Red carpet Bollywood

Pakistan filmmaker Mohammed Ehteshamuddin (at DIFF with his film Death of Shahrukh Khan) laments the fact that the huge Bollywood industry sadly fails to tells some really good stories.

“The commercial movies fail to pick up subjects from real life. There are some good stories out there,'' he said.

“We have to accept reality. Bollywood movies are hugely popular in Pakistan,'' he said, and called for more cooperation between the two countries, especially in the arts and pop culture. “It is necessary. We are neighbours. We speak the same language.''

The filmmaker said Tabraiz Shah, who plays the poor Pakistani boy who is a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan, was recognised by movie fans when he was going back to Karachi from Dubai.

“The movie is not negative,'' said the filmmaker about the movie that exposes the impact of Bollywood in Pakistan, and the faceless teens that are the part of its urban landscape.

Ehteshamuddin said the short film was well received when it was screened in Mumbai. “There are a lot of young people in India who can relate to my story,'' he said.

Death of Shahrukh Khan was made on a tight budget of PRs200,000 (Dh12,000). His actors were all first-timers. His movie at DIFF is a Middle East premiere.

“It is wonderful to be here in Dubai,'' said the young filmmaker. “I don't think I have done something great,'' he said, amazed at his own success. He started out in theatre and after working on a UN TV production course, started writing scripts for shorts.

Ehteshamuddin now plans to get the classics in literature to the young masses, who he says do not read anything today. He is adapting stories from writers as varied as O. Henry and Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Ismat Chughtai and Munto.