Zardari says no to Bollywood film on Benazir

[Spring Onion]

Zardari says no to Bollywood film on Benazir


Islamabad, March 04, 2008
First Published: 15:20 IST(4/3/2008)
Last Updated: 15:26 IST(4/3/2008)

Slain former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari has shot down a Bollywood proposal to make a film on the life of his wife.

The film was supposed to be co-produced by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Karachi-based Skies Unlimited Films with veteran actress Shabana Azmi playing Bhutto.

Bhatt, who was waiting to get the nod from Bhutto's family, was reportedly banking on Naheed Khan, the late premier's close aide, to get his proposal cleared.

Khan's sister Aneela Khan is a producer with Skies Unlimited and was to assist Bhatt on the project.

Bhatt, who planned to base the film on the revised edition of Bhutto's book Daughter of the East, wanted to sign a formal contract with Zardari for the movie rights of the book and was sure Naheed could get the clearance for him, The News reported

However, Zardari told Naheed that Bhutto had signed an agreement with famous Hollywood filmmaker Robert Redford during her lifetime. Naheed's husband Safdar Abbasi too could not convince Zardari.

The report said Zardari was advised by his lawyers to not allow an Indian filmmaker to make a movie on Bhutto's life as this would have "negative consequences" for the probe into her assassination.

The lawyers reportedly pointed out that no film could be made without "answering questions about who killed Bhutto".

"A Bollywood film without the clear identification of the mastermind behind the assassination of Bhutto would only help the assassins. It is not difficult to guess who the real enemies of Bhutto are," a Pakistan People's Party lawyer told The News.

Skies Unlimited had earlier said it would rope in well-known Pakistani writer and poet Aqeel Ahmad Ruby to write the script.

In January, Aneela Khan had said: "The film is going to be released internationally and we don't want to create any controversy with this film.

The basic motive behind this announcement (about making the movie) is just to dedicate this film to Benazir Bhutto."

Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack after addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27. She was 54.

 

[Always Neutral]

Wonder who will watch a movie on Mrs BB. After all outside Pakistan she is hardly known.

Regards

 

[Spring Onion]

Wonder who will watch a movie on Mrs BB. After all outside Pakistan she is hardly known.

Regards

nobody knew Daniel Pearl too dear

 

[Always Neutral]

Dear Jana,

Yes but Daniel Pearl was known all over the world as a very credible journalist. Further more inspite Angela Jolie starring in it, it hardly made any box office reviews. You may also note that cinematic tastes of the Pakistani public are very different from Hollywood pictures which have a global acceptability. Anyway as and when they make the movies I wonders who they will choose as Mrs BB. Also hard to believe that Robert Redford would be involved in such a project.

Regards

 

[solid snake]

Wonder who will watch a movie on Mrs BB. After all outside Pakistan she is hardly known.

Regards

Are you kidding me? She is seen by Americans as some sort of Asian Dr. Martin Luther King - as if she was some sort of torch bearer of democracy and bringing hope the "oppressed masses". Even kids who could not show me where Pakistan is on the map heard about her death.

 

[Spring Onion]

And i say its not the personalities that sell the movie its the propoganda and spice that is put into these movies even if it was made on someone the most popular person in the world.

 

[Dynamic_Dynasty]

Wonder who will watch a movie on Mrs BB. After all outside Pakistan she is hardly known.

Regards

Shes hardly known, are you on drugs?

Where were you when CNN and other media was reporting on her in USA for 24 hours after her assassination.

And when international media creates hypes and give coverages then that Human/Thing or whatever u call it can become known no matter what they are the powerful media.

 

[mujahideen]

Wonder who will watch a movie on Mrs BB. After all outside Pakistan she is hardly known.
Regards

This statment I cannnot agree with. She was well known if she wasn't the UN Security Council wouldn't have condemmed her assassination and might I add when she was killed an emergency meeting of the council was called. She was very well known and even the international media knew her, I remember as soon as she was killed the U.S. Presidential candidates went on air to condemm the act, so I think if a movie is to be made it would sell. But at the same time the movie should be totally a Pakistan affiar and a Pakistan production. Whatever she was as corrupt as she was she was twice the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

 

[khanz]

but he said yes to robert redford lol

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

nobody knew Daniel Pearl too dear

His gruesome murder however drew the attention of the world and his case became a cause célébré.

SS,

BB was equated with Dr King?

DD,

BB's assassination was shown on US TV because the US was highly interested in the way Pakistan would shape up and whether it would still be in league with the WoT which the US wears on the sleeve.

And it has become a fact of life that most of the time, what the US wants, the US gets!!