Sunday, July 5, 2009

SALMAN KHAN 'LIFE OF SUPER HERO'

Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (Hindi: सलमान ख़ान, Urdu: سلمان خان, pronounced [səlˈmɑːn ˈxɑːn]; born December 27, 1965) is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood films.
Khan, who made his acting debut with the film Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. He went on to star in some of Bollywood's most successful films, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Biwi No.1 (1999), having appeared in the highest earning films of five separate years during his career.
In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), No Entry (2005) and Partner (2007). Khan has thus established himself as one of the most prominent leading actors of Hindi cinema
Career Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India's highest grossing films.[3] It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award.
1990 saw only one film release starring Khan, Baaghi, co-starring alongside southern actress Nagma. The film was a box office success,[4] and was followed by another successful year in 1991 when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan.[5] Despite these tremendous early box office successes, all of his 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures.[5]
Khan clawed back his previous success in 1994 with his second collaboration with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. This film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out to be one of Bollywood's highest grossing films ever, becoming the fourth highest earner of all time.[6] Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan, none of which making a significant impact on the box-office as was the case with the previously mentioned title. He did however win praise for his performance in Andaz Apna Apna, alongside co-star Aamir Khan, which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he cemented his success with Rakesh Roshan's blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan.[5] The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan.
1996 was followed by two successes. The first one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, co-starring Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. Though a box office failure, the film was critically acclaimed. He next starred alongside Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor in Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet.
He had only two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan co-starring Karisma Kapoor, where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth. The film was a box office hit. The latter, co-starring Shilpa Shetty failed to do well, but developed a cult following after its video release.
Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai.[5] Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He rounded of the year with Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, he had only an extended cameo playing the role of Aman. However, it eventually turned out beneficial to him, as his performance earned him his second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.
In 1999, Khan starred in three hit films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United, which reunited him with Sooraj Barjatya for the third time; Biwi No.1, which became the top grossing film that year; and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which was a major critical success, and earned him another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. In 2000, Khan acted in six films, most of which failed critically and commercially, except for the two moderately successful films, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, both of which co-starred Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. His performance in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, the release of which was delayed until 2001, was received well. The film was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth; Khan played the role of a rich industrialist, who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Critics noted his turn towards a more serious role, which reportedly had more substance in comparison to his previous roles.[7][8] In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam which was semi-hit at the box office.
Khan's following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam. The film was a major earner and his performance was praised by critics, with film critic Taran Adarsh noting, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..."[9] He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005).[5] 2006 was an unsuccessful year for him when Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul both failed to do well at the box office.
Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam E Ishq which failed to do well at the box office. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict.[10] He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.
Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed. God Tussi Great Ho was a remake of the Jim Carrey Hollywood hit, Bruce Almighty. The film performed abysmally at the box office. [11] His second film of the year, Heroes, met with praise from critics but performed just moderately at the box office, even with the aid of the Diwali season.
Personal life
Khan is the eldest son of celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan (maiden name Sushila Charak). His stepmother is Helen, a famous yesteryear Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.
Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder. He trains everyday and is famous for taking off his shirt in movies and stage shows alike. In 2004, he was voted 7th best-looking man in the World and the best looking man in India by People magazine, U.S.[13] Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.
Despite being romantically linked with several actresses, and having relationships with ex-girlfriends Aishwarya Rai, Somy Ali and Sangeeta Bijlani, Khan is frequently featured by Indian media as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. He has been dating model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif since 2003.[15]
On October 11, 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was finally installed there on January 15, 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.
Legal troubles
On September 28, 2002, Salman was arrested for rash and negligent driving. His car had collided into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the sidewalk outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap.[18] Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped, and he was found not guilty. However, he will still have to stand trial for a series of lesser charges pertaining to the incident[19]
On February 17, 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting an endangered species, the Chinkara. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal.[20] On April 10, 2006, Salman was handed a five year jail term for hunting the endangered Chinkara. He was remanded to Jodhpur jail, and remained there until April 13, when he was granted bail.[21] On August 24, 2007, the Jodhpur sessions court, upheld the 5 year jail term for Khan in the Chinkara poaching case by turning down his appeal against the 2006 judgement. At the time of the hearing, he was busy with a shooting elsewhere, while his sister attended the proceedings.[22] Day after, he was placed under police arrest in Jodhpur after a Rajasthan court upheld a prison sentence passed upon him for poaching. On August 31, 2007, Khan was released on bail from the Jodhpur Central jail where he has spent six days.
Relationship troubles
His turbulent relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media, and had constantly filled gossip columns.[23] After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him.[24]
In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened his ex-girlfriend, Aishwarya Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organized crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake.
Fatwas against Salman
In September 2007, a Muslim organisation issued a fatwa against Khan for attending a Ganesh puja. Stating that Islam prohibits idol worship, the organisation stated that unless Khan reads the kalmas - the declaration of faith, all over again, he will not be considered a Muslim. In addition to that, Khan celebrated the Ganesh Mahostav with his family in Bandra; they brought a Ganesh idol for one day for the sake of his stepmother, Helen. Khan was among the group who danced in the procession. His father responded by criticising the fatwa, and stated that Salman had done nothing wrong.[27]
Another fatwa was raised against Khan by a Muslim cleric in India, mufti Salim Ahmad Qasmi, for allowing Madame Tussauds in London to make a wax model of himself. The mufti said the statue is illegal and the Sharia forbids depictions of all living creatures. This created speculation in the press, as no fatwa was released against fellow Muslim, Shahrukh Khan who also has a wax model in the museum. Salman responded by saying, "These fatwas are becoming a joke".[28]
The fatwa was raised upon Khan again in September 2008, for celebrating the Ganeshotsav Hindu ceremony at his home with the family. The fatwa was raised by the member of the Advisory Council, Jama Masjid, in New Delhi. On this occasion, his father, Salim, again questioned the fatwa and criticised those who raise it.[

