Filmmaker Kabir Khan recently marked the 18th anniversary of his directorial debut, ‘Kabul Express’, calling it “the most special” film of his career.
The film, which starred John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, was released in 2006 and holds a special place in Kabir’s heart, as he shared on Instagram. In a post celebrating the milestone, Kabir shared a poster of the film with the caption, “The first is always the most special.”
Kabir Khan’s journey into filmmaking began at 25, working as a cinematographer for the documentary ‘Beyond the Himalayas’ directed by Gautam Ghosh. His career took another turn when he made his directorial debut with ‘The Forgotten Army’, a documentary about Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army.
However, it was ‘Kabul Express’ that marked his entry into mainstream cinema. The film, an adventure thriller backed by Yash Raj Films, was loosely based on Kabir’s own experiences in post-Taliban Afghanistan, co-written with his friend Rajan Kapoor.
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The plot follows two Indian journalists, an American journalist, and an Afghan guide who are captured by Pakistani soldiers and forced to journey through war-torn Afghanistan.
While the film gained attention for its gripping storyline, it was also surrounded by controversy. In 2007, the Afghan government, which had initially supported the film’s shooting in the country, banned it due to allegations of racist portrayal of the Hazara Shia minority, despite the film not being officially released there.
Following ‘Kabul Express’, Kabir Khan went on to direct several successful films, including ‘New York’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, ‘Phantom’, and ’83’.
His most recent release, ‘Chandu Champion’, stars Kartik Aaryan as Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medallist. The biographical sports drama tells the inspiring story of Petkar’s resilience and determination in overcoming challenges to achieve historic success.