Jinnah (film)

{{Infobox film

| name = {{PAGENAMEBASE}}

| image = Jinnah movie poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Jamil Dehlavi

| producer = Jamil Dehlavi

| writer =

| screenplay = Akbar S. Ahmed
Jamil Dehlavi

| story =

| narrator = Shashi Kapoor

| based_on =

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| music = Nigel Clarke
Michael Csányi-Wills

| cinematography = Nicholas D. Knowland

| editing = Robert M. Reitano
Paul Hodgson

| studio = The Quaid Project Limited (UK){{cite news| url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/988833/leghari-and-the-making-of-jinnah/ | title=Leghari and the making of 'Jinnah' |newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper) | date=10 November 2015 | access-date=24 October 2020 | author=Akbar S Ahmed}}{{cite web | url=http://pakistanlink.org/Commentary/2015/Aug15/14/02.HTM |title='Jinnah': A Celluloid Salute to the Giant |website=Pakistan Link (U.S. newspaper)| access-date=24 October 2020|author=Farhana Mohamed}}

| distributor = Dehlavi Films Productions

| released = {{Film date|df=y|1998|9|2|Pakistan|1998|11|7|UK}}

| runtime = 110 minutes

| country = Pakistan
United Kingdom

| language = English
Urdu

| budget = $6 million{{Cite web |title=Jinnah (1998) |url=https://pakistani.pk/jinnah-2/ |website=Pakistani.PK |access-date=2023-10-24}}

| gross = $150,000{{Cite web |title=Jinnah (1998) |url=https://pakistani.pk/jinnah-2/ |website=Pakistani.PK |access-date=2023-10-24}}

}}

Jinnah ({{Langx|ur|جناح}}) is a 1998 Pakistani{{ndash}}British epic biographical film which follows the life of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It was directed by Jamil Dehlavi, and written by Akbar S. Ahmed and Dehlavi. It stars Christopher Lee in the lead role as Jinnah.{{cite news|title=Movie Review; Bringing Little-Known Pakistani Leader Jinnah to Life: [Home Edition|first=Kevin|last=Thomas|date=15 December 1998|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} {{ProQuest|421351306}}

To make this film, Shashi Kapoor wanted to invest $1 million.{{cite news|title=Shashi Kapoor Offers $1 M For Jinnah Film|newspaper=News India Times|date=2 May 1997}}{{ProQuest|367775602}} He became the subject of controversy in India and Pakistan for acting in the film.{{cite news|title=Film reviews:Jinnah: Dir: Jamil Dehlavi|last=Malcolm|first=Derek|date=10 November 1998|newspaper=The Guardian, UK}} {{ProQuest|245316352}} Jinnah was shown in Mill Valley Film Festival on 15 October 1999.{{cite news|title=Mill Valley Film Festival Shows 'Jinnah,' 'Hanuman'|first=Richard|last=Springer|date=1 October 1999|newspaper=India - West; San Leandro, Calif.}} {{ProQuest|365261098}} Former Channel 4 executive Farrukh Dhondy also helped write the screenplay for the film for £12,000. The director accused Akbar Ahmed of embezzling money from the film.{{cite web|title=London cool to Pak envoy sack|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/london-cool-to-pak-envoy-sack/cid/895929|first=Amit|last=Roy|date=7 June 2000|website=The Telegraph}}

Plot

The film opens with the words of Professor Stanley Wolpert:

{{cquote|{{center|Few individuals significantly alter the course of history.
Fewer still modify the map of the world.
Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.}}|cquote}}

A guide takes Jinnah to 1947 where, at the Cromwell Conference with Lord Mountbatten, Jinnah demands a homeland for Indian Muslims.

