Star studded <i>Mughal-E-Azam</i> Pakistan premiere
News
oi-Staff
By Super Admin
Friday,
June
23,
2006
New
Delhi
(UNI):
It
had
a
quiet
release
in
Pakistan
in
April,
when
it
pipped
Akbar
Khan's
Taj
Mahal
to
become
the
first
Indian
film
to
hit
theatres
in
the
neighbouring
country.
After
premiering
Mughal-e-Azam
at
Lahore's
Gulistan
cinema
on
April
22,
thus
breaking
a
nearly
five
decade
-long
barrier
to
screening
of
Indian
films
in
theatres
in
the
neighbouring
country,
Akbar
Asif,
son
of
the
legendary
maker
K
Asif
has
made
grand
preparations
for
ushering
the
60s
classic
into
Pakistan
in
a
big
way
tomorrow.
So
while
the
April
premiere
of
the
film,
starring
the
late
Prithviraj
Kapoor,
Dilip
Kumar
and
Madhubala
in
the
roles
of
Emperor
Akbar,
Prince
Salim
and
his
beloved
Anarkali,
was
a
low
key
affair,
attended
by
select
government
officials
and
socialites,
arrangements
have
been
made
for
Mughal-e-Azam's
premiere
at
a
star-studded
function
in
Pakistan
tomorrow.
Bollywood
stars
like
Saif
Ali
Khan,
Urmila
Matondkar,
Aftab
Shivdasani,
Dino
Morea,
Ayesha
Takia,
Neha
Dhupia
and
Amrita
Arora
are
likely
to
grace
the
event,
Akbar
Asif
told
UNI.
A
charity
dinner
for
the
earthquake
victims
in
Pakistan
will
also
be
held
on
the
occasion,
he
said.
''The
release
of
Mughal-e-Azam
in
Pakistan
is
a
fulfilment
of
my
father's
dream.
It
is
to
ensure
the
fruit
of
the
desire
of
my
father,
who
wanted
Mughal-e-Azam
to
be
the
first
film
to
release
across
the
border,
that
I
went
in
for
a
low
key
release
in
April.
However,
it
was
my
wish
that
an
epic
like
Mughal-e-Azam
be
released
in
Pakistan
with
fanfare,''Akbar
Asif
said.
Infact,
London-based
Akbar
Asif
had
all
along
planned
a
grandiose
release
for
Mughal-e-Azam
on
June
2,
including
a
hunt
to
find
a
new
Anarkali
through
a
major
television
hunt
spreading
over
six
months.
However,
when
it
turned
out
later
that
Akbar
Khan's
Taj
Mahal-An
eternal
Love
Story
,
which
released
in
Pakistan
on
April
28,
would
eventually
become
the
first
Indian
film
to
make
it
to
Pakistani
theatres,
Akbar
Asif
dropped
plans
for
a
grandiose
release
as
he
wanted
his
film
to
be
the
first
Indian
cinematic
venture
to
hit
theatres
in
the
neighbouring
country.
The
premiere
of
Mughal-e-Azam
comes
even
as
recent
amendments
by
the
Pakistani
Government
to
its
1980
Film
Rules
Act
have
cleared
the
way
for
Pakistani
filmmakers
to
operate
with
Indian
actors.
As
per
four
amendments
made
to
the
1980
Film
Rules
Act
on
June
5
by
the
Pakistan
Ministry
of
Culture,
the
'notorious'
Paragraph
5,
a
major
obstacle
for
Pakistani
filmmakers
wanting
to
hire
Indian
actors,
has
been
deleted,
thus
paving
way
for
Indian
actors
to
cross
the
border
to
work
in
films
in
the
neighbouring
country.
Lauding
the
move
by
the
Pakistan
Government,
Mr
Akbar
Asif
said,''I
am
happy
that
Pakistan
Government
has
opened
doors
for
Indian
actors
to
work
in
films
in
the
neighbouring
country.''
''The
move
will
help
carry
forward
the
process
of
building
of
cultural
bridges
between
India
and
Pakistan,
which
I
had
begun
by
securing
the
release
of
Mughal-e-Azam
in
Pakistan
as
the
first
film
to
be
theatrically
released
in
the
neighbouring
country
last
month,''Akbar
Asif
said.
''For
me
,
it
also
marks
the
fulfilment
of
my
father's
dream
to
bring
the
two
countries
closer
in
a
deep
bond
of
friendship,''he
said.
The
star-studded
event
has
been
organised
by
the
famous
Morani
brothers,
who
have
in
the
past
organised
several
Bollywood
concerts
in
foreign
country
including
the
recently-concluded
Rockstars
concerts.