Guwahati: The Shah Rukh Khan-starring film “Pathaan” has unquestionably boosted India’s theatre industry, which suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie brought packed houses back to Kashmiri movie theatres for the first time in 32 years.
It seems like Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ecstatic with this positive development in Kashmir’s film industry.
Prime Minister Modi stated that the Union territory’s cinemas are now functioning at full capacity for the first time in a very long time as a result of the better security situation there in a special mention to Jammu and Kashmir during his speech to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
“Srinagar ke andar barso baad cinema housefull dekhe gaye (After years, cinema halls are running housefull in Srinagar),” PM Modi said.
The specific passage from Modi’s speech went viral and sparked emotions, particularly among Shah Rukh Khan Admirers.
Despite the PM’s speech omitting any mention of “Pathaan,” the movie’s supporters were left to question if the PM had in fact been alluding to the movie.
Reacting to Modi’s speech, an Srkian tweeted, “This is huge.”
“After decades, the Theatres of Srinagar are going Housefull: PM #NarendraModi #ShahRukhKhan with #Pathaan has done unimaginable things,” another user wrote.
Prior to the militancy upsurge that ravaged Kashmir in 1989, which caused cinema hall owners to lower the shutters; Kashmiris would pack theatres and enjoy movies just as much as the rest of the nation.
A militant group known as “Allah Tigers” outlawed the movies, depriving the state’s young of their primary source of pleasure for three decades owing to political unrest.
On September 20 of last year, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha opened the Srinagar Inox location, calling it a “historic” day.
There, the opening film was “Laal Singh Chaddha,” starring Aamir Khan. With “Pathaan,” the Kashmir valley’s film industry has now experienced a comeback.