This was funny comparison between the Indian movie ‘border’ and the Pakistani version with the same title!
Courtesy Images Dawn!
Across the barbed wire
By Zia Mutaher
Urdu film, Border, was released during Eid. It rings a familiar note, as an Indian movie by the same title had become a popular hit with cable viewers more than a year back. It was written and directed by J.P. Dutta. Pakistani Border’s script has been written by Jafar Arsh and directed by Iqbal Kashmiri. J.P. Dutta had claimed that his film was based on a true incident during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He shot it in the desert of Rajasthan. Iqbal Kashmiri has tried to be more imaginative, shifting the scenes from Dubai to Kashmir.
In the Indian movie, the screen echoed with the slogans of, Boley so nihal and Sat siri akal. In the Pakistani flick, it resounds with Nara-e-Takbir. There the claim was that ‘One Khalsa is equal to Sawa Lakh’. Here the conviction is that ‘One Momin is equal to 10 kafirs’. There, the characters invoked Hindu deities and Sikh Gurus, here there are images of Khana-e-Kaba, and Masjid-e-Nabavi. In Indian Border, Sunny Deol plays the role of Major Kuldeep Singh and is assisted by officers, Sunil Shetty, Akshay Khanna and Jackie Schroff as an airforce pilot. In Pakistan’s Border, Shaan is Major Khalid and alongside him are his gymnast friends Moammar Rana and Reema, together with the ubiquitous Badar Munir.
Sunny Deol leaves for the border, against the wish of his weeping wife, played by Tabu. Here Shaan while wining a boxing match against an Indian Major at Dubai, goes on to win the heart of the daughter of the Indian ambassador to Dubai. And guess who plays her regal majesty? None other than our very own tall and slender Sana.
Dubai’s skyscrapers stand in awe as Lollywood’s dancing darlings Reema and Sana, dance their hearts out for Moammar Rana and Shaan respectively - over sunlit sanddunes and along blue coastlines. Sana flaunting colourful bindiyas and matching saris, follows her boxing boyfriend to Pakistan. She soon appears alongside Shaan, Moammar Rana and Reema, aiming guns at Indian soldiers led by Colonel Vikram (Baber Ali), on the Kashmir border. In Indian Border, Major Kuldeep roars at his Pakistani counterpart, addressing him as, Lahore dey mashhoor goonday and Gunday nalay dee paidaish. In Pakistani Border, Major Khalid (Shaan) glowers at the Indian Colonel, calling him Kuttay and Dehli Ke Mirasi.
In Indian Border, Sunil Shetty playing an Indian army officer, salvages a copy of the Holy Quran from the burning house of an Indian Muslim, and Sunny Deol shows compassion towards a Pakistani prisoner. In Pakistani Border, Shaan and his filmi household led by mother Naghma, showers hospitality upon their Indian guest, the sari-clad Sana.
The one deplorable fact noted is that in the Pakistani movie, derogatory language has been used against Hindus in general (which might be condoned by some with the killings of Muslims taking place in India these days) without keeping in mind that there is a sizable number of Hindus in this country who are its law abiding citizens - from the deserts of Tharparkar to the mountains of Swat. We may have political differences with the Indian Government, but it doesn’t mean that we revile in general, the followers of a different faith.
Back to the film, if Indian Border is a crispy war movie, Pakistani Border is also watchable for its moving pace, interesting situations, good photography (though the shots of Lucky Irani Circus and Dubai street-fighting are borrowed). Shaan appears dashing though a little bulky. Moammar Rana and Baber Ali too, have given impressive performances. Reema has danced with her usual thrill and Sana looks charming. Naseebo Lal’s songs, composed by Wajahat Atray, are a harmonious blend of Madam Noor Jehan and Reshma, specially the one on Reema - Channa teri chandni ton chan mera sohna. What more to ask for in an entertaining evening.
The movie ends with a reminder for all and sundry that, Musalman badla aur border kabhi nahi bhooltey.
But it is the last song of Indian Border, which raises some relevant questions. Penned by poet Javed Akhtar and composed by Anu Malik, it asks:
Hum apne apne kheton mein
Gehoon ki jagha, chawal ki jagha
Bandooqen kiyon botey hain
jab dono hi ki galyon mein
Kuch bhookey bachchey rotey hain
One can only wish and pray that in future both J.P. Dutta and Iqbal Kashmiri will concentrate more on building bridges of peace, rather than blazing borders.