World | Pakistan
Families await return of star-struck boys from India
The families of Imran Masih, 13, and Mithun Masih, 11, are hopeful the boys will be back home with them within the next few weeks.
- By Kamila Hyat, Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 January 1, 2006
Lahore: The families of Imran Masih, 13, and Mithun Masih, 11, are hopeful the boys will be back home with them within the next few weeks.
"That would be the perfect start to 2006," says Imran's brother, Gulshan Masih.
Both Imran and Mithun are currently at the juvenile jail at Faridkot, in the Indian state of Haryana after illegally entering India last October.
The two boys worked at a restaurant in the industrial city of Faislabad, but suddenly disappeared one day. It was only through an Indian television channel that their families discovered they had crossed into India.
The boys, from the village of Thundi, near Faislabad, are like many others in the same village, passionate about Hindi films.
Indeed, curiously, many families have given children names such as Mithun, Govinda, Shah Rukh, Rani or Juhi in a tribute to the stars of the Indian screen, and almost everyone in the area seems to spend an immense amount of time pursuing their passion.
Private cinemas, screening films on DVD or video abound, and each shop seems to display at least one and usually more posters from the flamboyant world of Indian film.
It was this zeal which led to young Imran and Mithun landing up in an Indian jail.
Determined to personally reach Mumbai, and attempt to make their mark in the film industry, the boys had set out for the border, and managed to cross it without being stopped.
They then found themselves in the hands of Indian border guards, who handed them over to police.
"The children are not criminals. They just made a mistake because they are very naughty and are totally devoted to Indian films," said Mithun's mother.
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