Pahalgam attack: Movie Roja prompts mom to dissuade son from Kashmir, but worst fears manifest

For Sumati, a mother from Shivamogga, the haunting memories of the film Roja were never just cinematic fiction — they were a warning. When her son Manjunath told her he was planning a trip to Kashmir, her heart sank. “No, son, don’t go,” she pleaded, recalling the disturbing scenes of terrorism from the film that had left a deep scar on her mind. But life moved on, and so did Manjunath, hopeful and excited for the trip with his wife and child.

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What was meant to be a peaceful holiday turned into a nightmare. Manjunath was among the 26 people killed in the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Just a day earlier, he had called his mother, marveling at the beauty around him, saying, “Mom, Pahalgam is like Bangalore.” He also mentioned he would be heading to a remote area soon and might not be reachable. No one imagined those would be his final words.

Sumati’s motherly instincts, shaped by fear and a long-standing perception of Kashmir as dangerous, proved heartbreakingly prophetic. Despite a changed narrative of normalcy, her worst fears materialized in the most tragic way. Manjunath’s death is not just a loss for a family—it’s a painful reminder of how terror continues to shatter dreams, even in so-called times of peace.