CHUP recently had the opportunity to interview Mehreen Jabbar, a Pakistani filmmaker whose film, Ramachand Pakistani, was recently selected for the Tribeca Film Festival and will be screened for six days, from April 28, 2008 to May 3, 2008 [for information on theaters and purchasing tickets, click here.] The film, based on a true story, explores what transpires when a Pakistani Hindu boy and his father accidentally cross the border into India at a time of extreme tension between the two countries. They were subsequently held in an overcrowded Indian jail for five years. The Tribeca Film Festival website wrote, “In her first feature film, Mehreen Jabbar lays out the political contexts of Ramchand’s situation with exceptional fluidity.” For her thoughts on the film and the overarching Pakistani film industry, please read below [Image from her website]:
Q: Congratulations on your film, Ramachand Pakistani, being selected for the Tribeca Film Festival. What inspired and motivated you to tackle a film with such serious political undertones? Is there a message you were attempting to send with the movie?
A: The story was first given to me by my father, Javed Jabbar who had met the father and son on whom the film is based in the Tharparkar desert where he has worked on a volunteer basis for the last 2 decades. The story apart from having political, religious overtones was inherently the story of a family that is separated and the experience of that seperation on the young boy and his mother.
Q: The Pakistani film industry has long been overshadowed by movies produced by Bollywood. However, recently, several feature-length films on poignant topics have received tremendous media attention in Pakistan and internationally, such as Khuda Kay Liye and of course, Ramachand Pakistani. Do you think the more topical and serious issues discussed by these films will help set a standard for the future of the Pakistani film industry?
A: I think Pakistan needs all kinds of films. It needs a thorough revival of the film industry which means that all genres and themes should be welcome. What it would need is a constant release of films, not just one in a year or one in two years because that will not do much for the local industry. The one good sign is that cinemas are now doing good business again and people are starting to come out and watch films on the big screen again. That is a very important development and should be sustained.
Q; CHUP recently covered the wide commercial release of Khuda Kay Liye in India – a development that essentially ended the film ban between the two countries, and discussed the idea of film diplomacy, that is, the use of film, theater and art to broker and repair ties between contentious nations. Do you feel that film can act as a medium to help bridge differences and reconcile conflicts?
A: Of course it can. Film or for that matter, any form of art or cultural exchange gives an insight about that particular society and the experience of art can be shared universally and bring people together. Ignorance always breeds suspicion and hatred.
Q: Much of your past work has touched on the plight of Pakistani women and their daily experiences. As a Pakistani female filmmaker, have you encountered many challenges in pursuing your career and achieving success?
A: I have been very lucky in that I haven’t encountered any major problems being a woman filmmaker in Pakistan. I think the issues i’ve faced in the industry have been one that have been faced by all filmmakers. Those range from lack of technical infrastructure, the tendency of TV channels to promote only one kind of programming, various forms of censorship, both overt and covert, etc. I think with time and if this industry is allowed to flourish, it will hopefully become more sophisticated and dynamic.
Below is the trailer for the film, [it will be screened in Urdu, but with English subtitles]:
Kalsoom, thanks for putting this up! I’m definitely going to check out the movie at the festival and am forwarding this to others in NYC as well.
Looks really really good. Thanks for informing us– congrads Mehreen on producing what looks to be a great film!
[…] based on a true story, explores what transpires when a Pakistani Hindu […] Read more at: CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan Tagged as: chup, extreme tension, father and son, feature length films, film festival […]
Thanks for the coverage on this! Also thank you and great job on providing us with unique access (through this website!) to individuals helping to shape the social climate of Pakistan through their various capacities.
I definitely agree with the posters above, I would probably not have checked out this film had it not been for this interview. Will definitely be watching it when it’s released. It looks great!
Looking forward to watching the movie.
Thanks Kalsoom.
Pakistani film big success at top film festival
NEW YORK, April 29: Sustained applause rang out in a packed downtown cinema house on Monday night at the end of Pakistan’s first-ever film featured in a major international festival film.
Mehreen Jabbar’s poignant “Ramchand Pakistani” drew appreciative comments from knowledgeable New York movie-goers and critics. It is among 121 feature films and 79 short films representing 41 different countries being screened in the Tribeca Film Festival.
The movie, starring Indian actress Nandita Das, is a real-life story of an eight-year-old Pakistani Hindu boy who strays across the Indo-Pakistan border and is captured by Indian police. His father, who goes looking for him, is also arrested and the two spend years in jail after being labelled as spies.
Mehreen’s father Javed Jabbar wrote the story of the film, which he produced.—APP
Yay! Congrats to Mehreen!
[…] CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan interviews Mehreen Jabbar, a Pakistani filmmaker for her perspectives on Pakistan and thoughts on her film, based on a true story, of a Pakistani Hindu boy and his father. Posted by Rezwan Share This […]
[…] from different genres contributes to the diversity of Pakistan’s developing film industry. In CHUP’s past interview with Pakistani filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar, she commented on the revival of Pakistani films, noting, “I think Pakistan needs all kinds […]
@Hav’nt seen it,
but if its a promotion for
Secularism, Marxisim, Islam-bashing or Indian
God-damn cultural ” supremacy ” crap,
then no need even to discuss !
even if someone minds !!
Fil-badih arz he
Hamein unki lantaranion se kia gharaz
Rafay hein, kisi se kamtar nehein hein
Rafay Kaashmiri
[…] Ham Sib Dari (Iranian) and Khuda Kay Liye [see related CHUP post on the film], Ramchand Pakistani [see CHUP’s previous interview with the film’s director] and Pakistan’s first horror film Zibahkhana [see CHUP’a related post on the movie] for those […]
[…] People have called films like Zibahkhana, Ramachand Pakistani, Khuda Kay Liye, and now, Kashf, a revival of Pakistani cinema. Where would you like to see the […]
It is good news that Pakistani films are making their way to success. I am fan of Bollywood movies and songs due to entertainment they provide. In Lahore, did not meet any actor or actress to know their view. Few actresses wanted me to promote them as international success.