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Mumbai, July 7 (Ians): Film: 72 Hoorain. Duration: 80 minutes

Cast: Pavan Malhotra, Aamir Bashir, Saru Maini, Rasheed Naz, Ashok Pathak and Namrata Dixit. Director: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan

Ians Rating: ****

India is one of those countries in the world that is among the worst sufferers of terrorism spread in the name of religion. And everyone knows how religious fanaticism is being used to burn the social fabric of the country.

There have been films that showcase how terrorism deeply impacts our day-to-day life, but there are hardly any films that daringly question the practice of brainwashing youth into becoming terrorists and killing innocent people in the name of religion.

Director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s ’72 Hoorain’ exposes the dirty game to trick people into becoming terrorists and turning them into killing machines.

The best part of the film is that it doesn’t preach to convey its message and directly...

National Award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s ‘72 Hoorain’ trailer is all about radicalisation, terrorism and religious fundamentalism, which has now got into a controversy.

Produced by Ashoke Pandit, the film landed in soup after its teaser was released on June 4. It has reportedly been denied certification by the censor board.

The over two-minutes long clip shows a satirical take on terrorism. It begins with introducing late Pakistani actor Rasheed Naz a maulvi, who talks about 72 Hoorain. Pavan Malhotra plays Hakim and Aamir Bashir essays Bilal boasting of the leisure and 72 virgins in heaven only granted to the true followers of religion.

The two are on top of a building talking about life post death. The video swiftly moves to visuals of bomb blasts and terrorist attacks. It ends with two bodies of terrorists being thrown into the water.

‘72 Hoorain’ is scheduled to release on July 7.

With terror threats being issued ahead of President Obama's Republic Day visit to New Delhi, the sequence of events described in this week's big counter-terrorism film Baby seem ominously prophetic. In the film an apprehended but defiant terrorist warns, "Iss saal bahot saare diwaliyan hone wali hain (this year there will be lots of fireworks)." Says the film's co-producer Vikram Malhotra (of the Couching Tiger production house), "It's a chilling reminder of how close terror attacks are to our lives. No city, no culture or community is immune from terrorism. Our film is only reflecting a truth that we all know and must recognize." Baby is the first film on counter-terrorism that points a direct finger at Pakistan as the hub of terrorism. The film was bound to raise some dust in our neighbouring country, more so since the terror-mastermind a rabid radical India hater named Mullah Maulana Mohammad...

Picture this. An elite team who target, intercept then either eliminate or bring to justice terrorists and criminals. Whilst on an operation to save one of their own, information is obtained (read smacked black and blue out of) from a criminal of a major attack. Travelling from country to country, now begins the chase to take out the masterminds behind it. Sound familiar. Well it should. You’ve seen it more than a million times, with one of the latest being Akshay Kumar’s Holiday. However, coming from the National Award winning Neeraj Pandey, you would think Baby would blow your mind. Yet the mind is not blown enough.

Right from the actors to the action, Baby was never meant to have the usual tone for a CIA-in-combat-fighting-against-terrorism storyline. It was more gritty, more swift, more dark. This isn’t about the patriot that screams his passion filled anthem at the top of his lungs.

The forthcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer Baby will see Pakistani actors Mikaal Zulfiqar and Rasheed Naz in pivotal roles. While Naz who is well known for his work as Maulana Tahiri in the critically-acclaimed Khuda Key Liye will be playing a similar role in the film as Maulana Abdul Rahman, Zulfiqar’s role in the film has been kept a surprise.

Zulfiqar has already worked on three projects in India, including Godfather, Shoot on Sight and U R My Jaan, while Naz will be making his debut in Bollywood with Baby. Shooting for the action-packed thriller was conducted worldwide, from Kathmandu and Istanbul to Abu Dhabi, Mumbai and Delhi.

Gulshan Kumar presents Baby, a Neeraj Pandey film, a Crouching Tiger and Friday Filmworks production, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Shital Bhatia, Cape of Good Films and Crouching Tiger, releasing on 23rd January, distributed in the UK by Filmonix.

The post Pakistani actors,...

CHENNAI, India -- "In the Name of God" ("Khuda Kay Liye") is the first Pakistani film to be released in India since 1965, when war between the neighbors led to a ban on exchange of cinema. With 100 prints in India, compared to 20 across the border, the movie is part of a new agreement to show each other's films, a step that may revive the theater business in Pakistan, where Lahore was the center of sub-continental cinema before it shifted to Bombay post 1947.

The movie tells us that Islam is progressive, but the interpretation of its teachings are often twisted by fundamentalists. It has a lengthy scene where the only Indian actor in it, Naseeruddin Shah, playing an enlightened Moulana Wali, exposes myths about Islam. Not exactly festival material, it attracted good crowds in Pakistan, and decent audiences in the first few days in India.

Set in the U.S., Britain and Pakistan, the plot follows two musician-brothers. One is brainwashed into extremism; the other becomes a victim of this post 9/11 hysteria. Sarmad (Fawad Khan) drops music and marries Mary/Maryam (Iman Ali), a London-bred Pakistani girl, against her will on the radical instruction of Moulana Tahiri (Rasheed Naz). Liberal Mansoor (Shaan) is tortured as a suspect in the U.S., where he is learning music, while his new American bride, Janie Austin Marie Sayre), is left holding placards of plea.

Despite poor production values, too many artistic liberties and stilted acting that point to debuting director Shoaib Mansoor's weaknesses, the film may touch the heart. Meanwhile, some tunes are bound to haunt you long after the curtain comes down.

IN THE NAME OF GOD

Geo Films

International sales: Percept Picture Co.

Credits:

Director/writer/producer: Shoaib Mansoor

Directors of photography: David LeMay, Ken Seng

Music: Javed Bashir, Shuja Haider, Ahmad Jahanzeb, Khawar Jawad, Lagan Band

Art Director: David Christopher Krause

Costume designer: Emma Potter

Editors: Ali Javed and Amir Khan

Cast:

Mansoor: Shaan

Sarmad: Fawad Khan

Mary/Maryam: Iman Ali

Janie: Austin Marie Sayre

Moulana Tahiri: Rasheed Naz

Moulana Wali: Naseeruddin Shah

Running time -- 167 minutes

No MPAA rating...