International Guerillas (film)
Encyclopedia
International Guerillas is an action
film from Pakistan
, originally released in the context of the Satanic Verses controversy
, which portrays Salman Rushdie as its main villain. The film was made in the Urdu
language; it also features several musical numbers including song
s and dance
s.
The film was produced by Sajjad Gul
who described it as purely commercial.
: in a dramatized version of the Islamabad police firing on a mob on February 12, 1990 when five demonstrators were killed and 83 injured, their younger sister is killed by the police while demonstrating against Rushdie. The three brothers decide to avenge her and Islam’s honor by hunting down and killing Rushdie. They receive the help of a female police officer in the course of their mission.
Salman Rushdie, played by Afzaal Ahmad, is portrayed in the film as a criminal mastermind, working for an international organization devoted to destroying Islam (as the Muslim’s faith is an obstacle to widespread crime and immorality). He is depicted as hiding in the Philippines
, guarded by a private army led by an Israel
i general. Saeed Khan Rangeela
stars as "Chief Batu Batu", Rushdie's main Jewish henchman. The fictionalized Rushdie routinely amuses himself by torturing and killing the mujahideens who regularly try to hunt him down. He also enjoys torturing Muslims by making them listen to readings of The Satanic Verses.
The protagonists arrive in the Philippines and start their hunt for Rushdie, who escapes them repeatedly thanks to the use of multiple decoy
s. In the course of one of their attempts to kill Rushdie, the three brothers appear wearing Batman
disguises. The Israeli general's sister is sent to seduce one of the Muslim guerillas but ends up falling in love with him and ultimately converting to Islam in the final scene.
The film ends with a gunfight opposing the four Pakistani "international guerillas" and Rushdie's army of Israeli henchmen. The heroes defeat the villains and, as Rushdie attempts to flee the scene, three giant Qur'an
s appear in the sky and fire energy beams at the writer, incinerating him.
, effectively denying it a cinema release in the UK. The board cited the safety of Salman Rushdie as an argument for refusing the certificate, arguing that it could inflame some to violence.
Although the film portrayed Salman Rushdie very negatively, he opposed the ruling of the BBFC, arguing that:
The ban was overturned. Rushdie later said, "If that film had been banned, it would have become the hottest video in town: everyone would have seen it". While the film was a great hit in Pakistan, it enjoyed only a limited release in the West, where it went virtually unnoticed.
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
film from Pakistan
Cinema of Pakistan
The cinema of Pakistan refers to Pakistan's film industry. Most of the feature films shot in Pakistan are in Urdu language but may also include films in English, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi or Sindhi languages....
, originally released in the context of the Satanic Verses controversy
The Satanic Verses controversy
The Satanic Verses controversy was the heated and sometimes violent Muslim reaction to the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses. Many Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy or unbelief and in 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie...
, which portrays Salman Rushdie as its main villain. The film was made in the Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
language; it also features several musical numbers including song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
s.
The film was produced by Sajjad Gul
Sajjad Gul
Agha Sajjad Gul is a producer, director and one of the biggest media moguls in Pakistan. He is the youngest of three famed sons, Riaz and Shahzad of Agha G A Gull, the owner and creator of Evernew Studios, one of the exclusively prosperous real estate on Multan Road. He owns the major film...
who described it as purely commercial.
Plot
The film's protagonists are three Pakistani brothers, the older one being a police officer and the younger two, small-time hoodlums. The three brothers ultimately reconcile in the light of the controversy over The Satanic VersesThe Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie's fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Prophet Muhammad. As with his previous books, Rushdie used magical realism and relied on contemporary events and people to create his characters...
: in a dramatized version of the Islamabad police firing on a mob on February 12, 1990 when five demonstrators were killed and 83 injured, their younger sister is killed by the police while demonstrating against Rushdie. The three brothers decide to avenge her and Islam’s honor by hunting down and killing Rushdie. They receive the help of a female police officer in the course of their mission.
Salman Rushdie, played by Afzaal Ahmad, is portrayed in the film as a criminal mastermind, working for an international organization devoted to destroying Islam (as the Muslim’s faith is an obstacle to widespread crime and immorality). He is depicted as hiding in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, guarded by a private army led by an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i general. Saeed Khan Rangeela
Saeed Khan Rangeela
Saeed Khan Rangeela was a Pakistani Lollywood actor, singer and director.His birthname was Mohammad Saeed Khan and he was born in Nangarhar, Afghanistan...
stars as "Chief Batu Batu", Rushdie's main Jewish henchman. The fictionalized Rushdie routinely amuses himself by torturing and killing the mujahideens who regularly try to hunt him down. He also enjoys torturing Muslims by making them listen to readings of The Satanic Verses.
The protagonists arrive in the Philippines and start their hunt for Rushdie, who escapes them repeatedly thanks to the use of multiple decoy
Decoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
s. In the course of one of their attempts to kill Rushdie, the three brothers appear wearing Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
disguises. The Israeli general's sister is sent to seduce one of the Muslim guerillas but ends up falling in love with him and ultimately converting to Islam in the final scene.
The film ends with a gunfight opposing the four Pakistani "international guerillas" and Rushdie's army of Israeli henchmen. The heroes defeat the villains and, as Rushdie attempts to flee the scene, three giant Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
s appear in the sky and fire energy beams at the writer, incinerating him.
Cast
- Ghulam MohiuddinGhulam MohiuddinGhulam Mohiuddin is a Pakistani actor of Urdu and Punjabi films. His first film Mera naam hai mohabbat released in 1975, was a blockbuster in Pakistan and China. The film was inspired by a Chinese folk story. The opposite actress was Babra Sharif, whose this movie was the first as heroine...
- Mustafa Qureshi
- Saeed Khan RangeelaSaeed Khan RangeelaSaeed Khan Rangeela was a Pakistani Lollywood actor, singer and director.His birthname was Mohammad Saeed Khan and he was born in Nangarhar, Afghanistan...
- Babra SharifBabra SharifBabra Sharif is an actress in the Pakistani film industry during the 1980s and late 1970s. She started her career in television commercials. She made her presence felt in a 'Jet' washing powder commercial and came to be known as 'Jet' powder girl. Fair-haired, attractive and intelligent, Babra...
- Hamayun Qureshi
- NaghmaNaghmaNaghma is a prominent Afghan singer who started in the early 1970s. She and her ex-husband, Mangal, were a popular musical duo who dominated Afghan music scene during the 1970s and early 1990s. Naghma sings in Pashto and Dari...
- Afzaal Ahmad
Temporary ban in the UK and response by Rushdie
The film was denied a certificate by the British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
, effectively denying it a cinema release in the UK. The board cited the safety of Salman Rushdie as an argument for refusing the certificate, arguing that it could inflame some to violence.
Although the film portrayed Salman Rushdie very negatively, he opposed the ruling of the BBFC, arguing that:
The ban was overturned. Rushdie later said, "If that film had been banned, it would have become the hottest video in town: everyone would have seen it". While the film was a great hit in Pakistan, it enjoyed only a limited release in the West, where it went virtually unnoticed.
External links
- Review at Thehotspotonline.com
- Clip of the final scene at Dailymotion.com