Kabul Express (2006) User Reviews

Probably tells you more than most documentaries

[Chris_Docker · 8/10 · 22 December 2006]

I remember many, many years ago, someone said to me, "I don't think Andy's coming - do you want his place?" Before even the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, before the middle east became a constant war-ground, a number of my friends would follow the 'hippy trail' - overland to India through the strange and wonderful lands on the way like Afghanistan. I didn't go. I often dreamt of the strange civilisations of Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, lands of jinn, ancient cultures, strange customs. Today, visiting Afghanistan for a Westerner is almost unthinkable - travelling there overland probably suicidal. Understanding the country through anything but a western political lens almost impossible.

How refreshing to see a film made there with care and attention to authenticity. A film that is half thriller, half comedy. And one that conveys some of the complex attitudes of a warring people for whom it is the only home they ever know or want.

Indian director Kabir Khan, although with considerable security, is able to come and go much easier than any Westerner could. I can't imagine even Mel Gibson going out to Kabul to make a motion picture right now. Khan's actors are all cast according to their nationality.

Two Indian rookie reporters make the strangest roadtrip ever - trying to get an exclusive story on the Taliban following 9/11. They meet up with an Afghan driver, a gorgeous American Reuters photographer, and a Pakistani 'Talib' who by turns holds them hostage or doesn't. They are waylaid by police, bandits and mujahedin as they make a treacherous trip across a vivid no-man's-land through breathtaking scenery to the border. On the way they discover much about the complexities underlying Afghanistan as well as about themselves and each other.

Kabul Express is the first feature film to be shot extensively in Kabul after the official end of the Taliban's reign and demonstrates the director's love of the country and its people, as well as an incredible sense of humour that both accurately portrays and caricatures all the various races involved.

The film seems to have no particular political agenda, and if the Taliban and Pakistan probably come off a bit worse than anybody else, the locals who reinstate fairly barbaric time-honoured sports and customs are not a picture of civilised thinking either. The different reactions of our travellers to a game involving tearing an animal to bits, or beating a couple of Talibs to death with bare hands, speak volumes.

In one particularly moving scene, the extremely resourceful Taliban fighter is re-united with his daughter. I found the moment where she only lifts her burka (veil) secretly watching him depart particularly heart-wrenching.

Kabul Express is a film made by an Indian company and not totally divorced of bias - there's no love lost between India and the Taliban over Kashmir, for instance - but as it's not the bias we are used to in the West it is nevertheless a invigorating look into a country that has become almost unintelligible. It may be uncomfortable or even disjointed viewing for anyone emotionally locked into a politicised and over-simplified picture of Afghanistan, but if you can put that aside for an hour or so it is truly an eye-opener.

While not exactly a blockbuster, the film comes across as warm, genuine, exciting and displays a range of humour I've rarely come across. I am also indebted to several Indian members of the audience without whose laughter I would have missed several subtle and very Indian-type jokes.

Kabul Express is a rare film experience and I strongly recommend it.

A Nutshell Review: Kabul Express

[DICK STEEL · 8/10 · 25 January 2009]

Kabul Express had been in a number of local festivals here, as well as in the Asian Festival of First Films, and I rue the missed opportunities to have watched this on the big screen. I guess a DVD with extras would have to do, and my interest was initially piqued because it was one of the first films to have been shot in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Given that we dare not venture into what are currently hot spots in the world, film then serves as the next best thing to be able to see the city of Kabul captured on screen by the filmmakers, for the world at large.

Shot entirely in and around Kabul, Afghanistan, Kabul Express features plenty of lush scenery captured by the beautiful cinematography, and it helps that both the writer-director Kabir Khan, and his director of photography Anshuman Mahaley had been in and around the country a couple of times themselves, the former being a documentary filmmaker who had gone a handful of times, and this film summarizes his experiences in the country which he had distilled into his first feature length narrative film. Through their eyes we see worlds that we don't normally see, and they have a very mature and poignant story to tell, steering clear of the very obvious story lines of condemning outright the Taliban here, though not without reasons.

Kabir Khan had weaved humanity across all the characters he put into this film, and consciously had everyone from different nationalities and cultures come together in a melting pot known as the Kabul Express, an offroad jeep which is used to ferry them around on a road trip pretty much to satisfy the wishes of the one holding onto the rifle. I thought it was a fine decision to have the actors actually from the countries involved in order to add a little authenticity and to bring across some genuine deep rooted nuances and attitudes to their roles, especially when dealing with the theme of hatred.

John Abraham and Arshad Warsi play journalists from India Suhei and Jai respectively, who decided to boost their careers with getting themselves into Afghanistan to interview themselves some Taliban, who are now hunted by the Northern Alliance and the US troops, and are fighting for their lives. With the help of a local Afghan guide Khyber (Hanif Hum Ghum) and a chance meeting cum rescue mission of American photographer Jessica Beckham (Linda Arsenio), they come into contact with an escaping Pakistani Imran Khan Afridi (Salman Shahid), who had fought with the Taliban, and now with the help of an AK47, forces the group to bring him back to the Pakistan border.

Kabir Khan had crafted some very nicely done set pieces, be it action or drama, and definitely comedy which hit the right note most of the time, at all the right places. The funny bits do defuse plenty of tension which come inbuilt with the kind of rough wild west lawlessness and terrain that the characters find themselves in, where everyone's for themselves, and self- serving militant groups still around to rule over their self-imposed jurisdictions. And for this Kabir himself got into some flak for portraying the Hazara ethnic group in bad light. There's nothing in black and white, and everything is in grey territory here, such as the symbiotic relationship that Pakistan allegedly shares with the Taliban that gets explored here.

