Movie review: Filmistaan

Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Inaamul-Haq, Kumud Mishra Director: Nitin Kakkar Language: Hindi

Meet Sunny. He mimics a mean verbal orgasm (like Sunny Leone) and delivers heavyweight dialogues (like Sunny Deol) for he’s bitten by the Bollywood bug. Yes, he spouts dialogues from bygone films, mimics Mithunda, Ashok Kumar, SRK and Shatrughan like a maestro, and knows every filmi scene by heart. Yet no one gives this good fella a break in Bollywood. So like Hrithik, Ranbir and Co. before him, he decides to become an assistant director first.

This lands him on the Rajasthan border with a group of American documentary filmmakers. Mistaken by Islamic fundamentalists for a phirang, Sunny is captured on the other side of the border.

Thus begins a series of hilarious face-offs with terrorist leader Mehmood (a brilliant Kumud Mishra). Our desi filmi chakkar wins the hearts of the village innocents, one being Aftab (Inaam-ul-Haq, outstanding), by imitating Bollywood stars. Filmistaan warms the cockles of the heart with its innocence, its gem of an idea and incredible performances from newcomers. Its premise is simple — ‘There should be no Hindustan or Pakistan, only Filmistaan’.

That the fibre that binds the two nations is the same — cricket, language, food and people with warmth in their hearts for movies. Where Shah Rukh is the ‘king of the world’ and Salman is ‘bhai’ to all. As Sunny, newcomer Sharib Hashmi exudes sunshine.

His emotions, humour, elan run the gamut, never OTT. The music is lilting, but the man of the moment is writer/ director Nitin Kakkar. Telling a tale of two countries with the nostalgia of a veteran and the innocence of a newborn. Catch this little tale of wonder that dares dream of Tendulka r, Af r idi , Inzamam-ul-Haq, Dhoni – all in one unbeatable team. You may just end up believing the impossible.

-Omar Qureshi