# Kabul Express

Kabul Express is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language adventure thriller film written and directed by documentary filmmaker Kabir Khan (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. It was released on 15 December 2006. The film stars John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid, Hanif Humgaam and Linda Arsenio. Kabul Express is the first fictional film for director Kabir Khan who has made several documentaries over the years in Afghanistan. According to him, Kabul Express is loosely based on his and his friend Rajan Kapoor's experiences in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Kabul Express was shot entirely in Afghanistan.

## Plot

Suhel Khan and Jai Kapoor are Indian journalists working for Star News who are sent into Afghanistan to create a report on what life is like in the country following the US-led invasion of the country in September 2001. The two are shocked at the state of the country and the ruins that remain due to years of rule by the Taliban Regime. They take a tour of the country in a taxi, starting in Kabul. This follows an escape from capture by the Taliban.
On the way, they stop in the village of Ishtar along with the taxi driver, Khyber (Hanif Humghum), who has watched his country fall apart over the decades. They stop in a small cafe selling kebabs, where they meet American journalist Jessica Beckham, who is working for Reuters and reporting on the US side of the Afghan war. Suhel and Jai then invite Jessica to join them on their tour of the country, which she does. However, shortly after leaving Ishtar, they are caught by Taliban official Imran Khan, who has hitched a ride at the back of the taxi in disguise as an Afghan woman. Imran demands they listen to him and travel straight to the Afghan border with Pakistan, or he promises they will be killed. Imran is attempting to cross the border, get past Pakistani troops, and negotiate with his Taliban associates in Pakistan.
The four travel through various villages where they see horrific sights of poverty before reaching the southern city of Kandahar, where Jessica gets the chance to interview US troops who are fighting to regain control of the city from the Taliban who occupy the area. In the meantime, Suhel and Jai attempt to interview Imran, yet are unsuccessful when Imran threatens to shoot them. Once leaving Kandahar, they travel through a farm and manage to capture a bullfight on film before stopping off at a stream coming closer to the Pakistan border. While Imran and the rest are out exploring, Jessica discovers Imran's passport is a Pakistani passport. She discovers that he was not originally a Taliban, but a member of the Pakistani army named Wassim Chaudrey sent to Afghanistan to support the Mujahadeen rebels in their war against the USSR back in the 1980s before he settled down in the country as a member of the Taliban Regime. When Imran discovers the break-in, he takes Suhel, Khyber, and Jessica hostage and forces them to continue the journey to the Pakistan border. At one point, Imran abandons them for hours when he hears a noise. Gunshots are fired, and the three travellers discover Imran to have met 10 US soldiers who attempted to kill him. With Imran distracted, Suhel grabs a gun from one of the soldiers and points it at Imran, threatening to kill him if he doesn't respond in his interview. They leave Imran at the side of the road and start their journey back to Kabul. However, they are stopped in their path when Imran manages to leap into the taxi and demands they continue their journey to the border. They soon arrive at the border, where Imran bids them farewell. On the way, they stop at the village where Imran lived, and Imran meets his long lost wife and daughter Zoya. But before Imran can reach anywhere, he and the rest of them are attacked by the Mujahideen. Imran tells Suhel, Jessica, Khyber, and Jai to go while he uses his fighting skills to fight them off. Imran later travels on his own to the border and tries to persuade Pakistani troops to allow him entry into the country and that he is a Pakistani. However, they do not listen, and Imran is shot on the border by the troops.

## Cast

* John Abraham as Suhel Khan, an Indian TV journalist and director.
* Arshad Warsi as Jai Kapoor, an Indian TV journalist and cinematographer
* Salman Shahid as Imran Khan Afridi / Subedar Major Jaan Mohammad, a Pakistani and Taliban soldier
* Hanif Humgaam as Khyber, an Afghan driver and guide
* Linda Arsenio as Jessica Beckham, a journalist from New York.
* Roshan Seth as Narrator (voice)

## Production

Kabul Express was the first international film to be shot in the country following the fall of the Taliban regime and the first Hindi film since 1992's Khuda Gawah. The film was shot over 45 days in and around Kabul beginning in September 2005, around the time of a surge in Taliban insurgent violence. The insurgents also sent death threats to the film crew; the Afghan government protected the shootings by providing armed commandos and vehicles.

## Reception
### Box office

The film opened to a good response. According to Box Office India, Kabul Express grossed ₹12.25 crore (US$1.5 million) in India.

### Critical response
#### India

Taran Adarsh of IndiaFM gave the film 2.5 out of 5, writing "On the whole, KABUL EXPRESS is aimed at the elite and the thinking audience. A well crafted thriller, the film has better chances at multiplexes mainly. However, the liberal usage of English and Afghani languages will restrict its appeal to urban centers." Khalid Mohamed of Hindustan Times gave the film 2 out of 5, writing "Frankly, you expected far more spleen and substance from this fact-inspired adventure thriller. Despite Amitabh Shukla’s knife-sharp editing chops, Kabul Express moves like a slow boat to China."

#### International

It was screened as a "Special Presentation" at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival where it got mixed reviews. Phelim O'Neill of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 writing "The messages this muddled film puts forward are handled in a trite manner but fortunately (and quite depressingly) the striking, bombed-out landscape speaks far louder and clearer than the script." Robert Koehler of Variety wrote "Treating the ongoing struggles in Afghanistan with crude indecision and larky silliness, 'Kabul Express' at once lamely revives buddy road pics and trivializes global politics. Commercially shrewd casting of hunky Bollywood action star John Abraham will position pic well for international play." Anil Sinanan of Time Out wrote "Opening with sombre footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers, Khan switches to a generally light-hearted approach, with predictable jokes such as female journalist Jessica Beckham being asked if she plays football. The acting is laughably earnest and current hunk Abraham actually keeps his shirt on. Only the cinematography of a stunningly beautiful landscape ravaged by war comes close to making this unroadworthy vehicle a mildly memorable journey."

## Awards

* 54th National Film Awards:
** Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director for Kabir Khan
* Asian Festival of First Films:
** Best Director – Kabir Khan
** Critics Award for Best Film – Foreign Correspondents Association Purple Orchid Award

## Controversy

On 6 January 2007 the government of Afghanistan, who had fully supported the shooting of the film in the country, banned the film despite it not having been officially released there. The banning by the Afghan Ministry of Culture followed protests over the film's allegedly racist portrayal of the ethnic Hazara Shia minority, one of the four largest ethnicities in Afghanistan, who have suffered greatly under the Taliban's oppressive rule. Hazaras are described in the film by an Afghan member of the crew and the "Pakistani Talib" as "worse than the Taliban", "bandits", "dangerous", and "savages" which led to the public outcry by the community.

## Soundtrack

The album featuring 9 tracks including three remix and two instrumental. All tracks were composed by Raghav Sachar, one instrumental was composed by Julius Packiam. Lyrics were penned by Aditya Dhar.
The film score was composed by Julius Packiam.