BOLLYWOOD UPCOMING MOVIES 2009{The Most Awaited}

Wanted Dead And Alive (Hindi Movie)


Cast
Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia, Om Puri, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sayaji Shinde, Aseem Merchant, Vinod Khanna

3 Idiots (Hindi Movie)

Pop star Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles, aged 50.

Paramedics were called to the singer's Beverly Hills home at about midday on Thursday after he stopped breathing.
He was pronounced dead two hours later at the UCLA medical centre. Jackson's brother, Jermaine, said he was believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
Jackson, who had a history of health problems, had been due to stage a series of comeback concerts in the UK, beginning on 13 July.
Speaking on behalf of the Jackson family, Jermaine said doctors had tried to resuscitate the star for more than an hour without success.
Jermaine Jackson on his brother's sudden death
He added: "The family request that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time."
"And Allah be with you Michael, always. I love you."
TV footage showed the star's body flown from UCLA to the LA County Coroner's office where a post-mortem is expected to take place on Friday.
Concerns were raised last month when four of Jackson's planned comeback concerts were postponed, but organisers insisted the dates had been moved due to the complexity of staging the show
A spokeswoman for The Outside Organisation, which was organising the publicity for the shows, said she had no comment at this time.
Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini said: "I always doubted that he would have been able to go through that schedule, those concerts. It seemed to be too much of a demand on the unhealthy body of a 50 year old.
"I'm wondering that, as we find out details of his death, if perhaps the stress of preparing for those dates was a factor in his collapse.
"It was wishful thinking that, at this stage of his life, he could be Michael Jackson again."
Tributes have poured in from the entertainment industry. Sir Paul McCartney described Jackson's death as " sad and shocking".
The pair worked together on two hit tracks, Say Say, Say and The Girl Is Mine from Jackson's Thriller album.
He said " I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul.
"His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.
"I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family, and to his countless fans all around the world."
Speaking outside New York's historic Apollo theatre, civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton paid tribute to his friend.
"I knew him 35 years. When he had problems he would call me," he said.
"I feel like he was not treated fairly. I hope history will be more kind to him than some of the contemporary media."
Melanie Bromley, west coast bureau chief of Us Weekly magazine, told the BBC the scene in Los Angeles was one of "pandemonium".
"At the moment there is a period of disbelief. He was renting a home in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles and the scene outside the house is one of fans, reporters and TV cameras - it's absolute craziness.
"I feel this is the biggest celebrity story in a long time and has the potential to be the Princess Diana of popular culture."
Musical icon
Tributes from the world of music and film have already flooded in from celebrities including Madonna, Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.

