NY film premiere brings attention to Kashmir

The word “disappeared” has a particular meaning in the Indian subcontinent, where it describes government actions that lead to the apprehension and killing of individuals to suppress separatist movements. Often, loved ones don’t know what exactly happened to the person who has disappeared, so no active verb can be used to explain what occurred.

Arfat Sheikh was 18 when his father was disappeared in Kashmir. But it wasn’t until years later that Sheikh realized what happened to his father was part of a larger phenomenon.

This week, Sheikh’s film “Saffron Kingdom,” which brings attention to the struggles Kashmiris face living in a conflict zone, is debuting in New York City, with a New Jersey premiere scheduled for November.

“Saffron Kingdom” is a visually stunning dive into a Kashmiri family’s story of intergenerational trauma and resilience. The Gawkadal Massacre of 1990 is a pivotal event that affects multiple characters in the film. 

The story follows Masrat and her son, Rizwan, from Srinagar to Atlanta, as they grapple with the disappearance of Masrat’s husband and political unrest in Kashmir. With vivid cinematography and breathtaking shots of migrating birds meant to symbolize the plight of Kashmiris, the film captures the emotional depth of the characters’ journey.

The name of the film is a nod to the aromatic spice, which has been cultivated in Kashmir for centuries. In the opening scene, Masrat dreams of her family picking saffron before Indian soldiers violently interrupt their harvest. 

“Saffron is an important part of our identity,” Sheikh notes, “This film is asking you to look beyond the veil of saffron and see the people.”

Since the movie’s debut, Sheikh said that Indian forces have questioned his relatives in Kashmir about it. He believes that the Indian government wants to control the narrative around Kashmir and the Gawkadal Massacre. For him, the film reclaims that narrative in an attempt to resist erasure and stand up for the struggles of Kashmiris.

I spoke with Sheikh about how this film is shedding light on the plight of the Kashmiri people. Responses have been edited for brevity.

What inspired the creation of the film?

Arfat: I was born and raised in Kashmir. Growing up in the 1990s, part of when the film is set, I was accustomed to living with curfews and under military oppression. My father was the head of music at Radio Kashmir but was disappeared when I was around 18. We never got his body, only a picture barely identifying him. His death came as a shock, and the media took our agency and voice away when they told his story.

So, I left to study marketing and PR in England. That’s when I realized that the war zone-like environment I lived in back home was not normal.

After graduating, I returned to Kashmir to work for a nonprofit empowering youth and women. I was involved in interviewing Kashmiris for short documentaries. This is when I learned that what happened to my father was not a one-off incident. Many of the people interviewed had similar stories of tragedy, if not worse. It was heart-wrenching to document, but it made me feel less alone in my grief.

This sparked the idea that we need to tell our own stories. Cinema is a powerful tool to combat the erasure of Kashmiri history and to put our narratives at the forefront. So, I moved to the US to attend a film program at Georgia State University in 2019, just as India abrogated Article 370 – causing a widespread lockdown in Kashmir.

It was more important than ever for me to bring a story about our people to a wider audience.

What was the process of producing and debuting the film? Were there challenges along the way?

Arfat: Even though this is a Kashmiri story, the cast and crew are non-Kashmiri. This absence was noticed on set and opened a dialogue on why Kashmiris were absent. That’s because real persecution is happening. I even wanted to get a musician from back home, but many contacts refused due to a fear of persecution. Fear stopped me from contracting anyone from Kashmir, even from the diaspora.

So, we tried to be as authentic as possible with the sets, the culture, and the language. I recreated scenes from my memories of Kashmir. We did get exterior shots and footage of Kashmir, which had to be secretly obtained through a media company.

Since debuting, the response, especially from non-Kashmiris, has been immense. Our screenings in Australia, New Zealand, and the US have been well-received. A lot of people did not know this was happening, and it’s creating the awareness we intended. 

I’d like to also express my gratitude to our executive producer, Dr. G. Mir, who was instrumental through his dedication and persistence to help us raise money and complete the film.

What does the film say about South Asian culture, particularly the sensitive and divisive issue of Kashmir?

Arfat: From an Indian perspective, there is no left or liberal when discussing Kashmir. Indian and Pakistani politics revolve around Kashmir, and during election season, everyone talks about it. 

There is a fight for ownership of the land and its resources, but no one cares about the people. Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint, which makes it crucial to address the elephant in the room and listen to the stories of Kashmiri people, humanize their struggles, and allow them to decide their future. This is the most honest and genuine thing any South Asian can advocate for. If both sides followed through on this, there could be peace in South Asia.

The film also debunks Bollywood’s hegemony over our narrative by humanizing our struggles. Too often, Kashmiris are vilified in Bollywood films.

There is a lot of transnational oppression happening. Our idea to make this film was to bring the story to a global audience, not just the South Asian community.

The film’s main character, Masrat, experiences her past through dreams before she finds the truth. What role do memory and recollection play when history is either underrepresented or lost to us?

Arfat: It plays all the roles—for generations that live after us, it’s important for them to know who they are and what we’ve gone through. This only happens if we share our stories, take advantage of different art mediums, or protest on the streets as if to say, “I exist!”

There is a concerted effort by our oppressors to erase Kashmiri history, even of the Gawkadal Massacre that is recreated in the film. Journalists who covered it or documented Kashmiri history have been jailed for their work. That’s why it’s important to bring events like the massacre back into our memory, not just to serve as a marker of our struggle, but as a reminder to the oppressor that, despite all of this, we want our freedom and for it to be addressed.

A recurring motif in the film is shots of flying birds. Does this hold a special meaning?

Arfat: The birds are reminders of the ecological degradation occurring in Kashmir due to settler colonialism. Since India’s abrogation of Article 370, [Non-Kashmiris] are allowed to buy and develop land in the region. This has led to an influx of tourists and resulted in a change in the landscape. Migratory birds used to come to Kashmir, but now you see them less often. The oppression hasn’t just affected human beings, but anything living there.

The birds are seen coming and leaving in the film, which is symbolic of how indigenous Kashmiris have to leave their homelands to protect their sanity and identity; the flow of movement in response to colonialism.

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”Saffron Kingdom” will be premiering in New York City on Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available.

The New Jersey premiere will take place at Teaneck Cinemas on Nov. 9 during the 20th Annual Teaneck International Film Festival.

For questions or additional screening interest, you can contact [email protected].

Ifrah Akhtar is the associate editor of Central Desi.

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