Sunday, September 12, 2010

Tere Bin Laden - Movie Review

I wanted to watch this movie in the theatre but like most movies these days, it disappeared by the time I could make my moves. Not to blame the movies though - it's my reflexes. Anyway, Miskil recommended this movie again and endorsed it as one of the funny movies she sa and I decided to get myself a CD and watch it.

'Tere Bin Laden' is the story of a young Pakistani TV journalist whose sole aim is to make it to America and earn a reputation as a hot shot journalist there. He actually gets a visa to got to the USA but his ravings and rantings on the place as he practices reading news headlines aloud (liberally laced with words such as bomb, Osama, Taliban etc) get him arrested and deported back. Back in Karachi the young reporter (Ali) approaches the US Embassy under various disguises to get his Visa - but is rejected - for life. He approaches a local travel agent to send him to the US. That guy tells him that he will get him a passport under the name of a dead guy - only the cost will be Rs. 2 lakhs. Ali knows its steep and he has to raise it somehow.

Ali returns to his daily job at Dhank TV, a small, falling to pieces, affair run by Majid Khan and his small team of Ali (reporter), Gul (cameraman), Forget his name (editor). The TV channel covers some really boring events - such as healthy chicken competitions. While covering the chicken competitions Ali spots Noor, a chicken farmer whose champion chicken, Sikander, wins the competition. Now Noor has a striking resemblance to Osama and here is where Ali gets the brainwave - get an interview from Noor posing as Osama and sell it to his boss for a tidy sum which can be used to fund his getaway. Now Noor will not do that willingly since he is quite happy with his chicken and eggs so they con him into it by telling him that they are interviewing him and his chicken farm. They also get an Arabic translator (their editor), a voice over artist cum RJ, Quereshi, who can imitate Osama, and a make up artist, Zoya, who has aspirations of owning a beauty parlor. The team gets together and pulls off the hoax, sells it to Majid Khan of Dhank TV and makes their packet.

Soon as the CD of Osama warning the US of dire consequences hits the air, all hell breaks loose. The US Intelligence lands up in Pakistan, the US Embassy clams up, the travel agent shuts shop (making it impossible for Ali to go to the US) and so on. The US starts bombing Afghanistan, starts a search for the informer who got the news and things start getting hot. The trail leads to Majid Khan who claims he never saw the informer.

Meanwhile the gang realises that they are in trouble and decide to make another CD where Osama calls for a cease fire. Somehow, they get this interview done, giving everyone a route to escape including the US Intelligence Chief. Ali is invited to the US by the US Journalists Association or something like that, Gul accompanies him, Noor and Zoya marry and all's well.

Tere Bin Ladeb is breezy, funny and certainly worth a watch. Or more than one watch. I really liked the characters, all of them, very loveable and likeable and very real. Including poor Sikander - the only martyr in the whole story. Go get your CD!

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