Recognizing cross-cultural collaboration


“Besides the promise of artistic excellence, Ramchand Pakistani exhibited accomplished storytelling and offers audiences a perspective on daily life in Pakistan. We are impressed by the innovative and unique approach to the character development, plot construction, editing style and technique”, said Ms. Susan Weeks Coulter, Chairperson of the Global Film Initiative (GFI), in response to Ramchand Pakistani, Mehreen Jabbar’s first ever full-length feature film.

The GFI, whose Board Of Governors boasts a membership of some of the best in global cinema namely Mira Nair, Noah Cowen, Pedro Almodovar, Jia Zhangke among others, aims to ‘promote cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema’. And Ramchand Pakistani has been selected, in addition to five other films from around the world, to receive the GFI’s Spring 2007 Grant.

The film, which is in its post-production phase and is expected to be released globally sometime in January 2008, also boasts of a collaboration between Shafqat Amanat Ali and India’s Shoba Mugdal on four of the songs from the soundtrack of the film, with two of the songs having been recorded by Rohail Hyatt. Anwar Maqsood has penned the lyrics whereas Debojyoti Mishra has directed the music for the songs.

Inspired by a real-life incident, Ramchand Pakistani is based on how a seven-year-old Pakistani-Hindu boy and his father unintentionally cross the Indian border, are jailed as a result of it, and the emotional turmoil the mother (played by Indian actress Nandita Das) suffers through. “The film talks about things common to both India and Pakistan: bureaucracy and prejudice”, Nandita said, “There are innumerable cases of people accidentally crossing the border and being jailed as spies”. Ramchand Pakistani is currently one of Pakistan’s most anticipated films being made.

– Photo by Kohi Marri

First Published:
Images
November 11, 2007