Shahid Kapoor may shoot in Pakistan for Mira Nair film

Shahid Kapoor may shoot in Pakistan for Mira Nair film

By Awais Saleem

Islamabad, Oct 22 (IANS) In exciting news for his Pakistani fans, Bollywood heartthrob Shahid Kapoor could be shooting in Pakistan for a Mira Nair film, Aaj TV channel reported Friday.

According to the Pakistani channel, noted Indian film director Mira Nair is planning to make a movie based on Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid's second novel "The Reluctant Fundamentalist".

The yet-to-be-named film is expected to be shot in Pakistan. But it is not yet clear whether the necessary permissions have been sought for this purpose. The interior ministry and foreign ministry on both sides of the border have to be involved if any such project has to go ahead , the TV channel said quoting unnamed sources.

Shahid Kapoor, the channel reported, has not signed the contract yet but has shown interest in reading the script and is also excited about working with US-based Mira Nair, who has won critical acclaim for her off-beat films. Her "Salaam Bombay" in 1988 was shortlisted for the Academy Award in the category of best foreign film.

Mohsin, a Harvard-educated law graduate, is based in London and has won acclaim for his incisive and engaging writings. He shot to fame with his first novel "Moth Smoke" in 2000. "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" was published in 2007 and soon become an instant best-seller.

Earlier, Mahesh Bhatt had also planned to shoot his film "Mandi" while Shah Rukh-starrer "Veer Zara" was also supposed to be shot partly in Pakistan but the plans had to be shelved because of administrative hassles.

The story of "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" revolves around a Pakistani man who lets go of his life of fame in America after a failed love affair and the 9/11 terror attack. The novel was translated in more than 25 languages, won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

With a dying Pakistani film industry that produces hardly a handful of movies in Urdu, Punjabi and Pushto languages each year, Indian movies are a rage in Pakistan.

The release of Indian movies allowed in Pakistan a couple of years ago after a break of more than 40 years has also helped to bring the general public back to cinema houses.

Shahid and Sonam Kapoor No Love in times of Typhoid

Shahid and Sonam Kapoor: No Love in times of Typhoid

Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are the lead protagonists of ‘Mausam’, a film helmed by Shahid’s dad Pankaj Kapur. The film has been making headlines for quite some time and was in full swing only till some time back.

However, a sudden, unseen calamity has struck the film hard transpiring huge losses. Sonam has been taken ill and has been diagnosed with typhoid that has rendered her hapless and feeble.

She was to shoot her romantic sequences with Shahid in Mumbai. However, due to her sudden illness, the entire shoot had to be cancelled and the producers have suffered a massive loss of Rs 75 lakhs. The team had no option left but to call off the entire month’s shoot; something that has heavily lighted the pockets of the bosses.

Hence, the next schedule is supposed to be held in Gwalior sans Sonam (she is not needed for these scenes) and only after some days would the schedule be held in Mumbai and that’s when Sonam shall return to the picture.

Right now, the Masakalli girl is recovering from the grave disease and it would still take some days before she is back to her full fitness.

Facebook

Priyanka Chopra Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif

Mausam

Bollywood filmmakers have rarely shot their films in Pakistan

Bollywood filmmakers have rarely shot their films in Pakistan.

Years ago, Randhir Kapoor-directed Raj Kapoor's dream project Heena, starring Pakistani actress Zeba Bakhtiar, was shot in Pakistan. A substantial portion of Mukesh Bhatt's Awarapan was also shot there.

Reportedly a Mira Nairfilm based on Mohsin Hamid's second novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, will be shot in Pakistan. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is set in an outdoor Lahore cafe and the protagonist is a bearded Pakistani man called Changez.

After making a film on legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, Mira Nair is planning her next. And this time, her protagonist will be a Pakistani man who lets go of his life of fame in America after a failed love affair and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. And the filmmaker has already chosen the one who will play the protagonist and guess who it is, Shahid Kapoor.

According to sources, the actor has not yet signed the contract but showed interest in reading the script and also is excited to work with Mira.Rest of the star cast will be finalised soon. But, we hear that the meticulous Mira is looking into all the minute details of the film, now.

She will take a few more months before she starts the shooting of the film.

Facebook

Priyanka Chopra Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif

Mausam