JI emerges partner of Afghan war film

Actor Asif Khan says 1990s ‘Barood ka Tohfa’ turned out to be a flop

PESHAWAR:

The Jamaat-e-Islami has emerged as the production partner of the only film produced in Pakistan on the war between Soviet Union and Afghanistan in Urdu and Pashto languages titled ‘Gift of Gunpowder’ (Barood ka Tohfa).

The main roles of the film were played by actors Asif Khan, Jahanzeb, and Mustafa Qureshi.

Three female actors also showcased their acting skills in the film. Despite recording songs from Madam Noor Jehan, they were not made part of the film and all four songs in the voice of Masood Rana were included.

The legendary actor of Pashto films, Asif Khan, while talking to a foreign broadcasting organisation, revealed that the 1990 film ‘Barood ka Tohfa’, which was made in the context of the Afghan war, depicted the Soviet Union's attack and aggression on Afghanistan.

The film was a joint production of the JI when Qazi Hussain Ahmad was its chief.

He said that a JI finance secretary and his son invested in the film. Apart from Asif Khan, the cast of the film included Jahanzeb, Adeeb, Mustafa Qureshi, Rehan, Rahila Agha, Naghma, Babra Raj, Seema, Sunita Khan, Nayyar Ejaz and Umar Daraz.

Despite the fact that the film turned out to be a flop, a Pashto version was also made which was released under the name of ‘Do Barood Tohfa’. Directed by Saeed Rana, this film graced the cinemas in the 1990s.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2023.