Cinema has found an extraordinary setting in Kashmir, as the tranquil waters of world famous Dal Lake have been transformed into a floating theatre during the first International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK).

In a setting where the lake, mountains and city lights come together, audiences are experiencing films on a large floating screen, with the banks of Dal Lake serving as an open-air auditorium. The initiative has emerged as one of the most distinctive attractions of the four-day festival that began on September 07, giving the celebration of cinema a setting deeply connected with Kashmir’s visual and cinematic heritage.

The Floating Cinema opened on the first day of the festival with the screening of the evergreen 1961 film Junglee. The screening drew audiences to the lakefront, creating a memorable spectacle as a classic Hindi film played out against the waters of Dal Lake.

As the screen lights up over the waters of Dal Lake, families, visitors, film enthusiasts from different parts of the country and abroad and curious onlookers have been turning up along the banks, making the screenings a lively public experience.

The experience goes beyond conventional film viewing, allowing audiences to watch cinema while surrounded by the very landscapes that have inspired filmmakers for generations. The initiative also reflects IFFJK’s effort to take cinema beyond traditional theatre spaces and bring it into public and culturally significant settings.

On Wednesday, the Floating Cinema featured the timeless ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, bringing to the waters of Dal Lake the infectious energy and charisma of Shammi Kapoor at his energetic best, alongside the effortlessly graceful and captivating Sharmila Tagore.

The film, remembered for its romance, music and vibrant performances, offered audiences an opportunity to revisit one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved classics in a setting that feels naturally connected to its story. 

The nostalgia will continue on the concluding day on September 10 with the screening of Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie (1976), another celebrated classic associated with the cinematic tradition of Kashmir.

With films being projected over the waters and audiences gathered along the lakefront, Dal Lake has become more than a backdrop to the festival—it has become a part of the cinematic experience itself.

The Floating Cinema brings together three enduring elements of Kashmir—its landscapes, its association with Hindi cinema and its love for storytelling—creating an experience that is as much about the place as it is about the films being screened.