Pakistani Cinema Has Its own Uri Now

The ban on  Bollywood films in Pakistan seems  to have triggered of a creative response.  In what looks like a concerted departure  from the  overall tackiness  that  defines  popular  commercial cinema in Pakistan  there comes  a film  from across  the  border which tells us what it is  like to  be a patriotic Pakistani  soldier.

Entitled Sher  Dil  the  Pakistani film stars Mikaal  Zulfiqaar as a brave Pakistani  airforce  pilot willing to sacrifice  his life to  protect  his  country.

Interestingly  there is  a  prominent character  of an Indian airforce pilot named  Arun  Virani in the  film,played  by the Pakistani  actor Hassan Niazi.And  there is  no attempt to  unduly demonize  the character .

Interestingly Mikaal Zulfiqar who plays  the  lead  in  Sher Dil has  significant  Bollywood connections. He  played a suicide  bomber in  Jagmohan Mundra’s Shoot On Sight  in  2007. Mikaal also had a prominent  role in the Akshay Kumar starrer Baby.

In an email  interview with this writer  in 2015 Mikaal had said, “Terrorism is the biggest issue In the world these days. Pakistan suffers most from it. The world should unite to fight it together.”