The suicide bombings in London last year are already prompting the Movie Industry to commit stories to film, however this one isn’t from Hollywood, it’s from Bollywood, and will look into the mind of one of the terrorists.
According to Reuters through Yahoo:
Mahesh Bhatt’s Suicide Bomber, to be set in Britain and India, will also seek to spread the message that Islam is a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness, the leading director told Reuters on Wednesday…
…”The film will be an attempt to clarify Islam is not demonic and to delve into the mind of a young suicide bomber to try to find out what drives him to reject life for a violent death.”
Bhatt’s 21-year-old son, Rahul, will play the lead role — an Asian Muslim living in Britain who is drawn by radical ideology to kill himself and others in the name of faith, but who fails in his deadly mission and flees to India.
“There, life grabs our young man and then it becomes a struggle between (his) heart and his commitment to ideology,” Bhatt said. Shooting is slated to begin in June and the film may be ready for a December release.
The story does reveal that he’s mainly been inspired by a story in Time Magazine giving the account of a suicide bomber in Iraq before he committed his terrible act.
Like the account of a 9/11 terrorist in The Hamburg Cell this looks set to be a controversial yet revealing movie. However I just can’t help feeling that there might be a level of bias creeping in after one of the comments on the story:
“Muslims are demonized by the western nations especially after the so-called war on terror. The gulf between Muslims and the rest of the world is widening,” Bhatt said.
Woah, I’m in the Western World and I am not demonising Muslims one bit. In fact I’m intelligent enough to realise the separation of fundamentalist and Muslim, and there are many more like me. It’s exactly these kind of generalising quotes that are widening the gulf, and from both sides. I really do hope that comment was out of context, or I fear we may be in for a movie that doesn’t help us understand, and it could do more harm than good.
If you want an excellent example of how the matter can be treated then you should see The Hamburg Cell.
OK .. Hazelip enuff already’
I think Richard’s comments are appropriate. People can take offence if the film gives off the wrong vibe & that is fair to be said. I mean Bollywood films at a time were considered unhealthy for India-Pakistan Bonding .. eg; J.P Dutta’s “Border” but then again the same could be said for many Hollywood films where the British are portrayed as ‘evil’.
Whether the film cause problems of this kind, time will tell .. nothing inappropriate saying it is ‘possible’.
Diverting from the steam however, I think the film may be an interesting concept if handled correctly, a sidenote: Mahesh Bhatt’s mother was muslim & father was hindu, this was a very difficult situation, especially with the india-pak politics back then (soon after the ’47 split), he was raised as a hindu by his mother alone & only later in life found out about his mothers religion & how she still practiced.
There is a short (2 hr) Bollywood film all about this true life story which was released a few years back called ‘Zakhm’. I thoroughly recommend it as a thoughtful film. Its not a commercial rom-com which is traditionally expected from Bollywood.
As another thought, though India-Pak are building their bridges, its amazing that Bollywood films aren’t released in cinemas in Pakistan. A matter of time I guess. I’m in the UK & happily get my dose of Bollywood thankfully.
I don’t pretend - and don’t pretend to know me - and I have no idea what Step-n-Fetch-It means nor why you have infered that is something I want.
I’m in the UK, so perhaps I am distanced from that kind of extremist US view.
“Woah, I’m in the Western World and I am not demonising Muslims one bit. In fact I’m intelligent enough to realise the separation of fundamentalist and Muslim, and there are many more like me. It’s exactly these kind of generalising quotes that are widening the gulf, and from both sides. I really do hope that comment was out of context, or I fear we may be in for a movie that doesn’t help us understand, and it could do more harm than good.”
Haven’t heard any talk radio, or Fox News lately, have you? Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Bill Oreilly, Sean Hannity, etc. These pinheads are all painting with broad brushes, and having an effect on the national discussion. You can try to jam your head in the sand and pretend to be offended by a Muslim expressing chagrin at ideological demagogues’ hatred being broadcast across the media spectrum, but you’re being extremely disingenuous.
If you want a Step-n-Fetch-It Muslim point of view, just say so.
Many more? Where are the figures? I certainly don’t know anyone that thinks like that, and sure that could be the people I know, live around and work with, but many more?
Whatever the figures the focus should be on bringing together and understanding, not more inflammatory comments.
And, alas, there are many more *unlike* you who don’t care about the difference between Islamist fundamentalism and ordinary Muslims. All that they care about is that Muslims are different to them, and that difference = threat.