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Al Jazeera] A few yards away from Srinagar city's famous clock tower in India-administered Kashmire are the ruins of Palladium, once a famous film theatre.All that remains of what used to be a thriving hangout in the strife-torn city are its faded yellow walls. That desolate look is the tale of Kashmire's film theatres, which closed down after an armed rebellion against India's rule in the region began in the late 1980s.
As protests demanding "azaadi" (freedom) on the streets of Kashmire grew in 1989, screening of movies became a major casualty. Soon, the arrival of Indian army in the valley saw some theatres turn into military garrisons. Others have turned into hotels, hospitals, shopping complexes, or remain abandoned.
Worse, the Kashmiri rebel fighters declared screening of films in "movie halls" or "talkies", as they are commonly called in India, as un-Islamic.
Today, the deserted theatres only evoke nostalgia, especially among the older Kashmiris.
Arif Shafi's family owned Naaz cinema, located in Srinagar's famous Lal Chowk. He was 12 when the theatre closed.
"I used to spend time with my father at Naaz. I remember a huge rush when a major film was screened. Four to five shows happened in a day. There used to be separate cabins for families," says Shafi.
Shafi has little hope of a revival of Kashmire's cinema culture. "The political situation of Kashmire doesn't allow the re-opening of cinema halls."