Daily Times

Please tell us what inspired you to enter into the world of films?

Well this is off-brand for me but do you remember Mr. India? Oh My God, this film… This film has Amrish Puri. It has Sri Devi. And it has an insane story. A story that does not care about plot, a cohesive tone, or solid art direction. Furthermore, it is beyond confident in its choices and direction. Let me set the scene for you:

So in some secret lair, Amrish Puri makes his entrance adorning a hyper blonde hair piece, and GI Joe’s Cobra-esque attire. He turns towards his henchman and commands them to “Jump!” as a test of their loyalty. At this point, several of the henchmen jump into these vats of probably Tang water doubling as acid. Few minutes later, plastic prop skeletons emerge from these “acid” vats. Amrish Puri looks triumphantly at the camera and says, ”Mogambo Khush hua!”

As if this is not glorious enough, a short while later, Sir Devi infiltrates this secret lair and decides the best course of action to foil Amrish Puri and his evil designs is a dance number. During a party Mogambo is hosting for his evil friends, Sri Devi descends from the ceiling dipped in golden sparkles to and proceeds to sing the following lyrics:

Awi Wiwi Wiwi Wi

Chee Ho Ho Honolulu Lu Lu Lu Lu, Honolulu

Hing Bekei Hong Kong, King Kong

I Seenoosi, Yusiloosi, Hassi Tosi, Lassi Pissi

Mombasa, Ping Pong*

*(The opening chorus to the legendary hit “Hawa Hawai”)

I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to make films after baring witness to this masterpiece.

Do you think films can bring a good change in the society?

Certainly. One of the most difficult films I have had to make was “Pakistan’s Hidden Shame”. This documentary confronted the open secret of paedophile predators on the streets of Peshawar who created victims out of tens of thousands of vulnerable young boys. This was psychologically such a tough film for me to make. In order to make it, I had to face my own history as a victim of sexual abuse.

The power of the film is such that it inspired Imran Khan to open a shelter and housing complex for homeless children in KPK province. It was one of the proudest moments I have had as a filmmaker.

Why do you choose documentary as your medium for raising voice on social issues?

I arrived in New York just before 9/11, and I founded B.L.A.H Productions, a theatre company performing off-off-Broadway revivals of classic American plays. But once 9/11 happened, it became obvious to me as a storyteller that I had to turn my focus to stories from my homeland.

9/11 for me was such a seminal event. I was in New York and witnessed the buildings fall and afterwards everything changed. I experienced repeated systemic Islamophobia—from being forced to be a special registrant, to being detained by security officers, to being interrogated by FBI agents. Still, my desire to bring layered, complex stories of Pakistani and Muslim culture, politics, and ways of life to audiences internationally remained undeterred.

One experience I clearly remember was my return to New York in 2002. I had just finished shooting Terror’s Children in Pakistan for the New York Times/Discovery channel. The film was an exposé of madrassahs in Pakistan. It was my first big break after graduating from college. This was supposed to be the beginning of my American dream — to make films for big American media companies.

When I got off the plane, the sent me to a secondary inspection room. This is what happened next: “They wouldn’t give a f*** if you died. You know that, right? To them you are just someone who can get good access to news stories in the Middle East,” the immigration officer barked at me.

I was interrogated for seven hours by immigration officers in a fluorescent and sterile room, somewhere behind the baggage carousel at JFK. My suitcase was ripped apart and its contents strewn on the floor. “You’re lucky to be here,” added the officer. “You’re lucky that I’m letting you go. But I’ll be keeping an eye on you.” The officer kicked my torn suitcase towards me. “You can pack up now,” he finished.

If this man’s intention was to silence me or discourage me from pursuing filmmaking- it didn’t work. If anything, it strengthened my resolve to showcase authentic voices from my part of the world. I do everything in my power to resist having these racist bigots like him control the narrative.

What are some of the issues you have raised through your films and how difficult has it been to show your films?

My films explore themes of human rights, social justice, politics, and identity in contemporary Muslim and South Asian narratives. Through my films I try to unveil the complications of our society by addressing taboo topics. I’ve always tend to be drawn towards addressing issues like religious extremism, minority rights (or lack of) and women’s and children rights among many others.

My intent is to always challenge the status quo, whether it is presenting dire poverty and the failures of the state, or examinations of injustice, and the politicization of Islam. For example, most recently I produced a Netflix Original series “Turning Point: 9/11 And The War On Terror”. The series was a massive hit, trending top 10 worldwide on the Netflix platform and having people like Stephen King and Kim Kardashian recommend it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have also had my films banned. “Among The Believers”, a film which looked into Lal Masjid and the aftermath of its siege was banned by the Censor Board of Pakistan. The censor board specifically said, “the film “projects the negative image of Pakistan in the context of the ongoing fight against extremism and terrorism.”

A ridiculous assessment in my opinion. Among The Believers explores how madrassahs in Pakistan have gained prominence in the past few decades and how children are recruited, form a very young age, and trained in to become mujahidin. In this film, I have tried to answer the simple question; why would young children choose a life of strict discipline, hours of memorizing, beatings and rough conditions over an easier life of an average child? The simple answer is extreme poverty and a promise of eternal peace in the hereafter.

My film offers a unique point of view rarely depicted in traditional media covering the “War on Terror” –  it shows the fight against militancy as an indigenous struggle within the Muslim world, effectively reframing the West vs. The Muslim world perception. As the title implies, challenging Islamic extremism is an ideological dialogue that can only take place “Among The Believers”.  In that vein, highlighting mainstream Muslim voices who are working towards countering this militant ideology, is integral. In fact, my intention to feature Muslim voices in our film that are resisting Maulana Aziz’s rhetoric of hate – is my own contribution towards reclaiming my faith from extremists like Aziz.

