Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone shoot in snowy Kashmir

Srinagar: As peace returns to Kashmir, Bollywood too is returning - with cast and crew to shoot in dream outdoor locales of the snow-filled valley - much before almond and cherry blossoms herald spring.

Reports say at least six Bollywood film units will be arriving in the valley by March for shooting. The first such unit to descend here is of ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani’ - with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The film, produced by Karan Johar, is being directed by Ayan Mukherji (of ‘Wake Up Sid’ fame) and will be released in May. After recently completing shooting in the Gulmarg ski resort where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hosted a dinner for the cast, the unit has moved to Pahalgam. The unit is shooting song sequences at choice Bollywood locales in the hill station such as `Betaab Valley` (named after a 1983 film), Aru Valley and Chandanwari. Last year, filmmaker Yash Chopra shot parts of ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ in Kashmir and Ladakh last year. Ranbir too shot for his 2011 film ‘Rockstar’ in snow-covered Kashmir. Bollywood filmmakers shifted outdoor shooting schedules to foreign countries after violence erupted in Kashmir in the 1990s. Several popular films of the 1960s and 1970s such as ‘Junglee’, ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’ and ‘Mere Sanam’ were shot in Kashmir. IANS