Hashmatullah Khan's 'Spring of Hope' to be premiered in IFFI

Mumbai, Sep 23 (UNI) Afghan filmmaker Hashmatullah Khan's latest film 'Spring of Hope' will be premiered at the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in November this year.

Khan, who was born in Afghanistan, has made the film in his mother tongue with English sub-titles.

Talking to the mediapersons here yesterday, Khan said, ''You can call my film an Indo-Afghan collaboration which has 50 artistes from India besides fight masters and movie stunt directors.

''The film is a tale of two lovers who fall in love in college.

But their hopes are soon shattered by the political crisis, which spans the next decades in the country. In the end, the film gives the message of love. The film is a love story with the backdrop of Afghan problems,'' he said.

Hashmatullah has himself played the male lead, while the female lead is played by Zarina who hails from Tazakistan.

''I needed somebody who looked like a college girl and knew Persian. Luckily, I went to Dushambe where I met Zarina. When I saw her beautiful eyes, I felt they could express pain and sorrow. I met her mother about the film,'' he said.

When the reporters asked Zarina whether she would like to join the Bollywood bandwagon, she replied in the negative, and passed the microphone to Hashmatullah.

''Since we are in love, she wants me to answer the question.

However, she likes some films of Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit,'' he replied.

The other cast of the film include Issa Janan, Asif Jalali, Abdullah Samadi, Bibi Saheeda and Javid Delawar. The film is edited by I M Kannu, while the action is by Akber Sharrif. It has background music by Sham Sadarangani.

Khan has come a long way by being a producer, director and writer of the 'Spring of Hope'. He came to Delhi from Afghanistan to complete his post-graduation in Political Science and then did an acting course from Asha Chandra's school of acting.

Hashmatullah got his first break in Johny Walker's film 'Pauche Hue Log' and then signed a three-year contract with Amjad bhai. Then he did two films -- 'Sach' and 'Band Darwaza', which was acclaimed by the critics.

His last film was 'Kishen Avtaar' starring Mithun Chakravorty. He then opted for production by launching the Rahimi Films International banner under which he has produced the 'Spring of Hope'.

When quizzed by reporters on being the leading man in the film and the reversal of roles from being behind the camera to being in front of the camera, he said: ''Once an actor, always an actor.'' He has two offices one in Kabul and the other in Mumbai.

''I am lucky that India and Afganistan are my motherlands.

Afganistan is my birth place, while India gave me my vocation as an actor,'' Hashmatullah said on a personal note.

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