As an eminent filmmaker, what is your responsibility toward your audience and society?

This is a complex question because there isn’t just one audience. The viewership can range from an international audience to local viewership. Subsequently, each audience brings with it its own perspective and context that colors their experience of the film.

Take for example my film, “The Accused: Damned Or Devoted?”.  BBC Storyville approached me in early 2017, because they wanted to make a film on the Blasphemy Law. At first I refused. I mean, the security risk seemed just too high. But then something happened in November of 2017. The Parliament passed legislation that was considered a first step towards relaxing the blasphemy laws. Suddenly, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of TLP religious political party (and a primary subject in our film) descended on Islamabad and essentially put the whole city under siege.

As I was in Islamabad at that time, in front of my eyes, I saw parliament immediately back track and rescind the legislation. Rizvi had won. My country had once again fallen prey to the political ambitions of a despot, one who was using Islam as veneer. Ultimately, I wanted to expose Rizvi – he did not speak for me or other Muslims, he only spoke for his own political ambitions. In doing so, he was also responsible for the lynching of several minorities and Muslims who had been falsely accused of blasphemy. He had to be stopped. This was what motivated me to make this film.

As a filmmaker how do you identify yourself? Who are your filmmaking influencers?

Ingmar Bergman. His understanding of the human condition is beyond exemplary. On the surface, his films inhabit a very dark space, but a sophisticated analysis can easily demonstrate Bergman’s limitless compassion and empathy for humanity. It’s about seeking a rare, hidden, profound, and ultimately real beauty, in the most fantastical of places. I recommend seeing “Wild Strawberries”, it changed my life.

If you got the opportunity to remake a classic, which one you go for?

I don’t think classics should be remade. There is a reason they are classics.

What are the films you admire – that you have found to be profound? What films have moved you in an entertaining way?

So many depending on my mood. Anything by Christopher Guest or Whit Stillman generally. Hayao Miyazaki if I feel spiritual.

Please see “Flee”. A outstanding film – such clear-eyed story telling. Effortlessly blending fiction & non-fiction, animation and archival, the personal and the political. Bravo!

What do you consider as your greatest achievement till date?

On my film – “Shame”, which had a production period of four years: when I shot my last scene (which also turned out to the ending of the movie). When I first began shooting, Mukhtaran Mai’s village was a place from some other century- it had no electricity, no roads, and men and women lived separate lives; any intermingling between the genders could be met with severe punishment by the tribal council (Punishment that could include death or rape as retribution). Fast-forward four years, the village has three schools, a woman’s crisis center, a clinic all made by Muktharan Mai. But what truly left me in awe was that I attended a speech day Muktharan had organized for the students attending her schools. There in front of me were boys AND girls sitting together reciting poetry and applauding one another. This would have been impossible four years earlier and for her to have achieved this shift in her village’s mindset, is nothing short of remarkable. When people say that one person really can make a difference- it is TRUE, I have had the privilege to have seen in it with my own eyes.

What are the toughest aspects of making the kind of films you make today?

Try not to get killed.

Also distribution….

Were there any funny anecdotes from your filmmaking process?

My film Insh’Allah Democracy is a personal story in which I vote for the first time and follow around Gen Pervez Musharraf as he attempts to come back from exile and run for office. It’s a political satire.

I didn’t know that I’d be following him for five years. He is a military dictator so you obviously have that kind of apprehension, but he was just so nice and so hospitable and friendly. He was on Facebook and having trouble with his computer so I helped him. He reminded of an uncle of mine, so we connected and hit it off. I’ll leave it to the viewer to decide whether I was being manipulated or not. I purposely bring that question up because I wanted people to go through the same trajectory as I did. He was my hero when I started this film and I had blinders on – I didn’t acknowledge all his major faults. But then I got to know him personally and everything changed.

I witnessed major turning points as he campaigned in the lead up to the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in our country’s history. When troubling news reports surfaced of Osama Bin Laden being caught, he confessed to me his own role of covertly supporting militancy as a means of fighting a proxy war with our enemies. I realized that he didn’t think he owed his people the truth. Despite his liberal and secular outlook, he was a dictator at heart – a dangerous flaw in a leader. And I could see that clearly now.

I showed him the film once it was done as a courtesy.  He said, “May nay tumo family jasey treat kia tha…” (I treated you like family)… all these years I was filming him. He felt hurt. It was such a surreal moment for me. As a documentarian, of course, I am within my full rights to show the truth and I was not going to change a thing. On the other hand, he did treat me like family and so I felt guilty. Just for a short bit though –  I mean he did after all declare emergency, overthrow the constitution, and send the Supreme Court justice to jail.

I guess it was the very unique and strange position I was in: I may not have respected him as a politician anymore nor was I blind to the very disastrous actions he had taken during his tenure, despite this – I was still fond of him on a personal level.

What’s your next film about?

A Mukbang with TTP and friends.

How do you think the industry is changing? What do you think is the future of OTT?

Cinemas will die. Channels will die. Youtube will gobble up all the streamers. We will all be making vlogs and podcasting.

Name one film which is overrated.

I’m going to get a lot of hate for this… but “A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi. Also anything with Timothee Chalamet, especially “Call Me By Your Name”.

Name three underrated movies.

Noises Off

Grave Of The Fireflies

C.R.A.Z.Y

What is the role of film festivals?

To create hype. Basically, a Horse and Cattle show for filmmakers and their films.