‘We were told to pack up and leave, they said we’ll kill you’: Parikshit Sahni recalls ‘bombs going off’ while shooting in Kashmir in the 1980s

Parikshit Sahni may be familiar to the current generation for his roles in Rajkumar Hirani’s films like Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, and PK. Yet, his body of work extends far beyond these popular films, encompassing a diverse and deeply nuanced career. Among Parikshit’s most revered contributions is the 1987 television serial Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. This series was ground breaking, as it was one of the first to be based in Kashmir and focused on a Kashmiri family. However, the production faced significant challenges, as it was filmed shortly after the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, a volatile chapter in Kashmir’s history that greatly affected the series’ filming. Speaking candidly in a recent conversation with ANI, Parikshit recalled that they had to pack up and leave amid the growing tension in the region.

“I remember while we were shooting, bombs were going off on the road across the lake. We were told to pack up and leave, otherwise we will kill you. And we had to leave Srinagar and make a set of the lake in Film City. But it was later shot so well and the set was made so beautifully that people didn’t see the difference,” he shared with ANI.

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He also spoke about how his personal experience living in Kashmir helped him portray a Kashmiri character with authenticity. “It was fantastic, I had lived a lot in Kashmir. I did the character and I didn’t have to act at all. I knew Kashmir very well. I knew how to ride a shikara. Because I knew the place and character so well, it came very naturally,” he added.

Parikshit the son of legendary actor Balraj Sahni, and the nephew of renowned writer Bhisham Sahni, author of the celebrated novel Tamas. Parikshit was last seen in the 2023 film Dunki.