For perhaps the first time in the history of the Hindi film industry, Border (1997) mentioned the enemy by name: Pakistan. I don’t think anyone had done it before. In earlier films, actors would mention “dushman [enemy]” or “padosi [neighbour]”. But no one said “Pakistan”. This was because there is little understanding of the armed forces within the film industry.
There have hardly been any war films made in India. War has been used as a background to a love story, perhaps; but using it just as a backdrop does not make it a war film.
I personally feel very disturbed with this attitude of the film industry, the establishment, and I would also blame the media. When they talk about blockbusters, films that have done very well at the box office, the media tends to somehow overlook Border. It saddens me.
Such films are for generations to come; they have to fall back on them, on what we have recorded. And what better way to record than on celluloid? Nobody is really interested in doing it, or encouraged to do it. But this is something that quite a few of my actors did for LOC Kargil (2003). I had a huge star cast: There was Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, there was Abhishek [Bachchan], there was Ajay Devgn. Doing the film made them feel very good: They realised that their heroes were out there.
(This story appears in the 02 October, 2015 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
Border And LOC Kargil Are 2 Of The Greatest Films Of India. And JP Saab Is Undoubtedly THE BEST AND MOST VOLATILE Filmmaker Of India.
on Sep 28, 2015Sir Loc movie was very inspired for me.. Even I want to work in this kind of real films... I love to act in this films ... plz contact me if u r directing coming movies ... N jayakumar 9749120015 8971348676
on Sep 26, 2015