In flashbacks, the guide recounts the marital life of Jinnah, when he falls in love and marries a Parsi named Rattanbai Petit, nicknamed Ruttie, against the will of her parents, mainly on grounds of religion and the difference in their ages. In 1922, Jinnah faces political isolation as he devotes every spare moment to be the voice of moderation in a nation torn by Hindu-Muslim antipathy. This creates tension between Rattanbai and Jinnah. She finally leaves him with their daughter, and they eventually separate. The subsequent death of Rattanbai from cancer greatly impacts Jinnah and his fight for Pakistan. He returns to British India to start a political journey of the two-nation theory. At the Muslim League annual conference in 1940, Jinnah addresses thousands of Muslims and gives them the assurance of the birth of Pakistan.

The Guide questions Jinnah as to who he loves the most apart from Ruttie and his sister Fatima. He then mentions his daughter, who married a Parsi boy without his permission.

While addressing a Muslim League conference in 1947, Muslim fanatics attack the conference and argue that if Pakistan is to be a Muslim state, it cannot give equal rights to women and non-Muslims. Jinnah replies that Islam doesn't need fanatics but people with vision who can build the country. However, the partition of India is carried out, and the Guide and Jinnah witness the massacre of Muslims in migration done by Hindus and Sikhs. Jinnah is sworn in as the first Governor-General of Pakistan and announces Liaquat Ali Khan as the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. Jinnah then says goodbye to his daughter. Dina promises that she will visit him but stays behind in Bombay with her husband and child.

After independence and the end of British rule, Pakistan stands as a new nation and sanctuary for the Muslims of the subcontinent. Jinnah is given the title of Quaid-e-Azam of Pakistan. Jinnah waits for the first train carrying Muslims who left India for Pakistan, but when the train arrives, they are all found dead save for one infant child.

Fatimah and Lady Edwina Mountbatten visit refugees and Lady Mountbatten learns the importance of independence. Mountbatten betrays Jinnah as the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh, stalls his decision on which nation to join. With the population in revolt in October 1947, aided by Pakistani irregulars, the Maharaja accedes to India; Indian troops are airlifted in. Jinnah objects to that and orders that Pakistani troops move into Kashmir, which leads to a war between India and Pakistan then and afterward from time to time in the Kashmir conflict.

The film jumps into a final scene showing Jinnah and Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (last Viceroy of India) in a Heavenly Court. Jinnah is fighting a case against him over his betrayal. The film ends with Jinnah and his angel judge travelling back in time to the scene of Muslim refugees. Jinnah expresses his sorrow over the plight of the refugees during the division of Punjab. They chant "Pakistan Zindabad" in response, which ends the film.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Christopher Lee as Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Richard Lintern as Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Younger)
Shashi Kapoor as Narrator[http://cineplot.com/indian-artistes-who-contributed-to-pakistani-film-industry/ Indian artistes who contributed to Pakistani Film Industry] Cineplot.com website, Published 25 May 2011, Retrieved 24 October 2020
James Fox as Lord Louis Mountbatten[http://www.citwf.com/film174559.htm Jinnah (film) on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website] Retrieved 24 October 2020
Maria Aitken as Edwina Mountbatten
Shireen Shah as Fatima Jinnah
Indira Varma as Rattanbai ('Ruttie') Jinnah
Robert Ashby as Jawaharlal Nehru
Sam Dastor as Mahatma Gandhi
Shakeel as Liaquat Ali Khan
Vaneeza Ahmed as Dina Wadia
Nafees Ahmed as Dina Wadia (Younger)
Shoaib Shaikh as Neville Wadia
Roger Brierley as Judge
Vernon Dobtcheff as Lord Willingdon
Rowena Cooper as Lady Willingdon
James Curran as Colonel Knowles
Michael Elwyn as Sir Cyril Radcliffe
Ian Gelder as the English police officer
Christopher Godwin as Recruitment officer In charge
John Grillo as Sir Dinshaw Petit
Talat Hussain as Refugee
Ubaida Ansari as Ayah
John Nettleton as General Gracey
David Quilter as Porrit
Khayyam Sarhadi as Abdur Rab Nishtar
David Sterne as Birtwhistle
Marc Zuber as Allama Muhammad Iqbal
Shahid Iqbal as Barrister M. C. Chagla
Mervyn Hosein as Abul Kalam Azad
Stephen Mortlock as the English Reporter
Sana Mohammad Abul Fetouh as Zakiya

