Kabul Express to woo people in Afghan

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New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) After earning rave reviews from critics in India and abroad, Kabir Khan's 'Kabul Express' is all set to woo audiences in Afghanistan.

The John Abraham-Arshad Warsi starrer is the first Indian film exclusively shot in the post-Taliban Afghanistan. Produced by Yashraj Films, it will be screened in the theatres of the neighbouring country.

Sources in Yashraj films told UNI that a complimentary print of the film would be sent to Afghanistan next week.

''Sending the complementary print is to enable the film to be screened at several prominent theatres in the neighbouring country.

It gives people in the country who are crazy about Bollywood films and actors an opportunity to watch the film in theatres in the absence of a formal theatrical release,''the sources said.

''It is our tribute to the indomitable spirit and the "never-say-die" spirit of the people of Afghanistan, which 'Kabul Express' has tried to capture,''the sources added.

They said the film's screening was in a way, a gesture on the part of the filmmaker for repaying the hospitality of the Afghan people towards the cast and crew during the film's shooting in the country.

Lauding the gesture of Yashraj films to send a complementary print of 'Kabul Express' to Afghanistan, Afghani actor Hanif Humghum, who plays a key role in the film said, ''the screening of the film in Afghanistan will provide the local people there with a golden opportunity to watch their favourite Bollywood stars in action.'' The actor said the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan had spelled doom of the local film industry there.

''During their rule, the Taliban destroyed most of the cinema halls in Afghanistan and drove Afghani actors out of the country, thus denuding the local film industry,''he said.

The absence of substantial output from the local film industry there has resulted in the huge popularity of Hindi films in Afghanistan.

Though many cinema halls were destroyed during the Taliban regime, many still exist which screen latest Bollywood films like 'Don', 'Dhoom 2' and 'Kkrish'.

''Hindi films are very popular in Afghanistan. Shah Rukh Khan is the most popular star there,'' Hum Ghum told UNI during his visit to India to promote 'Kabul Express'.

In 'Kabul Express', Bollywood hunk John Abraham and Arshad Warsi essay the role of two journalists who go to Afghanistan to shoot a documentary on the Taliban.