The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : A brave directorial debut

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 17, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

A brave directorial debut

MIXED BAG: Kabir Khan's `Kabul Express' has some delightful moments, some forgettable fare.

Kabul Express (Hindi)

Cast: John Abraham, Arshad Warsi

Director: Kabir Khan

Kabir Khan's first full-length feature film had been anticipated for quite a while. And with "Kabul Express" he proved that he is brave enough to make a film in violence-torn Afghanistan. The rugged creeks, awesome mountains, challenging topography and the innocently generous local people come alive on the camera. There are even some wistful moments when the Taliban come across as human beings and not some otherworldly devils they are often made out in the media. The director projects Afghanistan as it is: an avoidable man-made tragedy. Alas! Filmmaking is not just wonderful cinematography. A film has to have a common string. That is precisely missing in "Kabul Express".

The characters, except Arshad Warsi's to some extent, lack depth. More so as this story of two intrepid Indian journalists looking for an exclusive story in Afghanistan had a lot of potential. A rather wooden John Abraham, plays reporter Sohail Khan never seen jotting down notes or filing a story. . The journalists meet a Taliban fugitive with incredible ease .

Yes, the director is short on details too. For instance, he does not quite know the Islamic way of reciting the elementary tenet.

But there are moments, when the flaws recede. The story of one fighter touches the heart.As for Khan, the director himself is a talib, a learner. One can go ahead and watch `Kabul Express'The journey of course has its moments.

Ziya us Salam

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