India, March 8 -- In a region long defined by conflict and migration, Arhan Bagati, 26, is attempting something quieter and more complicated. He is trying to reshape how Kashmir and its young people see themselves. A Kashmiri Pandit whose family left the Valley years ago, Arhan grew up in Delhi and studied in the United States. In recent years, he returned to Srinagar and now lives near Nishat, choosing to rebuild professional and civic roots in the place his family once called home. "I don't think terror should dictate the terms on which we live our lives," Arhan said after last year's militant attack in Pahalgam, a moment that once again unsettled the Valley.

His work has crossed policy, sport, and film. He co-produced Ground Zero, sta...