Large numbers of fans have also gathered outside Jackson's home and at the UCLA medical centre with lit candles to mourn the star while playing his greatest hits.
Facebook groups have also been set up for fans to share their memories.
The singer's albums are occupying the top 15 slots of online music retailer Amazon.com's current best-seller chart, led by his 1982 smash hit Thriller.
Paramedics were called to the singer's house in Bel Air at 1221 (1921GMT) following an emergency phone call.
They performed CPR on Jackson and rushed him to the UCLA medical centre.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said the robbery and homicide team was investigating Jackson's death because of its "high profile", but there was no suggestion of foul play.
Jackson began his career as a child in family group The Jackson 5.
MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009
Full name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Born: August 29, 1958, Gary, Indiana, US
Also known as: The King of Pop, Wacko Jacko
Biggest hits: I Want You Back, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White, Earth Song
Obituary: Remarkable talent
Life in pictures
Tributes paid to Michael Jackson
He then went on to achieve global fame as a solo artist with smash hits such as Billie Jean and Bad.
Thriller, released in 1982, is the biggest-selling album of all time, shifting 65m copies, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
He scored seven UK number ones as a solo artist and won a total of 13 Grammy awards.
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller, Bad and Off The Wall.
"He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
The singer had been dogged by controversy and money trouble in recent years, becoming a virtual recluse


Michael Jackson's body is delivered by helicopter for a post mortem report
He was arrested in 2003 on charges of molesting a 14-year-old boy, but was found not guilty following a five-month trial.
The star had three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.
He is survived by his mother, Katherine, father, Joseph and eight siblings - including Janet, Randy, Jermaine and La Toya Jackson.

BOLLYWOOD MOVIES REVIEW

New York
New York bears a striking similarity to KHUDA KAY LIYE.Fact: Nope. KHUDA KAY LIYE and New York may belong to the same family, of an innocent person being picked up for questioning after the WTC catastrophe, but the similarities end there. In fact, KHUDA KAY LIYE and New York are as diverse as chalk and cheese. New York, helmed by Kabir Khan, attempts to be as real as possible. A tale of friendship, with terrorism as the wallpaper, New York hits you like a ton of bricks at several points in the narrative. In fact, there was a possibility that New York may turn out to be a dry experience, a documentary perhaps, but the drama is so well structured and so gripping that you get sucked into the world of Sam, Omar and Maya from its inception. New York is a triumph for Kabir Khan, who deserves distinction marks for handling the subject with remarkable maturity. Also, this film should be a turning point for John, Katrina and Neil. More on that later...The verdict? New York is, without doubt, one of the finest films produced by this premier production house, Yash Raj.

