Filmistaan – A first step towards untying prejudicial chords

It is a coincidence that Filmistaan was screened in International Film Festival of Kerala just a few days after the remark by Press council Chairman Markandey Katju that India, Pakistan merger could only be the solution to Kashmir Problem. Filmistaan neither deals with Kashmir issue nor providing a solution. This movie is a hilarious one focusing on the feelings of common men's perception in both the countries. The similar style of film making which came to my mind is “Machan“ directed by Uberto Pasolini. Machan deals with the serious issue of Srilankan population migrating illegally to the European countries but in a hilarious manner.
If there could be a common denominator for Indians and Pakistanis then it would be Bollywood. This makes us understand the title;Hindustan, Pakistan their common denominator would be Filmistaan. Before going into the details, the plot of the movie is this: Sunny the main character in the movie is a budding actor who has the talent to mimic Bollywood characters wherever necessary. His friend advises him that good acting could only be learnt behind the camera and asks him to take up an Associate Director role. Sunny takes up that and gets a chance to travel with America film troupe which goes to Rajasthan to make a documentary on infiltration. While returning after a day’s shooting he was kidnapped by group of militants to Pakistan. The Militant leader gets disgusted on seeing Sunny as he expects the American group. From there on Sunny would be taken to a village where the Militants threaten them to hold them for 7 days. The elder son of the house keeper is a pirated Hindi movie seller and has a mad following for Cinema. From here the story unfolds in a stereotypical way and whether Sunny escaped to India or not is the one liner from here. Let me list out the positives of the movie:

1. The treatment of the screenplay is very hilarious and engages the audience well. Initially Sunny pleads with them that they have mistakenly taken him and in the conversation he understands that he is Pakistan, he replies “Arre in Pakistan, I don’t have my passport also, now how I can go back?” Similarly Sunny mentions to the militants that “We also shoot and you also shoot. We have shot gun, you have Machine gun”.
2. The scenes wherein the shooting of a video to be sent to the Indian Government or giving voice over for the dialogues in Bollywood movies the character Sunny showed the imaginative thinking involved in every characterization not only the protagonist. 
3. The dialogue delivery and body language of Sunny played by Sharib Hashmi. It is wonderful and refreshing to have dialogues which are delivered at the native dialect. 
4. Good Editing and shot selections. Excellent characters were chosen and the Bollywood movies chosen as part of the film are also reason for making the movie a engaging.

There are a couple of areas which could have worked upon if some attention being provided. Initially they come to stay for 7 days but the day’s role on without any intervention from the house keeper. Sunny hit by the bullet and treated for it suddenly comes out without the trace of it. Similar minor errors there as well but what is the major point is Filmistaan provides you ample diversion on the screen to forget all these.A child in the movie exclaims to”It is impossible to believe that you’re an Indian” Sunny retorts saying he too feel about the kid being a Pakistani. Both admit that “Now they have understood that not all the Indians/Pakistanis are bad".  
I had been to Pakistan very recently and I can confidently support the voice of the Sunny and I would be happy if that is message passed on to the huge crowd. 
Like Machan in 2009, I feel from the response for Filmistaan it will win the Audience Choice Award this year in IFFK.