Gul Makai

{{short description|Biographical film based on Malala Yousafzai}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Gul Makai

| image = Movie Poster of Gul Makai.jpg

| director = H.E. Amjad khan

| producer = Sanjay Singhla
Preeti Vijay Jaju

| writer = Bhaswati Chakrabarty

| screenplay = Bhaswati Chakrabarty

| starring = Reem Shaikh
Atul Kulkarni
Divya Dutta
Om Puri
Arif Zakaria

| music = Amar Mohile

| cinematography = Madhu Rao
Javed Ethesham

| editing = Praveen Angre

| studio = Tekno Films

| distributor = Pen India Limited

| released = {{film date|2020|01|31|df=yes}}

| runtime = 130 minutes{{cite web |url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/gul-makai-2020 |title=Gul Makai (2019) |website=British Board of Film Classification |access-date=29 January 2020 |archive-date=29 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129044140/https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/gul-makai-2020 |url-status=dead }}

| country = India

| language = Hindi
Urdu

}}

Gul Makai is a 2020 Indian biographical drama film directed by H.E. Amjad Khan, written by Bhaswati Chakrabarty, and produced by Techno Films. The film is based on the life of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate.{{Cite news |title=Malala Yousafzai biopic 'Gul Makai' being shot in Kashmir - Times of India |work=The Times of India}}

Reem Shaikh portrays Malala Yousafzai in the film, which also features Om Puri in his final acting role. The film was released on 31 January 2020.{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/malala-yousafzais-biopic-gul-makai-to-release-on-january-31/articleshow/73028370.cms |title=Malala Yousafzai's biopic 'Gul Makai' to release on January 31 |newspaper=The Economic Times |language=en |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=11 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311011244/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/malala-yousafzais-biopic-gul-makai-to-release-on-january-31/articleshow/73028370.cms |url-status=live }}

Plot

The film portrays the life of Malala Yousafzai, focusing on her experiences in the Swat Valley of northwestern Pakistan and her advocacy for education rights, particularly for girls and women.

In 2009, the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley and imposed strict restrictions, including banning girls from attending school. During this period, Yousafzai began writing under the pseudonym "Gul Makai" for the BBC Urdu website, where she documented the challenges faced by girls in accessing education under Taliban rule.

Yousafzai's advocacy for education drew international attention and recognition. However, her activism also made her a political target. In 2012, she survived an assassination attempt by a Taliban gunman, an event that further amplified her message on the global stage.{{Cite web |title=Nobel Prize |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/facts/ |access-date=9 December 2024 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209182039/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2014/yousafzai/facts/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Assassination attempt |website=PBS |date=11 October 2013 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/malala-says-assassination-threats-cant-weaken-her-cause |access-date=9 December 2024 |archive-date=9 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209172442/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/malala-says-assassination-threats-cant-weaken-her-cause |url-status=live }}

Cast

Reem Shaikh as Malala Yousafzai
Atul Kulkarni as Ziauddin Yousafzai
Divya Dutta as Toor Pekai Yousafzai
Om Puri as General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
Arif Zakaria as Sufi Muhammad
Mukesh Rishi as Maulana Fazlullah
Abhimanyu Singh as Hakimullah Mehsud
Pankaj Tripathi as Baitullah Mehsud
Sharib Hashmi as Ataullah Khan
Kamlesh Gill as Malala's grandmother
Chandrashekhar Dutta as Muslim Khan
Ajay Chourey as Musa Khankhel
Sayyed Irshad Ali Khan as Captain Najam Riaz Raja
Ganesh Yadav as General Sanaullah Khan

Production

H.E. Amjad Khan decided to make a film on Yousafzai's life and advocacy in 2012 following her assassination attempt. After the film was announced, Bhaswati Chakrabarty spent four years researching and writing the script. {{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Several hundred actresses auditioned for the role of Malala; 16-year-old Bangladeshi student, Fatima Sheikh, was initially cast.{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/bangladeshi-student-fatima-sheikh-to-play-the-role-of-pakistani-schoolgirl-malala-yousufzai-8638859.html |title=Bangladeshi student Fatima Sheikh to play the role of Pakistani |work=The Independent |access-date=2 July 2018 |language=en-GB |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818224602/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/bangladeshi-student-fatima-sheikh-to-play-the-role-of-pakistani-schoolgirl-malala-yousufzai-8638859.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/amjad-khan-ropes-in-bangladeshi-girl-to-play-malala-yousufzai-113053100854_1.html |title=Amjad Khan ropes in Bangladeshi girl to play Malala Yousafzai |agency=Press Trust of India |date=31 May 2013 |work=Business Standard India |access-date=2 July 2018 |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818214734/https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/amjad-khan-ropes-in-bangladeshi-girl-to-play-malala-yousufzai-113053100854_1.html |url-status=live }} However, safety concerns arose due to backlash from religious extremists and Sheikh had to withdraw. The role was then given to child actress Reem Shaikh.{{Cite news |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/bollywood/reem-sheikh-to-play-malala-yousafzai-biopic-gul-makai |title=TV Child Actor Reem Sheikh to Play Malala Yousafzai in 'Gul Makai' |work=The Quint |access-date=2 July 2018 |language=en |archive-date=27 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927005333/https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/bollywood/reem-sheikh-to-play-malala-yousafzai-biopic-gul-makai |url-status=live }}