}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Jinnah

| type = soundtrack

| artist = Nigel Clarke and Michael Csányi-Wills

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Track listing

| all_music =

| extra_column = Singer(s)

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

| title1 = Azadi

| extra1 = Ali Azmat, Samina Ahmed

| lyrics1 = Salman Ahmad (composition), Sabir Zafar

| length1 =

}}

Critical reception

The film received an overwhelmingly positive response in Pakistan. Christopher Lee spoke highly of the film, calling his performance in it the best of his career as well as stressing the importance of the film.{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3733894.stm | title=Christopher Lee on the making of legends | publisher=BBC | date=11 October 2004 | access-date=24 October 2020|author=Lindrea, Victoria}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE_1ofnBFos Christopher Lee talks about his favorite role - video on YouTube] Published 27 June 2007, Retrieved 24 October 2020

{{cquote|The most important film I made, in terms of its subject and the great responsibility I had as an actor was a film I did about the founder of Pakistan, called Jinnah.

It had the best reviews I've ever had in my entire career—as a film and as a performance. But ultimately it was never shown at the cinemas.

}}

However, the choice of Lee to play the lead role led to a large amount of media controversy in Pakistan because of his previous roles in horror films and vampire films as Count Dracula, with Lee having received death threats which required personal bodyguards during filming. The BBC reported that the threats were due to his previous film roles and not that he was a European playing an Asian.{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/180736.stm | title=World: South Asia Troubled Jinnah movie opens | publisher=BBC News| date=26 September 1998| access-date=24 October 2020}} Some critics even demanded a ban on the film.{{cite news|title=Critics demand ban on 'demeaning' film about country's founder|first=Zahid|last=Hussain|date=9 October 1998|newspaper=South China Morning Post}} {{ProQuest|265549903}}

International awards

Grand Prize - Zanzibar International Film Festival
Best International Film - World Film Awards, Indonesia
Gold Award Best Foreign Film - Worldfest Flagstaff
Silver Award, 1999 - WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival[https://worldfest.org/ Worldfest - List of Winners: All Previous Years], Worldfest.
Golden Pyramid Award Nomination - Cairo International Film Festival[https://www.dawn.com/news/1466015/jinnah-screening-at-iac-on-march-4 Jinnah screeninig at IAC on March 4] Dawn (newspaper), Published 26 February 2019, Retrieved 24 October 2020{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1924108/jamil-dehlavis-jinnah-screened-lahore |title=Jamil Dehlavi's 'Jinnah' to be screened in Lahore|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|date= 6 March 2019|access-date=24 October 2020}}

References

External links

{{IMDb title}}
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3733894.stm Christopher Lee on the making of legends and Jinnah]
{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120717031548/http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/501 Christopher Lee launches film about Jinnah in London (Asians in Media Magazine)]}}

=Film reviews =

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/south_asia/180736.stm Troubled Jinnah movie opens (BBC News, September, 1998)]
[http://www.iofilm.co.uk/fm/j/jinnah_1998.shtml IO Film Reviews]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20061030232126/http://www.close-upfilm.com/reviews/j/jinnah.htm Close-up Film Review: Jinnah]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051027110309/http://www.jmk.su.se/global02/stereotypes/rizwan.htm "Jinnah the Movie" reviews by Rizwan]

Category:1998 films

Category:1990s biographical films

Category:1990s historical films

Category:1990s English-language films

Category:1998 multilingual films

Category:Pakistani biographical films

Category:Pakistani multilingual films

Category:British multilingual films

Category:Pakistani epic films

Category:Films set in 1947

Category:British Pakistani films

Category:British biographical films