Storyline

Wrapped around a snow-peaked valley of Kashmir is the story of a truly exquisite fabric. Kashmiris drape 'kanikar shawls' with great pride as it epitomizes one of their oldest traditions. It has its own geographical identification (GI) tag and that makes it illegal to sell Kani shawls outside the Kanihama area of Kashmir. This film highlights the zeal with which kani loom fabrics are still woven by a selected few individuals, at a time when major handloom industries have either shut down or modernized itself across various parts of India. It starts by tracing the origins of this craft in the Valley, back to the time when Mughals first arrived there. These shawls are woven primarily from pashmina yarn, and is designed with a keen eye for details. Weaving the fabric into a shawl is a highly specialized skill that is passed on from one generation to other. The film attempts to depict how Kanikar is not just any piece of fabric that is wrapped loosely around the shoulders or used to cover the head. Kani shawls are also an antiquity due to the flamboyant style with which each shawl is woven by extremely skilled artisans and unfortunately there only a handful who can claim to have truly mastered the craft.