Rang De Basanti actor Atul Kulkarni visited Pahalgam days after the deadly terror attack killing 26 tourists in the Baisaran meadow, also known as "Mini Switzerland". Atul Kulkarni wanted to send out a strong message - terror can't stop the flow of tourists visiting the place. Atul Kulkarani was deeply saddened that 90 percent bookings were cancelled after the attack. Sitting in Mumbai, he couldn't have conveyed his message. So, he travelled in person, setting a precedent in this turbulent time.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Atul Kulkarni shared why he travelled to Kashmir just a few days after the attack: "What happened on the 22nd was a very tragic incident; this should not have happened. The entire country is deeply saddened. When I read about it, I was thinking that every time something like this happens, what do we do? We post on social media, we talk to friends, we write something, but then I thought, what can I actually do in real action?"
"That's when I remembered reading that 90% of the bookings here had been cancelled. So I felt--what message are they trying to send by doing this? They're basically saying, 'Don't come to Kashmir.' And the response we should give is, 'We will come. Kashmir is ours.' But I couldn't give that message while sitting in Mumbai. It was important that I come here myself," he added.
Atul Kulkarni has been sharing lovely snaps from his trip. On his Instagram Stories, he had shared images of empty flight from Mumbai to Srinagar. He added the hashtags #Kashmirchale.
In another post, he shared an image of himself, seated on a bench against the picturesque background of Pahalgam.
He shared pictures of savouring local delicacies. He's been gifted a bat, a hand-written note.
On the work front, Atul Kulkarni was last seen in the Netflix film Khufiya. He was seen in the web series Happy Family: Conditions Apply.
