With an aim to fulfil his dream of filmmaking, director Hussein Khan embarked on a long journey way back in 1993 only to come with a completely different flavour of the Valley. Having seen the problem of drug abuse from close quarters during his journalism days, Khan decided to make a movie on this socially relevant subject, which is often overlooked due to the political problems in the Valley.
The film, Kashmir Daily – Story of a Journalist , addresses the gnawing issue of drugs and its intricate relation with unemployment. Bringing forth the role of facilitators in this trade of drug, the film leaves audience with much to ponder.
On the concept of the film and choosing the medium of cinema to express his concerns
At the outset, I would like to state that filmmaking has always been my passion, something that I can do well. I saw this problem of drug abuse and unemployment very closely, during my journalism days from 2001-2008. It was then that I thought of making a film on this subject. I went to Mumbai where I stayed from 1993-2001 to become an actor. But I got more interested in behind-the-scenes work and I began making programmes for television industry.
In 2008, I started thinking about fiction again and in the following year I met several people to discuss my idea. But I received pessimistic response from those people. They advised me to not venture into something that doesn’t promise profit. But then I pursued with the idea that the film could be screened outside Kashmir. The one motivating factor was the talent around me in Kashmir as well as the diverse locations – picturesque landscape of Kashmir, a city like Jammu and the deserts of Ladakh. I knew that I was surrounded with very talented Kashmiris and I wanted to channelise their. The only disadvantage that I faced was the lack of infrastructure.
In this journey, I received a lot of support from a number of people, especially Mir Sarwar, the lead actor in this film, who stood by me through the project. The government was also supportive in the sense that it gave me the space to screen the Kashmiri version of the film for two weeks, free of charge.
On the subject of unemployment and drug use, which, in popular imagination, are not core problems in the Valley
I don’t think that everything that is presented in media as “core issue”of Kashmir is always true. I chose this subject because the media doesn’t address this international problem. The truth is, in Kashmir, the use of drugs has been normalised among people, including very young children. It is a serious social problem and I thought of bringing it out, especially the role of the white collar people who are the main facilitators of this social evil.
Though it is a work of fiction, but it has a serious underlying message that unravels the layers of this trade. It is also important to note that there are bigger problems in Kashmir that such issues get overshadowed.
On whether the film addresses the relationship between drug abuse, unemployment and conflict
We have not indulged in conflict politics in the film. This was a conscious decision. But there are some dialogues in the film that implicitly show the political angle. Still I would say that I wanted to focus on the social perspective of the problem. And, we chose not to give a solution to this problem. In fact, the film closes with a question that is open for the audience to ponder over. Yes certainly, I believe that unemployment and drug abuse are interlinked. We need to see that how unemployment is conducive for the thriving use of drug.
On the financial and social challenges in making the film
When I started the film I didn’t even know that I would be able to successfully complete it. Since I am involved with the advertisement industry, I started picking up projects, small and corporate ads, and they would fetch me some money that I would use it for the shooting. We took three and a half years to complete the film out of which we shot for only 60-65 days. It was a slow gradual process, depending on the intermittent flow of money.
Another challenge was that of distribution. In fact, I would like to say that it is a bigger challenge than filmmaking. The distributors look for big names in the star cast. Thankfully, I was successful in tying up with PVR to screen the film on demand. This was one big achievement and the film has been screened almost everywhere. These days we are screening it in Jammu.
On establishing local film industry in Kashmir
If we have to build our own industry and make films, then we need to go beyond Kashmir into the realm of world cinema. We have set boundaries for ourselves, and I think, we need to break those boundaries to showcase our talent.
In terms of players, I think we need corporate-government collaboration to promote filmmaking in Kashmir. We have several philanthropists in the world who can magnanimously contribute and help sustain the culture of storytelling through cinema.
On future projects
My next project is Bed No. 17 . This film will be a role reversal for Mir Sarwar and me. The film will be directed by Sarwar and I will be seen acting in the film. The film is about medical mafias operating in the Valley, who are both corrupt and influential.
