Review on film

http://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/test1/2008-February/011964.html

[Reader-list] A review of Rajesh Jala’s Floating lamp of the Shadow valley - Lalit Ambardar

Aditya Raj Kaul kauladityaraj at gmail.com
Fri Feb 8 12:25:16 IST 2008

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*A review of Rajesh Jala's Floating lamp of the Shadow valley …*

**Lalit Ambardar*


It is a paradox that the tragedy of Kashmir has been allowed to be presented
to the world at large mostly by the very protagonists of the ongoing
turmoil. Ruthless competition within the budding TV media in India has only
helped the secessionists acquire political legitimacy what with the channels
vying with each other to host them. Film makers have done no better. The
absence of Kashmir in mainstream fiction cinema is understandable due to the
obvious reasons. In the bygone days it used to be an unwritten 'must' to
include at least one song sequence picturised in the scenic valley. *Roja &
Mission Kashmir* did highlight the issue of pan Islamic terrorism & to a
great extent managed to actually show the menace prevailing in the valley.
Many other films did attempt too but failed to make any significant impact.
It is ironic that the documentaries that have generally been depicting only
the alleged human rights violation in the valley often to the extent that
these could at best be labelled as propaganda films made at the behest of
the vested interests, are well received by the self proclaimed liberals
while the films focussing on the plight of common Kashmiris hardly find any
audience.

Documentary film makers have a greater responsibility as they are expected
to reach out to the opinion makers & the civil society in general. They need
to be unbiased in all respects. But unfortunately there is a tendency to
overlook the fact that the much spoken about social fabric called
'Kashmiriyat' today stands ruptured almost beyond repair what with the near
total aboriginal Pandit community continuing to languish in exile for the
past eighteen years now. The impact of mindless violence on the common
Kashmiri Muslim folks is generally ignored. It is a pity that the writers,
columnists, artists, film makers & intellectuals & the civil society in
general continue to be lackadaisical towards the growing political stature
of the those responsible for founding the 'gun culture' in the valley & who
have now a vested interest in the on going strife, while the vast majority
of hapless Kashmiris continues to mourn the tragedy of their venerated MAUJ
KASHIR in silence.

*Read the entire piece on* -
http://shehjar.kashmirgroup.com/Admin/magazineresourcepage.do?pageUrl=/files/resources/zip/080127090031_Floating-lamp_Shadow_valley/index.html&MAG_ID=8

Thanks
Aditya Raj Kaul

Campaign Blog - www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com