Pakistani Film on Hindu Boy Aims to Bring Nations Closer

'Ramchand Pakistani' - a Pakistani film based on the real life drama of a seven-year-old Pakistani Dalit Hindu boy - Rambchand - which is set for an international release early next year, is being critically acclaimed. Written and produced by first-time director Mehreen Jabbar's father, Javed Jabbar, the film stars Syed Fazal Hussain in the title role. Adapted from a story of how an accidental crossover along the Pakistan-India border at a time of war-like tension in 2002 dramatically changes the lives of this poor Dalit family. The film from Pakistani feature filmmaker Mehreen Jabbar stars India's Nandita Das as the woman who sees her husband and son getting jailed for being "spies". Das plays Champa, the woman whose seven-year-old son Ramchand and husband disappear from their village near Nagarparkar, located along the border with India. "The story is deeply rooted in the complex relationships that characterize interactions between Pakistan and India, and Muslims and Hindus," Jabbar said. The plot of "Ramchand Pakistani" takes key characters from the socially marginalized Dalit community in the Muslim dominated nation.