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on 2006/7/28 6:13:58
When you think of films from the production house, Yashraj Films, you think of mush, romance, and candy floss. But it seems the production house is geared up to break out of the mould. It is experimenting with offbeat cinema and the latest from their banner is the post Taliban war film, Kabul Express.
The film has not been released, but Kabul Express is already making waves in the international circuit. Yashraj Film's Kabul Express has been selected for a world premiere at the 31st Toronto Film Festival this September. Boasting of an ensemble cast of John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, the film has a line-up of actors from the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The plot is set in an intriguing backdrop of Kabul in a post 9/11 Afghanistan...and sees John and Arshad playing TV journalists uncovering secrets of the Taliban regime.
“My script reached Adi Chopra. He was on the lookout for something which not only appealed to our audience but also appeal to a larger international audience,” said Kabir Khan, director of Kabul Express.
The rugged terrain and conditions typical of that area, definitely meant that producing Kabul Express was no mean feat. For producer Aditya Chopra it took all of two months of on-location shooting to make the first international feature film to have been shot entirely in post Taliban Afghanistan.
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“It’s a great film. You will enjoy it,” beamed John Abraham Arshad Warsi was quick to recollect the challenging conditions under which the film was shot. “Food was a problem, sanitation was a problem. Living conditions were harsh. There were threats on us. But we still worked hard and put on a smile. It was tough mentally and physically,” said Warsi.
And for a production house keen on making more than a "tear-fest", initial responses show that Yashraj Films has already made the first step in the right direction.
After all, it is not everyday that the selection panel at Tornonto Film Festival describes a movie as "an important breakthrough for Indian cinema".
source:timesnow
