It is the right time to release the first-ever Kashmiri-Kannada film, say makers

Harmukh, the first-ever Kashmiri-Kannada movie, just had its trailer release in Srinagar. The story follows the lives of a Kashmiri and a Kannadiga family settled in Kashmir and their unique bond.

The film’s director-producer Ashok Cashyap and senior actor-director TS Nagabharana say that this is the right time to release such a movie, especially after the unfortunate Pahalgam incident.

'THE ENTIRE FILM WAS SHOT IN KASHMIR LAST YEAR, WITH NO ISSUES’Actor Nagabharana and director Ashok recall the fact that Kashmir was warm and welcoming when they were shooting last year. “We shot in some of the rural areas, and we managed to get all our work done with utmost ease.

There were no issues or protests of any form, and people were more than happy to help us out,” says Ashok. “What has happened there this year, is very unfortunate. But when we shot there, even late at night, everyone was just very cooperative; it felt like we were working with our own family,” adds Nagabharana.

‘THE STORY IS ABOUT NATIONAL INTEGRATION AND FRIENDSHIP THAT GOES BEYOND BORDERS’About the story, Nagabharana tells us, “My family, including my wife and son, are Kannadigas.

We settle in Kashmir, and we make friends with a family there, and we become so close that our kids are also like siblings. Something dramatic then happens, which forms the crux of the story.” Ashok, who has a long-standing connection with Jammu and Kashmir, says he’s seen how the times have changed, and the concept of a Kashmiri and Kannadiga being friends is also a first-of-a-kind one in that region.

“This story is inspired from my own life; I have lived in Kashmir for a very long time. It is about national integration and friendship that goes beyond borders. Now seemed like a good time to release the trailer because we need to reinforce the idea that it is safe to go to Kashmir and that they are also just like us,” he says.