South Asia Times News Bulletin

  Post the success of Pakistani film 'Khuda Ke Liye', new and emerging filmmakers from the neighbouring country are trying their luck at wooing the Indian audiences.

First time film directors like Mahreen Jabbar and Omar Ali Khan are hoping that their films will be able to make an impact in India as well.

Jabbar's 'Ramchand Pakistani' will be released simultaneously in India and Pakistan next month.

Mahreen, like Shoaib Mansoor, who hails from the Pakistani television industry is quite upbeat about taking cinema in her country to a new high.

Her first film 'Ramchand Pakistani' has received a very good response at the Osian's Cinefan festival where it was screened to a packed auditorium.

Jabbar's film deals with an issue of relavance to both India and Pakistan.

Based on a true incident, the film narrates the story of a Dalit father and son living in Pakistan, who accidently cross the border.

They struggle to go back but are put in jail on the suspicion of being spies while the poor mother suffers in Pakistan.

When asked about the reason for making her debut with a true story like 'Ramchand Pakistani', Jabbar said, "The story appealed me very much. It was my father who first met the real family and he showed me synopsis. It is then that we decided why not make a film on such a strong issue."

Another film maker Omar Ali Khan is also hopeful that his horror film 'Zibehkhana' will click with the young audiences in New Delhi.

The debutant director has had a successful run of his film at the Pakistani box office.

Khan, however, is a little dismayed at the way the main Pakistani cinema is dying a slow death.

He does not believe that any revival is happening in Urdu cinema.

"The production has completely stopped. The only films that are doing well are Pushto films and with Indian films releasing in Pakistan, they do not have any chance to stand," he says.

When asked whether he feared that Indian films will invade the Pakistani film industry, he says "No why should I, we should face the truth. It is something which is already dying. Indian films have only accelerated the pace. So it is better to done away with what is dying and start all over again," says Khan.

Khan, whose film is being screened at Osian's Wednesday hopes that he will find some investors for his films.

And if that is possible he would like to release his film in India as well.

 

The debutant director feels that Indian films are also copying Hollywood films and not many films are being made for young audiences.

 

However, he says he hopes that films like 'Jaane Tu....' will bring a certain change.

 

He is also hopeful that the film will be released in Pakistan as well.