Nineteen-year-old actor, film director & author – Nikasha Luthra, has announced the unveiling of her latest novel, ‘Lost and Found in Kashmir’, during an interaction with media at the Chandigarh Press Club here. Nikasha has before this novel also authored a poetry collection – ‘Dark Tulips’ and a collection of five short plays – ‘Flowers in Her Room’. What’s more, she has written and directed films ‘Ankahe Khwaab’ (Unspoken Dreams) and ‘Sehar Ki Talaash Mein’ (In Search of Dawn).
Nikasha said that it took her 2 years to write her 270-page novel, ‘Lost and Found in Kashmir’ which is published by Ananta Press Publishing. The novel’s story, Nikasha said, is inspired by the emotional impact the Pahalgam terror attack had on her. “While fictional in narrative, the book draws upon the human realities surrounding violence, loss and resilience, exploring how ordinary lives are transformed by extraordinary circumstances,” Nikasha told reporters.
Nikasha has also created a cinematic adaptation of a few chapters from the book, the media was given a glimpse of this too at the media interaction.
Nikasha said, “The Pahalgam attacks deeply affected me emotionally. Like many others, I found myself thinking not only about the incident itself, but about the lives interrupted by it, the conversations left unfinished and the emotional aftermath that often remains unspoken. ‘Lost and Found in Kashmir’ was born from that space of grief and reflection. While the story is fictional, the emotions within it are very real.”
Nikasha revealed some details of the story’s main characters and its flow. She said, “My book’s story is set against the backdrop of the ‘valley beautiful’ and follows Heer and Kabir as they navigate the emotional aftermath of violence, heartbreak and loss in a world that suddenly no longer feels safe.”
“Through intimate conversations, aching memories and cinematic storytelling, the novel explores the fragile emotional spaces people inhabit when tragedy changes everything they once knew,” added Nikasha.
Explaining her choice of Kashmir as the setting, the author noted that the Valley’s beauty and pain coexist in a way that made it the most authentic backdrop for the story. “Kashmir carries a haunting duality — immense beauty alongside immense pain. There is poetry in its landscapes, but also silence, history and unresolved grief. The Valley almost becomes a character in the novel itself,” she said.
Nikasha also highlighted the responsibility involved in writing about themes rooted in violence and loss. “It was important for me to focus on the emotional humanity of the characters rather than sensationalizing violence. The challenge was to write with sensitivity and responsibility while remaining true to the emotional realities of grief and survival,” she added.
“The greatest success for me would be if readers continue to carry the story with them long after finishing it. If even one person feels more empathetic I would consider that meaningful. I also hope for a future where Kashmir is remembered not through violence, but through its people, culture, beauty and humanity” she said.
The novel will be launched formally by Chief Guest Dr Sumita Misra, IAS, Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Haryana, in the presence of Special Guests Lt General KJS Dhillon (Retd), popularly known as Tiny Dhillon, and Dr Manmohan Singh, IPS (Retd), Chairman, Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi on Tuesday, June 9, at Mini Tagore Theatre, Sec 18, Chandigarh at 630 pm. The event which is taking place under the banner of The Narrators Performing Arts Society (India) will present literature on stage and screen, which is the hallmark of the Society. This Book Launch will showcase not just the unveiling of the novel, but also a special short film adaptation based on select chapters from the book.
