‘Our generation has never seen a partition’

Vedang Raina on his emotional connection with Kashmir

At the recently held International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir, the actor joined director Imtiaz Ali and actress Sharvari for a panel discussion, where he opened up about his deep-rooted connection with Kashmir. Reflecting on his visits to the Valley, Vedang spoke about the sense of familiarity and belonging he feels whenever he returns to Srinagar.

Vedang said this was only his second visit to Kashmir and recalled that his previous trip was with his family. He shared that each visit leaves him with a strong sense of belonging. “This is only my second visit to Kashmir. But whenever I come here, last time I came with my family, I am very happy. It feels like this is my home. And like you were saying about Main Vaapas Aaunga - our generation has never seen a partition. Neither has my generation seen Kashmir as much as I wanted to see. So I am very happy every time I come here,” he told IANS.

Drawing a comparison with Main Vaapas Aaunga, he continued, “I am getting the same feeling as Main Vaapas Aaunga. It truly feels like main vaapas aa gaya hoon. And Kashmir will always be home. Srinagar will always be home. I am from Raina Wari. My family is from Raina Wari. And when I come to Srinagar, I am very happy. I can’t express it in words.”

Vedang hails from a Kashmiri Pandit family with roots in Rainawari, Srinagar. He was born in New Delhi and raised in Mumbai, while his grandparents originally belonged to Rainawari in Srinagar.