Kambakkht Ishq
The post-interval starts with a bang, with Akshay hearing the 'Om Mangalam' chant just about everywhere -- while sleeping, in the shower, in the rest room, even at an award function. The award function sequence is a double whammy. You get to watch Stallone and also the scene is superbly structured, executed and enacted.Things are smooth sailing till the emotional angle comes up. The narrative dips in those 20 odd minutes. The mood suddenly shifts from laughter to sadness.The makers may argue that a twist in the tale is justified from the writing point of view, since the emotional track is vital for any love story, but the fact remains that one does miss the entertainment quotient here. In fact, the dip in the second hour erodes, to a large extent, the impression that the first half had built so magnificently.
Director Sabbir Khan picks up a theme that may catch you by complete surprise, but marinates it in entertainment, garnishes it well and presents it like never before. The review would be incomplete if we failed to highlight the grandiose look and the lavish production values thanks to the no-holds-barred expenses by producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Each frame looks ostentatious and glitzy.Music is up to the mark, with three interesting tracks -- 'Om Mangalam' [RDB], 'Lakh Lakh' and 'Bebo' [Anu Malik]. Cinematography [Vikas Sivaraman] is magnificent, with the DoP doing complete justice to the production values. Kambakkht Ishq belongs to both, Akshay and Kareena. Akshay is dynamic this time. He received a lot of flak for CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA and there was this nagging feeling that the negativity would spill over to Kambakkht Ishq. But Akshay is in terrific form here and delivers, without a shred of doubt, a bravura performance. If you loved him in NAMASTEY LONDON and SINGH IS KINNG, you'd fall in love with Akki and his comic timing all over again this time.


Kareena left an indelible impression in JAB WE MET and creates a similar impact, albeit in a different role. Clearly, she is miles ahead of her contemporaries as far as talent goes and this film proves it yet again. Aftab and Amrita are perfect for their parts. Vindu Singh supports well. Javed Jaffrey doesn't make a mark because the role has no connection with the main plot. Kirron Kher is getting typecast. Boman Irani is hilarious in that lone sequence. Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards are well integrated in the narrative.On the whole, Kambakkht Ishq will strike a chord with the youth and those who relish zany and madcap entertainers. The first half is tremendous, while the second half takes a dip, with the film picking up towards the climax. At the box-office, the film will see an earth-shattering opening weekend and a historic Week 1. It remains to be seen how this film fares in its second weekend/week, given the massive number of screens it has opened globally [2,000 +]. However, the timing is most appropriate [the viewer is thirsting for a biggie] and the hype is tremendous, which should prove very advantageous for the film.

BOLLYWOOD MASALA

I wear bikinis in real life too: Sonam Kapoor
She's just two films old at 24. Togged in a trendy black jumpsuit, she flashes her trademark mischievous grin that reaches all the way to her eyes. Sonam Kapoor epitomises today's youth. Here's the perky and perceptive actor at her chirpy best.

I was born and brought up in the film industry. I have seen dad go through a lot - I had the ringside view of his struggle and stardom. He was never aware of his super-stardom, work has been worship for him. That experience, together with my mom and sis Rhea, keeps me well-grounded. I certainly don't have any false sense of self importance.I am very hard-working. I am like the pit bull - I never give up on anything. Like I get claustrophobic in lifts but I made sure I rode up and down in the elevator from the 38th floor hotel room in Macau recently with a brave face. I am scared of going underwater, so I will take to deep-sea diving.

Ayesha is not a pure love story, it is about six or seven friends played by Ira Dubey, Amita , Lisa, Cyrus Sahukar, Arunoday Singh and Abhay Deol. Since the film spans over 63 days, we all have to really be friends before the film goes on floors. So if we have to work together for nearly four months we should have mutual trust too. Now that Abhay is back from New York, we can hold the workshops.
I have no problem talking about Sex: Minissha Lamba
This Monsoon, get ready for some wet and wild talk as Devansh Patel brings you the first of the four part exclusive series titled 'INTIMACY' featuring Minissha Lamba. Go ahead, read it. You might get your confidence back!There is a very fine line here. I think sensuality goes very well with romanticism. Therefore it's the more beautiful part of being sexual. It's the more emotional part of the idea of sexual. When women feel stressed, tired or run-down, they often lose the desire of being sensual. Take time to give your body a treat; indulge yourself and awaken your five senses of smell, sound, sight, touch and taste.
Under the water: I felt that my Kidnap songs, 'Mausam Yeh
Awesome Bada' and 'Soniya' would emulate a lot of music videos which female pop-stars have already made in the UK or America like Britney Spears, Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, Pussycat Dolls, etc. Though I would rate 'Soniya' as a pop number but the 'Mausam' number can be termed as sensual and cinematically cliché. I love being a part of such cliché where you are under the waterfall wearing your white kurta and you're just going with the flow. Water here becomes very sexy.
Sex: I was a fifteen year old when the first time I landed up in a conversation with my mother about 'Sex'. My mother explained the whole 'Birds and the Bees' to me. I was shocked and I never thought it was possible. There was a time when one used to be shy and reserved about talking on such a topic but now 'sex' has become very clinical. It's a fact of life.
Sex in films: India still needs to do a lot of running around when it comes to sex in films. I mean, it will take a good couple of years to break the shackles of sex. For the moment, we've got Rakesh Roshan's Kites coming out

