip of the snowy mountains as she geared up to shoot in freezing -3 degrees Celsius.
Excited about the Bollywood returning to Kashmir, the stakeholders here have expressed happiness about the developments.
Prominent businessmen and Chairman, J&K Hoteliers Club, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya told Greater Kashmir that everyone was happy that cinema in Kashmir was back. “We are eagerly waiting for Bollywood to come here. We are ready with all facilities and lend our support and cooperation in ensuring the best facilities and hospitality." Chaya told Greater Kashmir.
He said that Sonamarg offers one of the best destinations for film shooting.
“Hopefully, more film crews will visit Kashmir in future,” Chaya said. "Much to the benefit of the economy, Bollywood is again turning its eyes and cameras towards its once favourite shooting destination ‘Kashmir’ following the launch of Film Policy in J&K.”
Like the increase in footfall of tourists, film crews are also returning to Kashmir to capture the picturesque, shooting friendly locales, which would give a huge fillip to J&K’s economy besides giving a new dimension to the film tourism here.
