Jinnah (film)

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Jinnah
Akbar S. Ahmed

Jamil Dehlavi
Produced byJamil Dehlavi
Starring
Narrated byShashi Kapoor
CinematographyNicholas D. Knowland
Edited byRobert M. Reitano
Paul Hodgson
Music byNigel Clarke
Michael Csányi-Wills
Production
company
The Quaid Project Limited (UK)[1][2]
Distributed byDehlavi Films Productions
Release dates
  • 2 September 1998 (1998-09-02) (Pakistan)
  • 7 November 1998 (1998-11-07) (UK)
Running time
110 minutes
CountriesPakistan
United Kingdom
LanguagesEnglish
Urdu
Budget$6 million[3]
Box office$150 k[4]

Jinnah is a 1998 Pakistani–British

Akbar S. Ahmed and Jamil Dehlavi. It stars Christopher Lee in the lead role as Jinnah.[5]

To make this film, Shashi Kapoor wanted to invest $1 million.[6] Shashi Kapoor was the victim of controversy from India and Pakistan for acting in the film.[7] It was shown in Mill Valley Film Festival on 15 October 1999.[8] The director of the film accused Akbar Ahmed of embezzling money from the film. Former Channel 4 executive Farrukh Dhondy also helped write the screenplay for the film for £12,000.[9]

Plot

The film opens with the words of Professor Stanley Wolpert:

Few individuals significantly alter the course of history.
Fewer still modify the map of the world.
Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.

A Guide takes Jinnah to 1947 where, at the Cromwell Conference with

Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah demands a homeland
for Indian Muslims.

In flashbacks, the Guide recounts the marital life of Jinnah, when he falls in love and marries a

Rattanbai Petit, nicknamed Ruttie, later known against the will of her parents, mainly on grounds of religion and the difference in their ages. In 1922, Jinnah faces political isolation as he devotes every spare moment to be the voice of moderation in a nation torn by Hindu-Muslim antipathy. This creates tension between Rattanbai and Jinnah. She finally leaves him with their daughter, and they eventually separate. The subsequent death of Rattanbai from cancer greatly impacts Jinnah and his fight for Pakistan. He returns to British India to start a political journey of the two-nation theory
. At the Muslim League annual conference in 1940, Jinnah addresses thousands of Muslims and gives them the assurance of the birth of Pakistan.

The Guide questions Jinnah as to who he loves the most apart from Ruttie and his sister Fatima. He then mentions his daughter, who married a Parsi boy without his permission.

While addressing a Muslim League conference in 1947, Muslims fanatics attack the conference and argue that if Pakistan is to be a Muslim state, it cannot give equal rights to women and non-Muslims. Jinnah replies that Islam doesn't need fanatics but people with vision who can build the country. However, the

Bombay with her husband and child
.

After independence and the end of

war between India and Pakistan then and afterward from time to time in the Kashmir conflict
.

The film jumps into a final scene showing Jinnah and Lord

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (last Viceroy of India) in a Heavenly Court. Jinnah is fighting a case against him over his betrayal. The film ends with Jinnah and his angel judge traveling back in time to the scene of Muslim refugees. Jinnah expresses his sorrow over the plight of the refugees during the division of Punjab. They chant "Pakistan Zindabad
" in response, which ends the film.

Cast

Soundtrack

Jinnah
Soundtrack album by
Nigel Clarke and Michael Csányi-Wills
Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Azadi"Salman Ahmad (composition), Sabir ZafarAli Azmat, Samina Ahmed 

Critical reception

The film received an overwhelmingly positive response in Pakistan. Christopher Lee spoke highly of the film, calling his performance in it the best of his career as well as stressing the importance of the film.[14][15]

The most important film I made, in terms of its subject and the great responsibility I had as an actor was a film I did about the founder of Pakistan, called Jinnah. It had the best reviews I've ever had in my entire career—as a film and as a performance. But ultimately it was never shown at the cinemas.

However, the choice of Lee to play the lead role led to a large amount of media controversy in Pakistan because of his previous roles in

vampire films as Count Dracula, with Lee having received death threats which required personal bodyguards during filming. The BBC reported that the threats were due to his previous film roles and not that he was a European playing an Asian.[10] Some critics even demanded a ban on the film.[16]

International awards

See also

References

  1. ^ Akbar S Ahmed (10 November 2015). "Leghari and the making of 'Jinnah'". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. ^ Farhana Mohamed. "'Jinnah': A Celluloid Salute to the Giant". Pakistan Link (U.S. newspaper). Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Jinnah (1998)". Pakistani.PK. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Jinnah (1998)". Pakistani.PK. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. ProQuest 421351306
  6. ProQuest 367775602
  7. ProQuest 245316352
  8. ProQuest 365261098
  9. ^ Roy, Amit (7 June 2000). "London cool to Pak envoy sack". The Telegraph.
  10. ^ a b "World: South Asia Troubled Jinnah movie opens". BBC News. 26 September 1998. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e Jinnah (film) on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website Retrieved 24 October 2020
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jinnah screeninig at IAC on March 4 Dawn (newspaper), Published 26 February 2019, Retrieved 24 October 2020
  13. ^ Indian artistes who contributed to Pakistani Film Industry Cineplot.com website, Published 25 May 2011, Retrieved 24 October 2020
  14. ^ Lindrea, Victoria (11 October 2004). "Christopher Lee on the making of legends". BBC. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  15. ^ Christopher Lee talks about his favorite role - video on YouTube Published 27 June 2007, Retrieved 24 October 2020
  16. ProQuest 265549903
  17. ^ a b c "Jamil Dehlavi's 'Jinnah' to be screened in Lahore". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 6 March 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  18. ^ Worldfest - List of Winners: All Previous Years, Worldfest.

External links

Film reviews

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