Darshan Kumaar's Reflections: The Pahalgam Terror Attack and Parallels to 'The Kashmir Files'
Indian Actor Darshan Kumaar Speaks on Pahalgam Terror Incident: A Strike Against Every Indian Citizen
For actor Darshan Kumaar, the chilling footage of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, eerily echoed the memories of his time preparing for the movie, "The Kashmir Files" (2022). "Witnessing those visuals was tough," Darshan shared, who played a university student in the film that speaks of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s.
In a sorrowful tone, the 38-year-old actor talks about the recent attack's victims, "A newly married woman's husband, a naval officer, was gunned down while they were enjoying bhelpuri... The pain is unimaginable. This horror will not be forgotten," he said.
Being desensitized to such horrors from his research for The Kashmir Files was an unwelcome experience. "The person I portrayed in the movie still has nightmares. He can't sleep with the lights off," shared Darshan, emphasizing the deep-rooted trauma faced by survivors.
As for the residents of Kashmir, Darshan had hopeful observations when filming The Kashmir Files. He mentioned that the locals were worried due to the decline in tourist visits. However, the region showed a positive trend as nearly 2.5 crore people visited Kashmir in 2024, an improvement from the past. "Things were finally changing," he said, expressing sadness that the progress may have been halted by the recent attack.
- Darshan Kumaar
- The Kashmir Files
- Terror Attack
- Kashmiri Pandits
- Jammu And Kashmir
Source: HTCity, Cinema
Darshan Kumaar, known for his role as a Kashmiri Pandit university student in The Kashmir Files, described the recent Pahalgam terror attack as an "attack on every Kashmiri, every Indian," drawing parallels to the trauma he explored during the film’s preparation.
The emotional impact of the attack was piercing, causing Darshan to remember his interactions with survivors of the 1990s exodus. Such survivors, including the real-life person who inspired his character, still struggle with lasting trauma.
Darshan highlighted a specific case from the attack where a newly married woman’s husband, a naval officer, was shot dead while eating bhelpuri with her. He emphasized that experiences like these leave an indelible mark on survivors: "This horror will not be forgotten."
Reflecting on Kashmir and its fragile progress, Darshan noted that tourism had rebounded to 2.5 crore visitors in 2024, representing a promising step towards stability and preventing further violence.
- In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Darshan Kumaar, known for his role in 'The Kashmir Files', found a chilling resemblance to the trauma he studied while preparing for the film.
- The attack on a newly married woman's naval officer husband, as said by Darshan, evoked deep sorrow and was a stark reminder of the continued suffering of Kashmiri Pandits.
- The emotional scars from the 1990s exodus continue to affect the survivors, as Darshan experienced when interacting with them during his research for 'The Kashmir Files'.
- Bollywood celebrities and movie-and-TV entertainment, including Darshan, have expressed outrage and solidarity against the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, viewing it as an attack on every Kashmiri and Indian.
- The recent attack has left Darshan despaired, as he believed Kashmir was finally moving towards stability with the surge in tourist visits to 2.5 crore in 2024, only for that progress to be threatened.
- The horror inflicted by the Pahalgam terror attack, according to Darshan, will not easily be forgotten, leaving an indelible mark on the survivors and on the collective memory of India.
