Ramchand Pakistani
| Ramchand Pakistani’ | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mehreen Jabbar |
| Written by | Javed Jabber |
| Produced by | Javed Jabber |
| Starring | Nandita Das, Syed Fazel Hussain |
| Cinematography | Sofian Khan |
| Edited by | Aseem Sinha |
| Music by | Debatyoti Mishra |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Language | Urdu |
Ramchand Pakistani is a Pakistani Urdu film tells a true story
Plot
‘Ramchand Pakistani’ is derived from a true story concerning the accidental crossing of the Pakistan-Indian border during a period (June 2002) of extreme, war-like tension between the two countries by two members of a Pakistani Hindu family belonging to the 'untouchable' (Dalit) caste, and the extraordinary consequences of this unintended action upon the lives of a woman, a man, and their son. The singular theme of the film is how a child from Pakistan aged eight years learns to cope with the trauma of forced separation from his mother while being held prisoner, along with his father in the jail of a country i.e. India, which is hostile to his own, while on the other side of the border, the wifemother, devastated by their sudden disappearance builds a new chapter of her life, by her solitary struggle for sheer survival. Belonging to one of the lowest castes in Hinduism (one of the “untouchables”), the family is also part of a small minority of Hindus in a country, which is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in which 97% of the people are Muslims. The boy and his father are held captive in India where, in contrast to Pakistan, the overwhelming majority of about 80% comprises of Hindus. The film portrays the lives of a family that is at the bottom of a discriminatory religious ladder and an insensitive social system, which is nevertheless tolerant, inclusive and pluralist. The irony is compounded by the fact that such a family becomes hostage to the acrimonious political relationship between two neighbor-states poised on the brink of war.
About the Director
Mehreen Jabbar Mehreen worked in advertising in Pakistan for a couple of years before receiving a certificate from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in 1993 in Film, Television and Video. She returned to Pakistan to direct and produce made-for-TV movies and drama series/serials under the banner of TasVeer Productions, almost all of which were critically acclaimed by the Pakistani press. She went on to direct short TV films and TV series for numerous TV channels in Pakistan, in addition to a number of short films, which have aired in festivals worldwide. Her award-winning films include 'Daughters of the Late Colonel', and a four-part television show: ' Sanam Gazida, Afsoon Khawab, Deeda-e-Purkhoon, and Lal Baig.'. 'Ramchand Pakistani' is her first feature length film. Mehreen has been a member of the National Board of Film Censors in Karachi, a founding member of WAR (War Against Rape), the KaraFilm Festival (Pakistan’s only international film festival) in Karachi, and has also served as a juror at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2002. She currently resides in New York City.