Page 7 - Pakistan Link - March 26, 2021

OPINION MARCH 26, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P7

n By Dr Akbar Ahmed The Struggle for Jinnah tution like the Pakistan Army, with
American University a command-and-control structure
Washington, DC still in place, keeping a watchful eye
on the fate of the nation. As for the

ate in the 80s during my time Jinnah film, those who would ob-
at Cambridge University, ject to the army’s assistance need to
Lwhen I began to plan a film remember the lessons from Indira

on Jinnah, I thought it was impor- Gandhi and the Gandhi film. They

tant to first find out ought to heed the saying, “Those
how Gandhi was who fail to learn from history are
made and who had doomed to repeat it.”
supported the pro-
ducers. I was most Christopher Lee and the mak-
curious, for exam- ing of Jinnah:
ple, about the spec- I and Christopher Lee had be-
tacular funeral pro- come friends during the shoot, as

cession in the film. It was said that had our wives, and he would make
some 400,000 extras participated it a habit of ringing from his hotel
in that brief scene, and because of room after a hard day’s shoot and

the numbers alone, it entered the dropping in to chat with me on a va-
Guinness Book of Records. riety of subjects, including the shoot

As it happened, that is when I itself. He would often talk to me in
met Rani Dube, the co-producer of the stern tones of an elder brother
Gandhi, in London. I invited her to admonishing his sibling: “Akbar,
Cambridge and to my joy she was you have to stop behaving like a pro-
most forthcoming and sympathetic fessor and you must become a pro-

to my idea for a film on Jinnah. ducer. This business is full of sharks

She recounted her own story Jinnah as an old man (Christopher Lee) meets his younger self (played by Richard Lintern) during the tour arranged by his and you will not survive if you do

and told me how Richard Atten- heavenly guide. Lee declared in his book Tall, Dark and Gruesome (1999) that his role in the Jinnah film was his “own personal not.”
borough found it difficult to raise tribute to an extraordinary man and great statesman … this Great Leader, the Father of the Nation, who literally gave his life Lee would go on to explain that

money for Gandhi. That is when for his country … whose image has been so shamefully distorted by the ignorant and whose reputation and achievements have professors lived in their own gentle
been so grossly maligned. May he truly rest in peace!”
Rani was asked to fly to Delhi and world of books and ideas while the

meet Indira Gandhi, the then prime image of a man, look no further and films. Modern wars are fought Not only did he greet me very warm- film business was a cutthroat world

minister. Indira Gandhi was imme- than David Lean’s Lawrence of Ara- through ideas and images, not just ly, but when I requested that we be of unscrupulous people with little
diately convinced of the importance bia. More than the biographies and missiles and tanks. allowed to use the actual plane that care for the niceties of life. I un-

of making such a film, since for newsreels, Peter O’Toole’s portrayal The then army chief, Jehangir Jinnah had flown in when Pakistan derstood what Lee wished to com-

her such a film would be the “most has become the defining image of T Karamat, was an old-school gentle- was created, he agreed without a municate – and his sincerity – but

powerful asset in projecting an idea E Lawrence. Both Ben Kingsley and man-soldier. He was very positive moment’s hesitation. The only prob- would laugh it off by saying, “Do not

of India on the global stage”. Indira Peter O’Toole won Oscars for their about my idea. His chief of staff was lem was that it had been neglected worry: it will be the professor who
summoned several of her leading portrayals. an old school-fellow from Burn Hall for decades, and one of its wings was will complete the film without com-

bureaucrats and instructed them to In contrast to the making of and several officers knew me as the in serious disrepair. Determined and promising.”
work closely with Rani: the head of Gandhi and the consistent and mas- elder brother of Brigadier Sikander. unwilling to be deterred, we had the At the start of the shoot in Ka-

the central bank, the airlines and sive support it received from the In an unprecedented move, a full crew fix the plane up. Although the rachi in early 1997, a bearded mili-

the army were asked to work closely Government of India, I was strug- regiment was put at my disposal for plane was actually stationary during tary officer wearing civilian clothes

with the cabinet secretary – who gling in the 90s with my Jinnah the shoot. They provided men for filming, its interior was convincing- asked to see me. He said he repre-

would in turn liaise with Rani. quartet, with the most erratic po- crucial crowd scenes. For instance, ly used for the scene in which Jinnah sented the Army and was the liaison

I was constantly asked by the litical setup possible in the back- when we depicted refugees pouring flies to Pakistan. officer. He held the rank of Major

people at the top, “What’s in it for ground, as governments fell like This Viking aircraft, used by and I suspected he had been asked

us?” ninepins. Prime ministers came and There was only one the Quaid-e-Azam himself, also ap- to submit a detailed personal report

Most crucially, Indira Gandhi went with alarming frequency. As peared in the film. of the film. He had been reading

sanctioned $10 million for the film most things do in Pakistan, all roads exception to the erratic In Karachi, a retired major, the negative media reports and had

to be made. Attenborough was able let to a martial law being declared in and changing attitudes of influenced by the media, sued us – many questions, especially about

to raise the rest of the budget on the the country. Every change in gov- claiming that the Jinnah film was a Lee’s capacity to play Jinnah. I need-
back of that sum, which was by no ernment affected my projects. New the various governments, conspiracy to destroy Pakistan. If ed to convince him.

