MUMBAI: Percept Picture Company’s (PPC) Ramchand Pakistani, second Pakistani film after Khuda Kay Liye, is set to release in India on 2 October. Directed by young Pakistani women film-maker Mehreen Jabbar, the film was earlier slated for 22 August release.
The film stars Bollywood actress Nandita Das, along with Pakistani actors Rashid Farooqui, Noman Ijaz, Maria Wasti, Navaid Jabbar and child actor Syed Fazal Hussain.
PPC joint MD Shailendra Singh said, “This film can’t be counted as a conventional Pakistani film just because it has been made in Pakistan. This is a distinctive film with broad appeal. This film reflects the tragedy of hundreds of innocent persons of either country who languish in jails of the other and the devastation for all their families.”
“We at Percept Picture Company are looking forward to the release of Ramchand Pakistani with loads of anticipation, as with the consecutive releases from across the boarder will lead to a much positive atmosphere amidst both the countries,” added Singh.
The plot of the movie is derived from a true story concerning the accidental crossing of the Pakistan-Indian border during a period of extreme, war-like tension between the two countries by two members of a Pakistani Hindu family belonging to the ‘untouchable‘ caste. It revolves around the boy and his father who accidentally cross the border into India from their village in Pakistan.
They end up spending five years in an Indian prison while the mother is left wondering about her husband‘s and son‘s whereabouts. The story aims to capture the plight of an eight-year old child who learns to cope with the trauma of forced separation from his mother while being held prisoner.
The film was selected for the narrative section of the Tribeca Film Festival 2008, New York and was also screened at the Seattle International Film Festival, June 2008 and 10th Osian Film Festival, New Delhi this July. It was selected for the Rhode August 2008 Island International Film Festival, USA as well.
The music of the film has been composed by Debajyoti Mishra and lyrics are by Anwar Maqsood. Shubha Mudgal and Shafqat Amanat Ali have given their voices to the music tracks and the film is written by Javed Jabbar.
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