Ramchand Pakistani

2008 Pakistani film
  • 2 October 2008 (2008-10-02) (Pakistan)
Running time
103 minutesCountryPakistanLanguageUrduBudgetRs. 6.0 crore (US$210,000) [1]

Ramchand Pakistani (Urdu: رام چند پاکستانی) is a 2008 Urdu-language Pakistani drama film directed by Mehreen Jabbar and produced by Javed Jabbar.[2]

The film features Nandita Das, Rashid Farooqi, Syed Fazel Hussain, Maria Wasti and Noman Ijaz in lead roles. The film is based on a true story of a boy who inadvertently crosses the border between Pakistan and India and the following ordeal that his family has to go through.[3] Ramchand Pakistani was also released in India.[4][5][6]

Plot

Champa (Nandita Das) is a Hindu woman who is left desolate when her young son and husband disappear one day from their village at the India-Pakistan border near Nagarparkar, in the Tharparkar district of the Sindh province. The film depicts the crossing of the India-Pakistan border, during a period (June 2002) of war-like tension between the two countries, by two members of a Pakistani Hindu family belonging to the 'untouchable' dalit caste, and the extraordinary consequences of this unintended action upon the lives of a woman, a man, and their son.

The film is about a Hindu Dalit family living in Pakistan peacefully. Ramchand, the main protagonist who is 8 years old, is the son of Shankar and Champa. One day, after an altercation with his mother, Ramchand runs away in anger and, accidentally, crosses the Indo-Pakistan border into India. His father follows him and, he too, crosses the border into India.

After being arrested by the border security personnel, they are sent to a prison in India and stay there for a long time. They get a release order soon, but later it turns out to be a mistake and they are sent back to the jail. Ramchand, the 8 years old boy, and his father Shankar are unregistered prisoners during much of their stay in India.[2] Meanwhile, Ramchand’s mother, Champa, leads a life of loneliness and although she takes a temporary job in a faraway place, she returns to her village.

Finally, after 5 years,[2] when Ramchand has grown a few years, he gets released. He returns home to his mother. His father, Shankar, also gets released soon after. They are united and there, the film ends.

Cast

  • Nandita Das as Champa[1]
  • Syed Fazal Hussain as Younger Ramchand[2]
  • Navaid Jabbar as Older Ramchand[2]
  • Rashid Farooqui as Shankar[2]
  • Maria Wasti as Kamla[2]
  • Nouman Ijaz as Abdullah[2]
  • Adnan Shah as Sharma
  • Adarsh Ayaz as Moti
  • Farooq Pario as Suresh
  • Shahood Alvi as Asif Hussain
  • Zhalay Sarhadi as Lakshmi
  • Atif Badar as Lalu
  • Saleem Mairaj as Vishesh
  • Saif-e-Hasan as Murad
  • Tahiirz as VKS
  • Rao Saleem as Interrogator
  • Karim Bux Baloch as Baloch
  • Master Yaqub as Baba Gul
  • Hassan Niazi as Deepak
  • Kazim Raza as Professor
  • Muhammad Rafiq as Bengali
  • Sajid Shah as Inspector
  • Iqbal Motilani as Maulvi
  • Anis Chachar as Captain Saleem

Film screenings overseas

This film had six screenings at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2010.[2]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is composed by Debojyoti Mishra[2] and include the following songs:

Track Song Singers Composer Duration
01 Teri Meri Preet Shubha Mudgal Debojyoti Mishra 5:34
02 Allah Megh De Shubha Mudgal & Shafqat Amanat Ali Debojyoti Mishra 4:41
03 Phir Wahi Raste Shafqat Amanat Ali Debojyoti Mishra 5:52
04 Khari Neem Key Neechay Mai Bhagi Debojyoti Mishra 5:24
05 Tarrin Paunda Allan Fakir Debojyoti Mishra 6:09
06 Meri Maat Instrumental Debojyoti Mishra 4:19

Awards

This film won the following awards:

  • FIPRESCI Prize from the International Federation of Film Critics at the Osian Film Festival, July, 2008[7]
  • Winner of Honourable Mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Award at the 2008 London Film Festival.[7]
  • Best Actor for Rashid Farooqi at the KaraFilm Festival, Pakistan, 2009
  • Winner of Audience Award at the Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, March 2009.[7]
  • Winner of Special Mention by the Eucumenical Jury at the Fribourg International Film Festival March 2009.[7]
  • Winner of Special Mention by the E-Changer Award at the Fribourg International Film Festival in March 2009[7]
  • Ramchand Pakistani received a silver medal in the feature film category at the 2012 SAARC Film Awards.
  • Rashid Farooqui received the award for best actor in the feature film at the 2012 SAARC Film Awards.
  • Ramchand Pakistani won Best Film Award on Pakistan Media Award in 2010.

Lux Style Awards

Ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
8th Lux Style Awards Best Film Javed Jabbar Won [8]
Best Film Actor Rashid Farooqui Nominated
Syed Fazal Hussain Nominated
Best Film Actress Nandita Das Nominated
Maria Wasti Won

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Pakistani movie to play in India". Dawn (newspaper). 19 July 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stephen Holden (2014). "Ramchand-Pakistani - Directed by Mehreen Jabbar". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Ramchand Pakistani Movie Review". The Times of India. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Kolkata release of Pak film in limbo".
  5. ^ Ramchand Pakistani (2008 film), film review on Rotten Tomatoes website Retrieved 5 June 2019
  6. ^ Ramchand Pakistani (2008) on IMDb website Retrieved 5 June 2019
  7. ^ a b c d e Awards for Ramchand Pakistani (2008 film) on IMDb website Retrieved 5 June 2019
  8. ^ "Winners announced for 8th LUX Style Awards". Fashion Central. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022.
  • Ramchand Pakistani at IMDb
  • Movie Review Ramchand Pakistani (2008)