I know that this does topic does not belong to PA, but it is such a strong movie that shows a small town Pak at verge of Ziaism in late 1970’s.
Just wondering if any of PA members have seen it and those PA members that remember that era, how accurate they think this movie represents Pak being turned from (somewhat) tolerant society to Pak of Zia.
The movie is available on netflix, I cant believe I have not watched this movie for years and years.
Just realized that it is available on YT, quality isnt great but here it is. The first 5 minutes of this clip are just Intro and movie starts after that, I would encourage people to skip these first 5 minutes as it gives away the movie plot.
This film mentions the CIA assisted killing of bhutto, so please warn us if it is jiyala propaganda! :)
I dont know if its a Jiyala propaganda or not, I just watched the movie as an average small town Pakistani who is neither Jayala or N-leagui. I personally found it to be painting quite an accurate picture of our society based on my observation of pak society on late 80's and 90's and I can totally see that this movie shows little bit of what caused the Pak society to be where it was in 90's.
I loved this movie. Kiran Kher did a pretty good job. Originally the role was offered to Bushra Ansari.
Sabiha Somar (the director of the movie) is a brilliant filmaker and her other works include Who Will Cast the First Stone (about three women in prison in Pakistan under Islamic law won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1998), Don't Ask Why (1999), For a Place Under the Heavens (2003), On the roofs of Delhi (2007), and Dinner with the President (2007).
I will definitely check it out. I was born during the Zia period so I only know Pakistan of the 90s as I grew up.
That is revelation. Your posts on before Zia period indicate that as you were in full senses though biased and inacurate accounts of real incidences. I was born during Ayub's period and have a very good memory since I was in fourth grade when he was kicked out by Yahya Khan with gun on his head.:)
I have streamline Netflex, I don't know if that movie is available under Foreign Movies. If available I will definitely watch this movie and look for errors as I was eye witness when mardood Zia-ul-Haq took over the legally elected government. I was then joined as junior officer in federal government during his government till he was smoked in the air. After few years of death during peak of my career I left Pakistan and never looked back.
It is available on Netflix for online streaming - would love to hear your views on it.
That is revelation. Your posts on before Zia period indicate that as you were in full senses though biased and inacurate accounts of real incidences. I was born during Ayub's period and have a very good memory since I was in fourth grade when he was kicked out by Yahya Khan with gun on his head.:)
I have streamline Netflex, I don't know if that movie is available under Foreign Movies. If available I will definitely watch this movie and look for errors as I was eye witness when mardood Zia-ul-Haq took over the legally elected government. I was then joined as junior officer in federal government during his government till he was smoked in the air. After few years of death during peak of my career I left Pakistan and never looked back.
I have seen the movie. Its interesting, although I think it sensationalizes the issue and perhaps overstates them aswell.
Also it has some plot issues. For example, two of the main actors are seen french kissing, yet the same guy french kissing in that scene, is to simple to know what a VCR is.
The French kiss seems completely out of place and unnecessary. Sensational for the sake of being sensational.
Also the dialect they are speaking is not spoken in the area where this was apparently meant to portray. The dialect is more reminiscent of Central Punjab then of Potohar. Small issue, but still, if they were seeking credibility by speaking Punjabi in the first place, they could have atleast tried to speak in the right dialect.
This film mentions the CIA assisted killing of bhutto, so please warn us if it is jiyala propaganda! :)
**I have seen the moive and you are lying. Nowhere in movie says that Bhutto was CIA assisted killed. A postman only comments that it is a sad day in history of Pakistan that PM of Pakistan was hanged. That is it, only 15-20 seconds duration.
**Nikema,
I will comment in details on the movie which accounts events, mostly not related to that peirod. Perhpas movie was more representative of events after 1947 but definitely not during Zia's regime, the director of movie has unsucessfully connected two different events.
It is available on Netflix for online streaming - would love to hear your views on it.
As I already said that the movie do not account for the real events during Ziaul Haq's period. It is more representative of incidences soon before or after partition in 1947. The writer/ director have unsuccessfully tried to combined two periods. It is true that Zia-ul-Haq was father founder of current jihadi environment when he involved Pakistan in the hell of proxy war between Russia and America. His advisor Akhtar Abdul Rehman totally ill advised that stupid dictator led Pakistan in the direction of destruction and darkened the future of coming generations. Pakistan today now facing wrath from both sides, America and Jihadist. This mardood did not realize that after his death, his jihadi agenda would ultimately result in Pakistan would stand alone with no friends.
JI played key role in twisted Islamisation of laws during this mardood's rule. Severe persecution including lashes, torture and killing of PPP workers and others including media who opposed this man. Women were dehumanized and paraded naked in the villages in front of public. I still remember when Mehtab Channa/Rashdi a famous TV compare in eighties was banned on TV just because she was not wearing dopatta.
The movie also showed Zia-ul-Haq as villain in treating Sikhs. That is not true. Sikh in Zia-ul-Haq's time had given special attention and full freedom in visiting their temples in Pakistan. It was known at that time that Zia-ul-Haq was involved in Sikh separation movement. In eighties Sikh started killing Hindus in East Punjab, India blamed Pakistani ISI for the involvement. The uprising was crushed by Indira Gandhi by attacking and killing separatists inside the Golden Temple.
Sikhs were given full cooperation during mardood's time because of above reason and because he also belonged to East Punjab and wanted to combine East and West Punjab as one to take revenge of 1971 defeat. Hindus and other minorities were persecuted severely in his tenure. Maulana Ariful Hussaini, a Shia leader was killed just only for burning the American flag during his Peshawar rally.
If you want to see a movie which represents twisted application of Islamic laws, then watch "Bol", a super movie directed by Shoaib Mansoor. The quality of acting and story made this movie much superior than many Indian top movies. A current famous singer Atif Aslam also acted in this movie though I hated his character in destroying the life of a "person" on which theme of whole movie is based. Perhaps this superb Pakistani movie produced through Geo is banned to exhibit in Pakistan.
