Setting the record straight

KARACHI: Akbar Ahmed, in his recent article, “Leghari and the making of Jinnah”, published in The Express Tribune on November 11, gives the impression that he was solely responsible for the making of the movie Jinnah. What he fails to mention is that I was the producer, director and co-writer of the film. Over the years, he has consistently misrepresented his role and has deliberately excluded me from newspaper articles, interviews, TV shows and important screenings. He has gone as far as advertising the film publicly as “Akbar Ahmed’s Jinnah”, a possessory title that is only ever accorded to a director.

When Akbar asked me to write the screenplay, I suggested we involve Farrukh Dhondy, a British-Indian writer who was a Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 Television in the UK. Akbar agreed on the condition that Farrukh would not be given a co-writer credit as his Indian origin might create controversy in Pakistan. It was, therefore, decided that Farrukh’s contribution would not be disclosed. Akbar asked me if he could have the co-writing credit instead and I went along with it, not realising at the time how he was usurping Farrukh’s credit.

In 2000, I began legal proceedings against Akbar’s company for outstanding fees and for publicly misrepresenting his role in the film. When my case came up for hearing in the UK High Court, the judge decided in my favour and ordered him to pay the monies due with interest and legal costs, payments that were never made, with Akbar’s company going into liquidation. Subsequently, the Jinnah movie remained in limbo for many years until the liquidator decided to hold a blind auction for the rights in 2009. I put in a successful bid and I now hold the world rights to the film. I have restored it, made a digital master, and intend to re-release it all over the world.

Jamil Dehlavi

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd,  2015.

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