Sailesh Kolanu was shocked and scared to learn about the news of a terrorist attack against civilians at Pahalgam on Tuesday. The location personally resonates with the filmmaker as he recently shot there for his upcoming film HIT 3, starring Nani. Sailesh shot at places like Pahalgam and around Anantnag district for more than 20 days in December 2024. The director is shocked to learn about the terror attack. “I just couldn’t believe it,” he comments. “The news was very disturbing, and I was scared for all those who lost their loved ones, and also for the injured. The place is very familiar to us because we shot there for a good time period. I am deeply saddened and my heart goes out for all the affected families. My prayers and condolences,” said the director. 
Sailesh states that they shot 5-6 kilometres around Pahalgam and it is considered to be India’s Switzerland. He added that the locals were very supportive and welcoming. “They were very sweet and generous,” he comments. “December is the peak season for Kashmir because it’s the time the snowfall actually starts. I travelled to Srinagar earlier but for the first time I went to Pahalgam and watched the snowfall. It was unbelievable. We wanted to capture certain scenes there for the film, so we went at that point of time," he added.
The filmmaker remembers Pahalgam as a place of love, laughter and giggles. There were so many tourists travelling around Pahalgam. “I was fascinated with the beauty of Pahalgam and thought these were the places that used to be tense once upon a time, but not anymore. I was so happy to see Anantnag district very peaceful and serene and that we need not worry about the security anymore,” Sailesh explains, adding that the Valley was so tranquil and picturesque that it was like a Paradise. The HIT 3 director also expressed gladness that the locals were able to generate good business since tourism started boosted a lot.
After more than three decades, picturesque locales in Kashmir that remained out of bounds for security reasons were opened up to filmmakers for the first time last year in June. The initiative meant to revive and upscale the valley’s tryst with entertainment. While film shooting was slowly on the rise, the latest terror attack is certainly a setback for the filmmakers. “For any producer or director, safety of the unit is always top priority,” shares Sailesh.
See Also: Shah Rukh Khan opens up about Pahalgam attacks: "One can only turn to God"from filmfares https://ift.tt/K2UpAs1
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