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The horror of the "Malta Boat Tragedy" in which nearly 300 South Asian illegal immigrants drowned on Christmas Day 1996 will soon be turned into a movie starring two big-name Indian and Pakistani actors.
The 200-million-rupee film, "Kaafila" (, about one of the worst disasters on the high seas will feature muscled Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol and popular Pakistani actress Sana Nawaz.
On December 25, 1996, hundreds of illegal immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh boarded the "Yiohan" in Malta to travel to Sicily from where they hoped to fan out across Western Europe. But the ship sank in stormy waters, killing 289 of the around 450 people aboard. "When I read about the tragedy, I decided to make a film about illegal human trafficking," producer-director Ammtoje Mann said, adding he had met many illegal immigrants who "told me their horror stories."
Mann said he was keeping details of the plot under wraps. But he said it would highlight how many people fleeing poverty die in a quest to make better lives for themselves elsewhere. The film, expected to hit screens at the end of the year, will mark Sana's Bollywood debut. She is the second well-known actress from Pakistan to work in Indian cinema in the past six months.
Pakistani actress Meera, who goes by one name, has just completed shooting a Bollywood suspense thriller, "Nazar", set for release this month.
Since nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan began a formal peace process in early 2004, collaboration has been increasing between Bollywood and Lollywood, as Pakistan's film industry is known. "Illegal migration to Western countries is a serious problem. Many of my countrymen go abroad illegally in search of a better life but get nothing in return," Sana said. Sana plays an Afghan girl who helps the illegal immigrants in their journey to Western Europe.
Deol, known for his action roles, said he was "moved by the script." "The film deals with a serious problem and it wants to educate people about the dangers of illegal immigration," Deol said. "Many of these people get stranded on foreign soil all their lives with some even landing in jail. We want to tell this story as it's a rampant problem in our region." afp
The 200-million-rupee film, "Kaafila" (, about one of the worst disasters on the high seas will feature muscled Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol and popular Pakistani actress Sana Nawaz.
On December 25, 1996, hundreds of illegal immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh boarded the "Yiohan" in Malta to travel to Sicily from where they hoped to fan out across Western Europe. But the ship sank in stormy waters, killing 289 of the around 450 people aboard. "When I read about the tragedy, I decided to make a film about illegal human trafficking," producer-director Ammtoje Mann said, adding he had met many illegal immigrants who "told me their horror stories."
Mann said he was keeping details of the plot under wraps. But he said it would highlight how many people fleeing poverty die in a quest to make better lives for themselves elsewhere. The film, expected to hit screens at the end of the year, will mark Sana's Bollywood debut. She is the second well-known actress from Pakistan to work in Indian cinema in the past six months.
Pakistani actress Meera, who goes by one name, has just completed shooting a Bollywood suspense thriller, "Nazar", set for release this month.
Since nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan began a formal peace process in early 2004, collaboration has been increasing between Bollywood and Lollywood, as Pakistan's film industry is known. "Illegal migration to Western countries is a serious problem. Many of my countrymen go abroad illegally in search of a better life but get nothing in return," Sana said. Sana plays an Afghan girl who helps the illegal immigrants in their journey to Western Europe.
Deol, known for his action roles, said he was "moved by the script." "The film deals with a serious problem and it wants to educate people about the dangers of illegal immigration," Deol said. "Many of these people get stranded on foreign soil all their lives with some even landing in jail. We want to tell this story as it's a rampant problem in our region." afp
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