Kabul Express

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Mumbai, Dec. 14: A day ahead of the release of Bollywood film Kabul Express, the movie’s cast and crew is very upbeat about its reception at the box-office. Kabir Khan, the director feels that the film has every reason to be commercially successful, as it reflects a true picture of Afghanistan. Khan says that the film does not try to involve itself in the politics of Afghanistan, and instead, focuses on the people, the places and the terror of the unknown. "I have tried to be very accurate about the political backdrop. I think it is very realistic in its setting. The Afghanistan we hear about is full of stereotypes. There is much more to Afghanistan than war and Taliban. That's the kind of Afghanistan that I have tried to bring forward and show it to the audience in Kabul Express," said Khan. The film explores the lives and experiences of a war correspondent played by hunk John Abraham. "I have always respected war documentary film makers and journalists who cover war because they put their lives in the line of fire. So, there is already that great amount of respect for them and the profession. In India, I think, film journalism leaves a little scope for improvement but political journalism is the best in the world. As one sees in the West, journalists lean with a bias towards the western interests on issues, which is not so here. We have fairly balanced journalists," said Abraham. The reporter is kidnapped and forced to assist fugitives heading to the Afghanistan border. Abraham said that he enjoyed working in authentic locales in Afghanistan. He said that his interactions with locals gave him a better understanding about Indians, Pakistanis and Afghanistanis. The film has Afghan and Pakistani actors, besides American actress Linda Arsenio. She said that she was happy to finish the film in 2005. Hanif Humghum, who plays an Afghan driver, said he was very happy to be a part of the film. "During the making of the film, I felt that I was an Indian, born in India and belonged to this crew. I felt that the film was mine and we were only shooting in Afghanistan. But as a citizen of Afghanistan, I and my people are very proud that this film was shot in our country. A country of that is hospitable and consists of warm hearted people," said Humghum. The film is inspired by Khan's own experiences in Afghanistan as a documentary filmmaker, where he encountered the Taliban on numerous occasions. The film has already been screened at the Toronto, London and Pusan film festivals. This is the first Indian film to be shot entirely in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. (ANI)