Arifa’, directed by Rohin Raveendran Nair, has been selected among five films for the J&K Select Section, the competitive category of the maiden International Film Festival of Jammu & Kashmir (IFFJK) 2026.Produced by Gubbara Entertainment and written by Durgesh Singh, ‘Arifa’ is part of the three-film anthology ‘Kashmir Muhabbat Se’, which seeks to present an intimate and humane portrayal of Kashmir beyond headlines and stereotypes.
The film follows an estranged daughter who returns to Kashmir to meet her dying father. Her return to the ancestral home brings buried memories to the surface, giving the father and daughter a final opportunity to confront their past and seek reconciliation.
The film explores themes of family, memory, reconciliation and belonging against the backdrop of Kashmir.The other films selected for the J&K Select Section are ‘Searching for the Grandpa’, directed by Mohammad Wali; ‘Batt Koch (The Lost Lane)’, directed by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali; ‘Tasrufdaar (Djinns of Kashmir)’, directed by Kapil Mattoo; and ‘Naqsh-e-Daur (The Story of Ghulam Nabi Dhar)’, directed by Baba Tassaduq Hussain.
According to festival organisers, the films were recommended by the Preview Committee after reviewing submissions and assessing their artistic merit and suitability for the competitive section.
