Kashmir is 'The Warmest Place On Earth', says new ad
What is most remarkable about Jammu and Kashmir? Violence? Its paradisiacal beauty? No. According to the state government, it is the hospitality of its locals. J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti recently released a five-minute ad that claims Kashmir to be the warmest place on earth. The promotional feature already has over two million views on Facebook and is being generously shared by celebrities.
What is the short film about?
Directed by Amit Sharma, the film shows a young tourist couple being awed by a local resident's hospitality. Mudasir Ahmad and Vibha Saraf have sung Saibo, the song that plays in the background. Its lyrics have been written by 2009 UPSC rank-holder Shah Faesal.
An attempt to revive Kashmir's dwindling tourism sector
The video aims to re-brand the idea of Kashmir to boost the once-thriving tourism sector of the violence-torn state. As per official estimates, the state tourism industry bore a loss of Rs. 3,000 crore due to the unrest in 2016. The crisis post the death of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani in June 2016 alone has reportedly cost the hotel industry Rs. 1100 crore.
J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti finally makes her Twitter debut
Posting the link to the ad film, J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti finally made her Twitter debut on Sunday. "Kashmir, our home," reads her first tweet. She shared the promotional feature again in her second tweet, this time welcoming PM Narendra Modi to "The Warmest Place On Earth". Mufti is on Twitter since 2004, but she had never tweeted before.
Mehbooba Mufti shares the ad as her first tweet ever
Kashmir tourism ad a hit on social media
The film has taken social media by storm within 48 hours of its release. The video has over two million views on the state tourism department's Facebook page alone. Over 40,000 people have watched it on YouTube so far. Bollywood celebrities have also taken to the ad. Among others, Karan Johar, Imtiaz Ali and Alia Bhatt have shared it on their Twitter pages.