Veteran Bollywood actors Om Puri, Divya Dutta, Mukesh Rishi and Arif Zakaria were cast in supporting roles. Khan stated that physical resemblance to the characters' real-life counterparts was a key casting consideration.{{Cite news |url=http://www.india.com/showbiz/gul-makai-first-poster-out-reem-shaikh-bears-an-uncanny-resemblance-with-malala-yousafzai-2444756/ |title=Gul Makai's First Poster Has Reem Shaikh Bearing A Strong Resemblance With Malala Yousafzai |date=2 September 2017 |work=India.com |access-date=2 July 2018 |language=en |archive-date=18 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818214842/http://www.india.com/showbiz/gul-makai-first-poster-out-reem-shaikh-bears-an-uncanny-resemblance-with-malala-yousafzai-2444756/ |url-status=live }}

Gul Makai began production in late 2016, filming on location in Bhuj (Gujarat) and Mumbai.{{Cite news |title=Shooting of 'Gul Makai'- biopic on Malala resumes in September |language=en |work=The News International |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/222007-Shooting-of-Gul-Makai-biopic-on-Malala-resumes-in-September |access-date=2 July 2018}} Filming in Kashmir, however, was delayed due to ongoing conflict in the region.{{Cite news |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/080817/the-filming-of-malala-yousafzais-biopic-to-resume-from-september.html |title=The filming of Malala Yousafzai's biopic to resume from September |date=8 August 2017 |work=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=2 July 2018 |language=en |archive-date=16 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616195950/https://deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/080817/the-filming-of-malala-yousafzais-biopic-to-resume-from-september.html |url-status=live }} Filming resumed and concluded in January 2018.

The film was edited by National Award-winning editor, Praveen Angre, and included extensive VFX work to recreate the Swat Valley landscape and combat scenes.

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Gul Makai

| type = soundtrack

| artist = H.E. Amjad Khan

| cover =

| alt =

| released = 23 January 2020

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Filmi Soundtrack

| length = 20:04

| language = Hindi

| label = Tekno Music

| producer = Sanjay Singla
Preeti Vijay Jaju

| chronology =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{External media

| audio1 = {{Apple Music|us/album/gul-makai-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1495955706}}

| audio2 = }}

}}

The film's score was composed by Amar Mohile. The title song was written by Bhaswati Chakrabarty, and the remaining songs were written and composed by H.E. Amjad Khan.

{{tracklist

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = {{Duration|m=20|s=4}}

| title1 = Maula Mere

| music1 =

| extra1 = Kailash Kher

| lyrics1 =

| length1 = 7:22

| title2 = Gudda Guddi

| extra2 = Azmat Hussain

| lyrics2 =

| music2 =

| length2 = 5:23

| title3 = Haq Maula

| extra3 = H.E. Amjad Khan, Piyush Mishra

| lyrics3 =

| music3 =

| length3 = 7:19

}}

Reception

Udita Jhunjhunwala of Firstpost gave the film 1 out of 5, writing, "Gul Makai is well-intentioned but as a film, it flails about, overusing background music, abruptly ending scenes, not convincingly recreating an environment and shortchanging its subject. The script feels like a compilation of information culled from news clippings, Wikipedia, and books on Malala. Best to go straight to the source material and bypass this ennui."{{cite news |last=Jhunjhunwala |first=Udita |date=31 January 2020 |title=Gul Makai movie review: Inspiring story of Malala Yousafzai is better documented in source material than this biopic |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/gul-makai-movie-review-inspiring-story-of-malala-yousafzai-is-better-documented-in-source-material-than-this-biopic-7982301.html |work=Firstpost |access-date=24 December 2024 |archive-date=7 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207094005/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/gul-makai-movie-review-inspiring-story-of-malala-yousafzai-is-better-documented-in-source-material-than-this-biopic-7982301.html |url-status=live }}

Devesh Verma of Filmfare gave the film 2 out of 5, writing, "There is a clip from a speech by the real Malala at the end credits which offers more impact about education of girls worldwide than this two hour film because it showed a person's burning desire to bring about a change."{{Cite web |url=https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/gul-makai-movie-review-38852.html |title=Gul Makai Movie Review |last=Verma |first=Devesh |date=30 January 2020 |website=Filmfare |access-date=24 December 2024 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925183448/https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/gul-makai-movie-review-38852.html |url-status=live }}