Remembering some noteworthy films that were shot in Afghanistan
Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan recently, the country's beautiful landscape was captured by many filmmakers in their outings. Given the connection they have with the land, the film fraternity wrote, "Our thoughts and prayers are with you," on social media. While hoping for normalcy to return soon to the South-Asian country, let's see which all movies were shot in the Heart of Asia.
'Kabul Express': Based on Kabir Khan's personal experience in Afghanistan
Idea of Kabir Khan's directorial debut Kabul Express took birth when he went to Afghanistan with Rajan Kapoor and witnessed a 42-year-old terrorist, Salahuddin Khaled, "transform into a sobbing father." Khan decided to shoot the movie there itself to bring the essence of reality. The 2006 release revolves around two journalists, John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, who go to that country for a report.
'The Kite Runner,' not shot in Afghanistan, was banned there
Marc Forster-helmed The Kite Runner, based on Khaled Hosseini's novel, was banned in Afghanistan upon its release. That's because it showed rape of one of the characters, a young boy, and also had Pashtun-Hazara tribe conflict scenes. Interestingly, the movie wasn't shot in Afghanistan.
'Opium War': Siddiq Barmak actually cultivated poppy field in Afghanistan
Opium War, released in 2008, is a black comedy-drama directed by Golden Globe awarded director Siddiq Barmak. It revolves around two American soldiers who crash-land in the Afghan desert, and meet a family of opium farmers. To keep it authentic, Barmak actually cultivated a poppy field. And to do so, he sought permission from the government as it was illegal in the region.
'Dharmatma' was first Bollywood movie to be shot in Afghanistan
Dharmatma was the first Bollywood film to be shot in Afghanistan. The Feroz Khan-directorial, which released in 1975, was touted as the localized version of the multiple Oscar winner The Godfather. Apart from capturing the locales, the movie also featured Buzkashi, a Central Asian sport. And, for this, Kamal Bose had won the Filmfare Award for Best Cinematographer. Hema Malini was the female lead.
'Osama': First movie entirely filmed in Afghanistan after 1996
Another Barmak offering, Osama, premiered at the Cannes in 2003. During Taliban's first regime from 1996 to 2001, they had banned music, films, etc. Osama was the first movie that was filmed entirely in Afghanistan after that imposition. The film was about a young girl, who lives in the disguise of a boy to support her family. Barmak based Osama on a real-life story.
