Pakistan film ends 40-yr wait

MUMBAI: Indian stars are the rage across the world, but think Pakistani films and most us would draw a blank. All that’s going to change on Friday when Khuda Kay Liye, the first film from our neighbour releases here in more than 40 years.

Touching on the conflict between the liberal Muslim and Islamic fundamentalists, the film has won wide acclaim abroad, including the Best Picture award at the 31st Cairo Film Festival.

KKL has been written and directed by Shoaib Mansoor and stars Pakistani sensation Shaan and top model Iman Ali along with Naseerudin Shah.

Film lyricist Javed Akhtar, who is looking forward to watching KKL, believes that exchange of films between the two countries is a step in the right direction.

“However, my interest in the film is more to do with its storytelling ability than the fact
that it deals with a sensitive topic. Only the issue cannot make a film great after all,” says Akhtar.

He believes the issue of a lack of religious identity, explored in the film, is faced by people belonging to most religions. “Today, even a Hindu is put to test,” he says. Managing director of Percept Pictures Company, Shailendra Singh, believes the film will strike a chord with audiences. “The film is about the modern Muslim, and there are more of them in India than in Pakistan itself,” he says.

Multiplexes screening the film prefer to wait. “There’s some interest among the audience as it’s the first Pakistani film releasing in India. But it’s a niche film, and to expect it to do bumper business in the first weekend would be foolhardy,” says GM PVR cinemas Ranjan Singh.

The PVR chain is screening the film in two to four shows a day and plans to increase it if the response is good.

Editor, The Film Street Journal, Komal Nahata feels there has not been enough publicity. “The promotion has been low-key, and the fact that it is the first Pakistani film to release here should have been driven home more strongly. But the film is good, and should pick up eventually.” But as Shailendra Singh puts it, “It’s going to be like fine wine; it will grow on the viewer as time goes by.”