Friday,
July
28,
2006
Mumbai
(UNI):
Yashraj
films'
latest
venture
Kabul
Express,
which
has
been
selected
for
world
premiere
at
the
31st
Toronto
international
film
festival,
has
been
described
by
the
selectors
as
an
''important
breakthrough
for
Indian
cinema.''
The
film
festival
will
be
held
from
September
7
to
16.
Kabul
Express
will
have
a
world
premiere
at
the
prestigious
red-carpet
special
presentation
meant
for
''artistic
and
daring
cinema
from
around
the
world.''
The
film
is
written
and
directed
by
well-known
documentary
film
director
Kabir
Khan.
Having
shot
films
in
over
50
countries,
Kabir's
first
feature
film
is
an
intriguing
topical
story
set
in
the
post
9/11
war-torn
Kabul,
in
Afghanistan.
Kabir
told
reporters,
''Comprising
a
large
international
cast,
all
actors
have
been
roped
in
according
to
the
nationality
of
the
characters.
Kabul
Express
brings
together
John
Abraham
and
Arshad
Warsi
as
TV
journalists,
who
go
to
Kabul
in
search
of
the
ultimate
news
coup
-
meeting
the
Taliban.
The
film
also
stars
Salman
Shahid
from
Pakistan,
Hanif
Hum
Ghum
from
Afghanistan
and
Linda
Arsenio
from
the
US.''
Produced
by
Aditya
Chopra
of
Yashraj
Films,
Kabul
Express
has
been
shot
over
a
two-month
schedule
in
Afghanistan.
Kabir
said
this
is
the
first
international
feature
film
to
have
been
entirely
shot
in
post-Taliban
Afghanistan.
Based
on
his
own
experiences
as
a
documentary
filmmaker,
he
said
he
was
convinced
that
the
movie
could
be
shot
only
in
Afghanistan.
''The
country
is
not
just
a
location
for
filming,
it
is
a
character
in
the
film,'' he
added.
Kabir
said
the
making
of
this
film
was
a
very
unique
experience
because
there
are
things
that
can
only
happen
in
Afghanistan,
no
where
else.
''It
takes
six
letters
from
three
different
ministries
to
get
a
visa
and
only
one
phone
call
to
organise
30
Kalashnikovs
and
two
rocket
launchers.
You
can
take
the
keys
to
a
tank
or
a
chopper
and
fly
pretty
much
anywhere
but
you
cannot
get
a
woman
to
show
her
face
on
camera,''
he
quipped.
He
also
said
it
is
an
honour
for
Kabul
Express
to
be
a
part
of
the
Toronto
international
film
festival,
and
a
proud
moment
for
Indian
cinema.