Bollywood’s tryst with Afghanistan goes back a long time to 1975, when the first Hindi movie, ‘Dharmatama’ was shot there. Ever since the Taliban took over the landlocked nation, Bollywood celebrities have been sharing memories of their visits to Afghanistan and their experiences of shooting there.
Dharmatama
This was the first Hindi movie to be shot in Afghanistan. Starring Feroz Khan, Hema Malini, Rekha, and Premnath, the drama thriller was loosely based on the iconic film The Godfather and the character of Premnath was inspired by the king of Matka gambling, Ratan Khatri. The movie was widely appreciated with its song ‘Kya Khoob Lagti Ho’ went on to become a Hindi classic in Indian cinema.
Khuda Gawah
Then came Khuda Gawah in 1992. It was shot in the rocky landscapes of the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif. Directed by Mukul S. Anand, the movie had Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, Nagarjuna, Danny Denzongpa and Kiran Kumar. The story is about the quest of a man travelling to Afghanistan to find the murderer of his lover’s father.
Kabul Express
This was Feroz Khan’s second directorial venture in Afghanistan after Dharmatama. Only this time, the hero was his son Fardeen Khan with Celina Jaitly in the lead role. The story is of a man falling in love with a violinist with a tragic past. It was released in 2003.
Agent Vinod
Another movie based in Afghanistan, it had Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor was released in 2012. Helmed by Pritam, the movie follows Agent Vinod who is on a mission to find the reason behind his colleague’s death. Though shot for a couple of scenes, the movie opens up from a camp in Afghanistan called Dash-e-Margoh.
Perhaps the last movie to be shot in the strife-torn country, it was directed by Girish Malik. In the movie, Sanjay Dutt plays an ex-army doctor teaching cricket to kids at an Afghanistan refugee camp. However, he soon finds out that there is a child suicide bomber at the camp. Along with Sanjay Dutt, the 2020 thriller also features Nargis Fakhri, Rahul Dev and Rahul Mittra. The movie is extensively shot in Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan.
