Malala’s biopic ‘Gul Makai’ slated for April 2015 release
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An Indian real estate developer has ventured on a project to produce a biographical film on Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousufzai.
As reported by Times of India, 37 year old realtor Vijay Jaju was so stirred by Malala’s awe-inspiring speech at United Nations last year that he decided to make a film titled on her pseudonym, Gul Makai.
“I was totally awed by Malala’s bravery during her first public speech at the United Nations in July 2013. If a 12-year-old girl can fight the Taliban without a weapon, then her inspiring story needs to be told," Jaju said.
He also added that Malala is “positive” about the film which will be 180 minutes long.
Speaking about the cast, he said that a Bengali actor will be playing the role of Malala followed by Mukesh Rishi, veteran actor Om Puri as General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Divya Dutta as her mother. Jaju is also in talks with actor Atul Kulkarni to play Malala’s father.
Directed by Amjad Khan, more than half of the biopic has been shot in Gandhiham and the remaining part will be shot in northern India next month. The film is slated to be released in April 2015.
Gul Makai will be the first ever film project by Jaju.
He said: “By bringing a sensitive topic to the celluloid, we wish to contribute to the [Indian] film industry through a meaningful movie. The film aims to capture Malala's spirit, her fight, and also the reality and suffering of the people of Pakistan. It will feature Malala's life story—her family, friends and education right up to her getting the Nobel Prize."
Jaju further said that the profit from the film will either be donated to the Malala Fund or spent in any way Malala pleases to.
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On DawnNews
Comments (45) Closed
Oct 15, 2014 10:00pm
Excellent idea. Will be a great hit.
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Oct 15, 2014 10:39pm
Bravo, recognition in the enemy country but not in Pakistan, hope she will not be branded as an Indian agent after release of this film.
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Oct 15, 2014 11:00pm
First, I would like to clarify that I am not a politician nor am I affiliated with any of the ALL CORUPT parties of Pakistan. Having said that I would like to ask a simple question i.e. After having been shot by Taliban, taken to hospital and then flown to UK, what has Malala done for the children of any country in the world, leave alone Pakistan. She has done nothing but collected money and awards whereas there are dozens of girls who have gone through hardships 1000 times greater than Malala.
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Oct 15, 2014 11:14pm
A story worthy of a movie, however a Pakistani movie maker should have done it first. Lets see if it is shown in Pakistani theaters, and if so then the nut cases won't protest.
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Oct 15, 2014 11:16pm
I'll certainly watch it.
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Oct 15, 2014 11:16pm
Great, may be she can join BJP.
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Oct 16, 2014 12:09am
Fantastic
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Oct 16, 2014 12:36am
Pakistanis will soon make a movie on "Afia Siqqdue". Insallah
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Oct 16, 2014 01:03am
@Kiterunner5 So you mean she should return the Nobel prize?
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Oct 16, 2014 02:17am
I wonder if her dad manages the malala fund and pays himself a big salary?
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Oct 16, 2014 02:48am
Great gesture by an Indian, Mr Jaju! We hope that Mr Jaju and his team captures the essence of Malala's struggle in their movie rather have an anti-Pak angle as seen in most movies coming out from East of the border involving Pakistan. Malala's struggle is not only a Pakistani girl's struggle. It is a human struggle faced by girls all over the world in one form or the other.
We Pakistanis, wish Mr Jaju and his crew all the best and thank him for his efforts!
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Oct 16, 2014 03:13am
I wish some film maker in India makes film on the inhuman treatment of divided families in India and Pakistan. These families are not allowed to meet. All possible difficulties are created in granting visas. Even very old people are grinned through procedures which are very difficult to comply, specially for Pakistani visitors to India. Telephone call charges between the two countries are purposely kept very high to discourage contacts. Similarly air fares are abnormally very high for short distance.Relations whom Pakistanis visit are haunted by intelligence agencies. Pakistani girls who are married to Indian boys are not given Indian citizenship for ten to fifteen years as a result these girls can not take jobs and help their family. These old people and girls can not be threat to security.
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Oct 16, 2014 03:28am
@Kiterunner5 - What's your problem? Can't you bear a Pakistani girl making a name for herself? Is that her fault that she gets awards? Ever heard of 'lucky break'? Fame can't possibly follow who ever suffers hardship. There are many in Africa who suffer worst hardship. So, what is your point?
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Oct 16, 2014 03:47am
@Kiterunner5 your answer to the question is very simple.She was shot last yr.The reason she got shot was that she encouraged her fellow girls to get education and she told of her and those girls courage to the world by writing a blog.If you say what she has dine so let me say that she did such a great thing and got shot.Yet she has to do a lot of work.She is not a 40 or 59 yr girl.get some brain and muster up the courage to sound sane.
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Oct 16, 2014 06:37am
@Asif How can you ay something like that?....Maybe you are not parent yet.....please ask your parents whether they would like to make money by putting abullet thourgh your head
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Oct 16, 2014 06:42am
@Fazal Karim Agreed...but it is vice-a-versa as an Indian citizen I would love to visit Pakistan but I was turned down from wagha barder as I had have Visa to enter Pakistan which I have to apply atleast few months prior to my visit. But Pakistani girls Married to Indian guys are not getting visas is not true as one of my friend is married to a Pakistani girl and she has Indian citizenship now which took less than six months.....which is much better time frame than UK or USA.