means paltry. leaders inevitably scrapped earlier the Pakistan Army. he had succeeded, the film would I asked him to meet me alone in

Having talked to Rani, I un- agreements and looked at projects have been scrapped. Once again, the basement of the hotel where we

derstood how crucial it was to get supported by the previous adminis- From the very first Christopher Lee and others asked kept our wardrobe, late one evening.
the full support of the government tration with disdain. In many ways, meetings that I had at me why it was that Pakistanis could I then rang Lee and requested him

in order to accomplish such an en- I had to keep hitting the ‘reset’ but- not understand that we were here to to meet me there too, after dressing
deavor. I learnt from her, for exam- ton. At one point, one of the gov- the GHQ in the early pay tribute to the Quaid. What the up like Jinnah. I had seen the impact

ple, that the funeral scene had been ernments committed one million 90s, the army stood by opponents of the film were trying to he had on Pakistanis when he was
such a success because the sea of hu- pounds in formal agreements. Elat- the Jinnah project. The accomplish was a classic own-goal. fully dressed as Jinnah. Lee was al-

manity – a very powerful image for ed, I flew back to London to prepare During the court proceedings, SS ways a good sport and fully cooper-
any audience – consisted mainly of the cast and crew to fly to Pakistan military instinctively Pirzada and Liaqat Merchant rep- ative when it came to protecting and

Indian Army soldiers. for the shoot. In the meantime, an- understood what Rani resented the film and brilliantly projecting the film project. Our cast
The fi lm Gandhi inevitably other government had taken over, had the case dismissed (the story is and crew were marvelous, doing

came to define the Mahatma glob- and as one would guess, promptly Dube and Indira Gandhi covered in the documentary Dare things their agents would normally

ally. No biography – and there are reneged on the agreement. had grasped a decade to Dream). For the record, these not allow.
some really good ones – has had I was constantly asked by the two outstanding lawyers worked Lee was dressed in the full Jin-
the same impact. And in ways that people at the top, “What’s in it for earlier: modern nation- gratis, as they believed in the proj- nah outfit – black sherwani and

cannot be calculated, the film pro- us?” states project their image ect and had been supporting and white shalwar with the karakuli hat
jected an image of India as a land of I have yet to touch upon the advising me long before the shoot- on his head. I told him to stand still
non-violence, wisdom and peace. In non-stop slander and incitement to through the media and ing. Besides, by then our budget in the middle of the dark room with

short, Gandhi became the greatest violence in the media, which under- films. Modern wars are was exhausted and no money was a bright light shining on him. I then
ambassador that the country ever standably rattled the cast and crew. I forthcoming from the government, went out and brought in the Major.
had. Today, the film is shown fre- need to express my profound grati- fought through ideas and despite numerous promises. On seeing Lee, the Major thought

quently across the world and Gan- tude here to the cast and crew for images, not just missiles For the climactic scene at the he was actually seeing an appari-
dhi is acknowledged as one of the their hard work and commitment Badshahi mosque, we needed the tion of Jinnah. With an exclama-

leading iconic figures of the modern to finish the film despite the numer- and tanks largest crowd scene possible. I rang tion he seemed to jump back a few

era. Every new generation, therefore, ous challenges. Even my meagre pay and requested General Karamat, the inches, murmuring that this was the

sees Gandhi and leaves the theatre in as the Iqbal Chair at the Cambridge across the borders in 1947, or the army chief, for another two regi- Quaid-i-Azam. After that, I never
awe of the man. However simplistic University was held up more than railway station scenes with trains ments. He explained that as we were had any problem with him and he
the message and storyline might be, once in an effort to discourage me carrying dead passengers massacred now in Lahore, the protection of the became an enthusiastic supporter of

it is a powerful and spectacular film. from following through on my plan. on the way by fanatics, the men in provincial capital was involved. If the film.

Gandhi was a masterstroke for There was only one exception these scenes were provided by the he suddenly moved two regiments Lee did not hide his admiration
India – it made the man a ‘super to the erratic and changing attitudes army. News of the army’s support from the frontier facing India just for the man he was playing. In one
saint’, while permanently relegating of the various governments, the for the project also had a positive ef- a few miles away, the information of the many meetings where he ac-
Jinnah to the role of a scowling ‘su- Pakistan Army. fect on people in general, which was would be picked up by the Indian companied me to try and win over

per villain’. Some Pakistanis do not From the very first meetings critically important given the nega- army and he did not want to take the Pakistanis, someone asked him how
quite understand that. Many have that I had at the GHQ in the early tive image and rumors being spread slightest risk of a sneak attack. he could play Jinnah who was thin-
replied, “Well yes, but how can you 90s, the army stood by the Jinnah by the media. I will always support democra- ner and shorter than him. It was the

even compare the two? In the movie project. The military instinctively My friend Abbas Khattak, who cy as an idea and in practice. Good kind of question that Pakistanis

it was clear that one was the good understood what Rani Dube and I first met decades ago when he was or bad, politicians must be allowed would pose.
guy and the other was not.” Indira Gandhi had grasped a decade a dashing young pilot, was now the to play out their tenures till Paki- Lee stood up to his great height
For anyone who doubts the earlier: modern nation-states proj- distinguished head of the air force, stanis select better people. But it is of 6 feet 4 inches and said in his
power of a film to consolidate the ect their image through the media holding the title of air chief marshal. reassuring that there is an alert insti- JINNAH, P9

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