Movie Review: Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Khuda ke liye’

We had a preview of the movie Khuda Ke Liye at ATP where we had posed a question whether Shoaib Mansoor will be able to revive Pakistan cinema? A probable answer comes from myself who recently got chance to see this movie. The record breaking Pakistani film Khuda Ke Liye has become my favorite film overnight- Hollywood inclusive. Or more accurately I should say, that there hasn’t been a film in the past that has moved and affected me in this way.
Given the standing ovation the film is getting in theatres all over Pakistan from rich and poor alike, one can safely say that I am not the only one. For one thing it is a uniquely Pakistani story, which could have only come out of Pakistan. To sum it up, it is about us - the people of Pakistan warts and all- take it or leave it.
The genius of Shoaib Mansoor was never in doubt for those who have seen his videos or for that matter the famous Alpha Bravo Charlie - the TV Drama on Pakistan Army. What I was unprepared for was the depth in his thought and the way he has managed to capture the Pakistani dilemma on screen. Ours is a complex and rich predicament which needs to be captured in all its nuances and appreciated in all its paradoxical colors. KKL did just that.
I went to the theatre expecting to see the same old liberal v. fundo arguments. There were those, but unlike how these arguments play out in “The Friday Times” and the “Nawai Waqt“, this remarkable film is fully conscious of its Pakistani identity and the strong Islamic component that forms part thereof.
At the risk of spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, this is the story of two brothers, Mansoor (played by Shaan) and Sarmad (played by theatre actor/musician Fawad of EP fame) both musicians, brought in a well to do Pakistani family. Mansoor and Sarmad are torn apart by the latter’s increased involvement with a certain Maulana Taheri (based most probably on Maulana Sami ul Haq of JUI-S component of the MMA), who turns the soft spoken Sarmad into full fledge Jehadi.
Things are complicated when the brothers’ cousin Mary arrives from London to spend a few days with them, only to discover that she has been tricked by her father into coming to Pakistan to avoid her marrying her Non-Muslim boyfriend Dave. Meanwhile Mansoor leaves for Chicago to enrol at the “School of Music” there. In an epic that switches from London to Lahore to Waziristan to Nangahar Afghanistan to Chicago, these ordinary Pakistanis are increasingly faced with both internal and external conflict. And then there is September 11.
Shoaib Mansoor does not miss a beat, he does not leave any stones unturned. While all characters have more or less the same significance in this plot, it is Mansoor who is at the centre of it: Mansoor who is a proud Pakistani and secure in his Muslim identity, Mansoor who warns Sarmad against extremism, Mansoor who puts the best Muslim and Pakistani foot forward, Mansoor who is abducted by FBI in the middle of the night and beaten and tortured to a pulp, humiliated and abused for being a Pakistani and a Muslim. He is the contrast to Sher Shah and Maulana Taheri. But there are contrasts on the other side as well… Jenny who loves Mansoor for being Mansoor, his classmates who spontaneously join in when Mansoor performs his “music from Pakistan”, his African American professor… all stand in contrast to the American torturers of Mansoor.
The dialogue reaches a fever pitch in a court room in Lahore, where Mary is engaged in a prolonged legal battle. Enter the Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah. He plays the character of a long bearded progressive Islamic scholar (probably based on Maulana Ahmed Javed and Allama Javed Ahmed Ghamidi of Lahore). In what would be the localised version of “Inherit the wind” Courtroom drama, he engages Maulana Taheri and his coterie in an argument on Islamic law and Islamic dress code.
“There is beard in religion, but no religion in beard,”
declares Shah, adding that
“Two men who did the greatest service to Islam in Pakistan, Mahomed Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, did so without a beard and out of the so called Islamic dresscode, in western dress.”
It was on this line that the entire hall filled with applause. Islam - the universal faith - has no uniform. This lays the stage for the final scene- the most poignant scene of the movie, filmed in Lahore’s beautiful Wazir Khan Mosque- the scene which once again made a Muslim out of me. I’ll let you watch it yourself to understand what I am talking about.As for the film itself, there seem to be a few technical glitches earlier on but they are easily forgotten. Iman Ali’s performance as Mary or Maryam in the beginning is annoying and one finds her concocted British accent a little annoying at first. However it grows on you and one discovers the fullness of her effort- which is by far the best I have come across by a Pakistani actress. As for the music, those of you who have only heard Bandaya, you are in for a surprise. The film is as a whole an incredible musical experience. What is more is that you discover how aptly Shoaib Mansoor has placed his music in the various scenes. Indeed, driving back from Lahore on the motorway, I could recount/recollect every scene just by listening to the soundtrack.

