5 Exchange Lane
With the onset of armed militancy in the valley of Kashmir in 1990, about 350,000 to 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forcibly pushed out of the valley. Since then, they have been forced to live in exile in their own country, outside their homeland. The exiled community had hoped to return after the situation improved. They have not done so because the situation in Kashmir continues to remain unstable. Kirti’s family was also compelled to leave their home in 1990. She was 20 at that time. In the summer of 2013, after 23 long years, Kirti visited her old house in Barzulla (Srinagar, Kashmir) with her mother and two children. It was an unusual homecoming.
Geopolitical context
The area historically referred to as Kashmir has a long history of conflict. The violence has resulted in the displacement of multiple groups and the situation in the region continues to be tense. This film tells the story of displacement from the perspective of one group living through this event — Kashmiri Hindus. At the height of the conflict in January 1990, nearly eighty Kashmiri Hindus were killed and about 100,000 (out of 120,000) were forced to flee Kashmir. According to official media, 610 citizens have been able to return to the homes they lost during the 1990 confrontation. However, complete safety for them still can’t be guaranteed.
In 2015, Anirban started producing feature-length non-fiction films. It was done with a vision of telling stories that are universal and are told with strong voices from the community. The idea was to push for interesting cinematic forms that expand the boundaries of narratives. His films have traveled to various film festivals such as New York Short Film Festival, the San Sebastian Human Rights Film Festival, Al Jazeera International Film Festival, and the Mumbai International Film Festival. He participated in the Eurodoc program 2021 for creative producers.
Selected Filmography: The Last Run (37min, 2019), Tales of Stamps (30min, 2016), 5 Exchange Lane (20min, 2015), Beyond the Mountains (17 min, 2011), The Mud House (16 min, 2010), Shadows of Tehri (47min, 2003).
