Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Fatima Sana Shaikh Says Kashmir Film Festival Can Change Image
Fatima Sana Shaikh attended a film festival in Srinagar.
The festival was the first international film festival held in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the report.
She said festivals can help people see that Kashmir is more than what they often see in the news.
She said art, music, and cinema are important parts of the region’s identity.
Shaikh also said movies made by local filmmakers can show the details of local life.
She encouraged young people to speak up and move forward.
Her family comes from Kashmir, although she grew up in Mumbai.
She also said she has not spoken with her former Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim for a long time.
Fatima Sana Shaikh said cultural festivals can challenge outside perceptions of Kashmir.
She spoke at a press conference before the inauguration of the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar.
Shaikh said regional cinema helps audiences understand local cultures and communities more deeply.
She encouraged young people to move forward and raise their voices.
Shaikh said she has not spoken with former Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim recently but remains happy for her.
- Who
- Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh, who hosted the festival alongside actor Taha Shah Badussha.
- What
- Shaikh discussed how the International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir could influence perceptions of Kashmir and promote regional cinema.
- When
- She spoke at a press conference on Monday ahead of the festival’s inauguration and planned to travel around the region on Tuesday.
- Where
- The press conference took place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar.
- Why
- Shaikh said cultural events, local cinema, art, and music can present a fuller picture of Kashmir and encourage young people.
- Event
- International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir
- Location
- Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre, Srinagar
- Festival role
- Fatima Sana Shaikh co-hosted the event with Taha Shah Badussha
- Shaikh’s family background
- Her family hails from Kashmir
- Shaikh’s upbringing
- She was born and brought up in Mumbai
- Regional cinema
- Shaikh said locally rooted films provide deeper insight into a place and its people
- Zaira Wasim
- Shaikh said they have not spoken for a long time and described Wasim as wonderful and intelligent