Ramchand Pakistani - Movie Review

Most Pakistani films are synonymous with loud acting, garish sets and blood-n-gore. But KHUDA KAY LIYE earlier and RAMCHAND PAKISTANI now signify the changing times, the changing outlook, the changing mindset.
RAMCHAND PAKISTANI is a simple story, a true story in fact, of a kid and his father crossing the LOC and being held captive in an Indian prison. A theme like this ought to be handled with gloves and director Mehreen Jabbar does just that. A sensitively told story that succeeds in making you think of the plight of scores of people who’ve accidently crossed the border and are, perhaps, still languishing in various jails.
Give RAMCHAND PAKISTANI a try. Chances are you might like the experience!
RAMCHAND PAKISTANI is a true story concerning the accidental crossing of the India-Pakistan border during a period of extreme, war-like tension between the two countries by two members of a Pakistani Hindu family.
The child from Pakistan, aged eight years, learns to cope with the trauma of forced separation from his mother [Nandita Das] while being held prisoner, along with his father in the jail of India. What transpires is the crux of the story.
Real life stories are difficult to interpret on reel, but Mehreen Jabbar tries and succeeds. It may not be the most mesmeric tale you’ve experienced, but the story and how Mehreen and the writers adapt it cinematically makes it a moving experience.
Having said that, you can’t turn a blind eye to the discrepancies in the screenplay. A few portions running parallel to the story just don’t hold. Wish the director would’ve concentrated on the main issue, instead of deviating into unwanted tracks, like the female jailor’s [Maria Wasti] relationship with one of the guards, or the helpless mother’s [Nandita Das] secret admirer [Noman Ijaz].
RAMCHAND PAKISTANI is also watchable due to the fine performances delivered by just about everyone in its cast. But it works mainly due to Syed Fazal Hussain’s sterling act as the young Ramchand. He conveys the pathos and helplessness with aplomb. Even the grown-up Ramchand, Navaid Jabbar, is equally competent.
Nandita Das is efficient. Rashid Farooqui [Ramchand's father] is equally competent. Pakistani actors Noman Ijaz, Shahoor and Maria Wasti — popular names on Pakistani TV circuit - deliver fine performances.
On the whole, RAMCHAND PAKISTANI is a simple story well told. Business-wise, the problem is that it faces a strong opposition from two major releases this week. Besides, a film like RAMCHAND PAKISTANI caters to a select audience, which means that it might go unnoticed in the domestic circuit.