Srinagar, Sep 13: Decades after Shammi Kapoor made Kashmir an inseparable part of his cinematic image, his magic returned to the valley in a setting that could hardly be more fitting – the waters of Dal Lake, where the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) transformed the world-famous lake into a floating cinema.
The screening of Kashmir Ki Kali at the festival brought back memories of Kapoor’s enduring association with Kashmir, where he shot several of his popular films and immortalised the valley’s mountains, lakes, snow and shikaras on the silver screen.
From Junglee (1961) to Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) and others, Kapoor’s films helped establish Kashmir as one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved shooting destinations. The J&K Film Policy itself recalls the actor’s iconic “Yahoo” image as part of the region’s cinematic legacy.
His connection with the valley went beyond filmmaking. Accounts of his visits describe Kapoor as a familiar and much-loved figure among locals, with shikara owners and shopkeepers remembering his presence during film shoots. Director Rahul Rawail has also recalled that locals would ask about Kapoor whenever film crews returned to Kashmir.
In Kashmir Ki Kali, Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore turned Dal Lake and its shikaras into an enduring part of Hindi cinema’s visual memory. The film’s songs, romance and Kashmir landscapes remain closely associated with the actor even decades after its release. Sharmila Tagore has recalled that the film was shot at several locations in Kashmir, including Nehru Park, where the song Deewana Hua Badal was filmed.
Watching the same cinematic legacy unfold on a floating screen over Dal Lake gave the IFFJK screening a strong sense of nostalgia.
“We have seen Shammi Kapoor’s films since childhood, but watching Kashmir Ki Kali here, with the lake and mountains around us, was a completely different experience. It felt as if the old Kashmir of cinema had come alive again,” said Tahir Ahmad, a theatre artist.
For shikarawalas, the screening carried an even deeper connection, as their traditional boats have themselves been part of Kashmir’s cinematic imagery for generations.
“We have heard many stories about Shammi Kapoor and the film shoots in Kashmir. Our shikaras have been part of films for many years. Seeing a film being shown on the lake itself was a very special experience for us,” said Bashir Ahmad, a shikarawala.
The floating cinema opened on the first day of the festival with the screening of Junglee, another iconic Shammi Kapoor film. While the film is strongly associated with Kashmir much of it was shot in Gulmarg the famous “Yahoo” song
The festival later screened Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie (1976), further connecting the floating cinema with the long history of Hindi films and Kashmir.
With families, tourists, film enthusiasts and curious onlookers gathering along the lakefront, the screenings turned Dal Lake into more than a backdrop. The waters, mountains, shikaras and city lights became part of the cinematic experience.
For a valley that once attracted filmmakers in large numbers, the initiative also carries a larger significance. Kashmir was a favoured destination for Hindi cinema during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s helping shape its image as a film tourism destination.
And on Dal Lake, where Shammi Kapoor once sang to Sharmila Tagore from a shikara, IFFJK has now brought that cinematic memory back to life, this time with the audience watching from the shores and the screen floating on the very waters that became part of Bollywood history.
