Srinagar, Aug. 22 -- What Kashmir has lacked is a platform large enough to carry these voices beyond its mountains. That possibility is finally arriving with the rise of streaming services.

Later this month, Prime Video will release Songs of Paradise, a musical drama inspired by the life of legendary singer Raj Begum. The film, directed by Kashmiri filmmaker Danish Renzu, brings back the voice of a woman who once sang her way into the conscience of the valley. More than nostalgia, its global release signals a new beginning for Kashmiri creativity.

For decades, the region has been absent from the map of Indian cinema. Kashmir has provided the backdrop for countless Bollywood romances, yet the valley itself has not produced a mainstream f...