Pakistani film Waar shows India as cause of nation’s problems (Hindustan Times Article)

Coinciding with the release of War Chhod Na Yar on the Indian side, comes a Pakistani movie called Waar which has an entirely different story-line. Opening to cinemas on Eid this week, Waar is a movie about Pakistan’s war on terrorism and how India is behind all the terrorist activities that take place in Pakistan.

Relying heavily on stereotypes that exist in Pakistani media already, Waar is a story about one Major Mujhtaba, a retired army officer who had taken an early retirement from the forces due to personal reasons. This lead role is played by the country’s top actor, Shaan.

A special task force of the police is trying to tackle terrorism in the tribal areas but there comes a time when they realize that Pakistan is about to be hit by a terrorist attack and none but the retired Major Ehtesham can lead such a complicated operation.

The two villans in the movie that emerge are the local politicians (there are look alikes of Zardari and Nawaz Sharif) and RAW agents, who come in different shapes and sizes.

The two RAW agents Ramal and Laxmi are the primary cause of most trouble in Pakistan. The movie shows them behind political murders, suicide bombings and even kidnapping. There is another RAW agent who works as a social worker by day and honey-traps willing politicians by nights.

With such a  predictable story line, some observers say that Pakistani producers are using the formula of Indian films of the 80’s which rely heavily on propaganda and patriotism. The fact that the movie has funding from the Pakistan Army through its public relations arm also helps explain its plot, they add.

At the same time, technically Waar is better than most Pakistani movies and is also the country’s most expensive movie made to date.