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Oct 16, 2014 07:13am
Let conspiracy theories take center stage. Allegations that RAW is behind this to demonize Pak will flourish ...
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Oct 16, 2014 09:20am
@Kiterunner5 While Malala is destined to reach even new heights in the time to come, but your kites will always bite the dusts with such negativity of mind towards the illustrious daughter of your own soil. Shame on you.
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Oct 16, 2014 09:36am
Gul Makai was a great Pashtun woman who stood fast in the battle field against the enemy . Please do not compare this brave woman with Malala ! If you want to make the film , make it about the real Gul Makai , it would be very well received in Pakistan . Malala is hated here ( and rightly so) and her film would be a hit for all the wrong reasons !
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Oct 16, 2014 09:44am
@Kiterunner5 I fully agree, this is the major sentiment in Pakistan . This paper does not represent the majority of Pakistanis , instead it makes a mockery of them . So please do not judge us by the sort of articles you read here or the kind of comments you come across !
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Oct 16, 2014 09:58am
@Wandering Around , Neither BJP is willing to contest election in Pakistan nor Malala is going to take Indian citizenship . so your wish will never come true...
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Oct 16, 2014 10:37am
Mr. Jaju, if you have to make a film on Malala who is Pashtun, please get in authentic actors. You want a Bengali girl to play Malala, a Marathi to play her father and a Punjabi to play her mother. The film is shot in Gandhidham. Are you making a David Dhawan comedy? Next you will want a sardarji to play her brother. This is just not OK. You need to get local actors to play the parts. There are many fine Pakistan actors from KP. Use them to lend authenticity. Malala is a global icon now. You have to be extremely authentic about each frame. All the best.
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Oct 16, 2014 11:32am
Money making schemes and opportunities are rising out of Malala.
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Oct 16, 2014 11:33am
@Jamal Will they show Afia Siddiqui taking a gun to shoot US army officer, for which is being charged and is in US jail for 87 years.
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Oct 16, 2014 11:36am
@Last Word How can she branded as RAW agent in the film? Taliban has already claimed, Malala is a western agent. .
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Oct 16, 2014 11:38am
@Fazal Karim - Bollywood is a business. No one will make a movie to tell a story. It must make business sense.
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Oct 16, 2014 12:21pm
what do u call your enemy's friend?
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Oct 16, 2014 12:47pm
@Kiterunner5 :A charity set up in her name is providing education to children in Jordan who have been displced by the war in Syria, that is one thing I know for deefinite there may be others I dont know. I know it hurts you to know this but that's life
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Oct 16, 2014 01:19pm
@Kiterunner5 : google Malala Fund and weep about your prejudice
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Oct 16, 2014 01:32pm
@Kiterunner5 good boss........ absolytely correct
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Oct 16, 2014 03:44pm
@Kiterunner5
By just breathing, she is doing more than 99% of world population. Now the same question, you should ask yourself.
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Oct 16, 2014 03:45pm
@Asif
All that you can think about is this? Pity, shows the status of the country.
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Oct 16, 2014 03:48pm
@Fazal Karim
A real issue which should be addressed.
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Oct 16, 2014 03:59pm
@Kiterunner5 - Your views are wrong but at least you are not a MUNAFIQ. There are so many in Pakistan who hated Malala but after Nobel prize are praising her. I disagree with you but I respect you…at least you have guts.
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Oct 16, 2014 04:20pm
It will be less a film on Malala and more on how the Taliban and the Pakistani establishment are one. And don't expect Pakistan to be portrayed in a positive light in this film.
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Oct 16, 2014 05:19pm
@Kiterunner5 Her just being alive and supporting girl children's education itself is a great thing. her existence has provided hope for millions. The Nobel is for her unshakeable spirit even at the cost of her life. The indirect impact to world peace is a no brainier. Yes, this could have been awarded later, but that is a moot point
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Oct 16, 2014 05:24pm
Total flop show for sure, all his plans to be famous will go down the drain .
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Oct 16, 2014 07:01pm
@Kiterunner5
Malala's fund started with the funding of educating of 30 girls in Swat, What have you done in comparison to that? what have any of Malala's detractors done? a big fat nothing!
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Oct 16, 2014 09:28pm
@Gaurav Arya there is something called acting , i hope u are familiar with it. I wonder if you decide to make a film on cross border terrorism you will decide to import few taliban men
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Oct 16, 2014 11:19pm
its a good idea, but I think given the new wave of Pakistani cinema, I would like to see a truly Pakistani version made by Lollywood. If we can make an outstanding quality movie like Waar, we can tell a tale in detail that the world is obviously truly interested in hearing.
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Oct 17, 2014 01:41am
@Jamal
Quam ki beti Afia Siddiqui
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Oct 17, 2014 05:11am
So looking forward to this movie. I am most certainly going 1st day , 1st show
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Oct 17, 2014 06:17am
It may be a good idea to give Malala a guest role in the movie to give it real authenticity and a percentage of the proceeds should go to the Malala charity fund.
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Oct 17, 2014 12:16pm
@Gaurav Arya When ur opinion on how to make a movie is required, u will be asked for the same.
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Oct 17, 2014 03:09pm
@vinod - I agree with you.
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