Expressed!. Review on Kabul Express

Just when I had started undermining Bollywood movies for all their absurdity and nonsense, in the series of the latest releases (Don, Dhoom, Baabul) Kabul Express arrived bringing in much hope to the future of Bollywood. Not only did the story appealed to me but the characters too played their part flawlessly and looked pretty natural.

On a typical lazy sunday afternoon here in New Jersey, USA, the only road that brings excitement is Route 1 that leads straight to Regal Theatre here. After watching Babul and crying and cursing myself to have tolerated it for 3.5 hours, desperately wanting to fast forward the many songs and scenes, I had finally thought aloud - NO Hindi movies that has songs in them, in short No Hindi movies at all!

And here I was on a sunday afternoon with my husband and a 'white' friend (that's how some people ask me - if I have made any 'white' friends or not!) Well anyways Barbara liked John Abraham and also liked the thought of just 2 hours. So we asked her to join us and later to taste the indian curry I had prepeared for dinner. I wonder what tempted her most:-)

Okay, now lets go aboard the Kabul Express.

John Abraham as Suhel Khan and Arshad Warsi as Jai Kapoor: They both are TV Journalist from India and seeking for an ultimate news scoop - meeting the Taliban in war prone Afghanistan.

Salman Shahid as Imran Khan Afridi: He is a soldier of the hated Taliban who nees to escape the wrath of the Afghan and run to his counrty Pakistan. He has performed a very good and intense role as a Taliban and his story depicts the tragic side of the many pakistani soldiers forced to join the Taliban while executing the ORDERS of the higher command.

Hanif Hum Ghum as Khyber: A proud Afghan who has seen the destruction of his country over the decades. The tone of his language passes as natural as an Afghanistani's should be and is quite an entertainment.

Linda Arsenio as Jessica Becham: An American photo journalist ready to risk her life to photograph the Taliban.

The Cinematography is applaudable- filmed right on the land where it all happened, bullet holes on every wall, crippled little boys,women clad in 'burkas' from top to toe, men agitated and bursting with anger, drawing guns at every little dispute from Cricket and Pepsi to Kashmir and Madhuri Dixit. The conversation between the two Indians, an Afghan, a Pakistani and an American all aboard the 'Kabul Express' is simply the core of the movie and a very interesting one! Dont' miss it!

The film is definitely not just an entertainment but also brings home the reality of the world post September 11. It highlights the failure of Democracy, for one as a form of government, the cunning ways of the Armed forces, the militaries, the harshness of the fundamentalism.... all clearly depicting the failure of the 'Armed World' that simply does not distinguishes the good from the bad when the gun is set to trigger.

Can you believe me when I say that the movie has humor in it too?!

Barbara, my 'white' friend liiked the pepsi shot and enjoyed the movie through the captions more than we did!

Watch Kabul Express on any day you like, as the movie has most of the elements for a heavy to light working day or for a lazy sunday afternoon :-)

See you in the comment section!