But I suppose road movies provide for perfect opportunities where misconceptions are cleared and prejudices get addressed, where fears of the unknown get dissipated once familiarity creeps in. The team in the jeep through time spent together, whether they like it or not, had forged an uneasy alliance and dependence on one another, and if not for their backgrounds, they could be friends, given their common ground for movies, song and love of cricket. Except for the American of course, who's more often portrayed as obnoxious, and doesn't think before she shoots off her mouth. I felt that was one scene where she could have told a white lie in order to ease a tense situation, but in doing what was deemed to be the right thing, had failed to see the obvious repercussions staring right at her face.

Blessed by a truly hypnotic score, Kabul Express enthralls, not by being a novelty of achieving firsts in many areas, but through a story which was delivered right by the multi- national cast, and the relevance and importance that we live in a world without strangers, where barriers could be broken down with communication and understanding. Definitely highly recommended in my books!

A journey in the heart of Afghanistan, and into the hearts of people

[nadeemisthebest-1 · 8/10 · 14 December 2006]

Kabul Express is the Journey of two rookie journalists from India (looking to interview the Taliban), with an American, an Afghani and a Pakistani in the wilderness of Afhghanistan post 9/11.

Kabir Khan presents Afghanistan the way he saw it in his travels: At once beautiful, and at once ravaged, raped and destroyed. A cynical reporter's vision of a nation whose fate was changed by external influences and internal conflict.

Khan examines the flaws and weaknesses in human nature, the greed of money and power, the fear of pain and death. He Also highlights the strengths that keep us from destroying ourselves: love, friendship and compassion towards our fellow humans.

While the story is constantly evolving, the motives of each character are quite clear. The dialog is pacey and casual. The use of language is superb: English, Hindi and Afghani are used efficiently without repetition.

While the subject matter is quite grim, the light-hearted dialog eases the tension. The movie also makes it's point without being preachy. The characters are ones that the audience can relate to, which helps the film. Kudos to Khan for a brilliant first attempt at direction.

The cinematography does full justice to the barren landscapes, the towering mountains, the destroyed cities and the troubled souls residing within.

The acting deserves special mention.

Arshad Warsi strikes a chord with the audience with his childishness and quips in the face of danger. He helps lighten the mood. While John Abraham has a long way to go as an actor, he is nothing really to complain about. He is learning the craft, and it shows.

Linda Arsenio does justice to her role as the practical American journalist and Hanif Hum Ghum as Khyber, is simply endearing. He is the typical Afghani who wants to live in peace and earn a decent living.

Salman Shahid takes the cake as the Talib you want to hate, but the one you love the most. His acting is superb and his character is the strongest in the film. It is full of internal and external conflicts and his eyes convey them all.

OVERALL:

The Good: The Direction, The Cinematography, the Dialogs, The Acting and most importantly, the points the film makes about human nature.

The bad: Editing is patchy sometimes (I saw it at the World Premiere at DIFF and the quip about Osama bin Laden had been Chopped off- and it was obvious!) but for the most part nothing to complain about.

The Ugly: the fainthearted may find some scenes of violence disturbing

Final Word: A MUST watch!

Watch this!

[bollywoodplusplus · 7/10 · 9 June 2007]

I won't say, this is a must see movie - however, its a great watch, if you are in a mood for sinking into the beautiful mountainous sorrounding of Kabul and Afghanistan - this is the movie for you. Slow paced it may be, but it has no boring moment. Very well cast, esp the Pakistani.

I totally enjoyed the conversations, and got little bit into the psyche of each character. All the characters are very real.

Movie has actually no songs, but few songs were released , i guess for the publicity of the movie. The title track, Kabul fiza, and Shubha Mudgals 'Banjar' were great tracks. The background score is excellent, kinda captures the beauty and intensity of the sorrounding at the same time.

One note for the cinematography - its awesome to show the widescreen panoramic awesome shots of Kabul, the hills, and blue sky - it looks tremendous.

Different and Worth a Watch

[danzs · 7/10 · 16 December 2006]

Different… Humorous… Poignant … that's what this ride called 'Kabul Express,' is about and a good experimental effort by the production house of Adi Chopra known more for his romantic tear-jerker's. This time he breaks away from the regular mould and delivers something that is more realistic.

It has it flaws, like two reporters Suhel (John) and Jai (Arshad) who have gone to Afghanistan on their rookie assignment but seem to be surprised at the scenario and way of life there. Come on guys, didn't anyone back at office brief you on what's happening in a war torn country or don't you watch the news. Any Johnny today knows from the news and literature available how life in Afghanistan stands. Knows enough than to be taken aback by a kid without a leg or a hotel in ruins.

John at times seems a bit out of sorts but Arshad makes hay while the Afghan sun shines and draws a chuckle from the audience. With his spontaneity and natural comic timing he delivers his dialogues to maximum effect :) Linda Arsenio as a Reuter's reporter is quite wasted. Anyone could have done that role which requires a bare minimum display of acting talents. But she sure does serve her purpose of eye candy amidst the dilapidated Afghan countryside.

The cinematography of the barren landscape and rugged terrain is quite breathtaking and so is the background music. Comes as a relief that there are no song and dance items included which have no place in the script from the beginning.

A few more slickly edited action sequences would have added positively to the 'thriller,' element in the movie cause at times it leaves you with an empty feeling with nothing to look forward to in the next scene. Towards the end of it one could sum this one up as a drama with comic relief moments.

And for some reason I am quite confused about the message the movie tried to deliver. Was it about Indo-Afghan friendship, or the difference between Indian and Pakistani mindset. Perhaps it's about drawing parallels across a cross section of culturally different nations.

Feel free to draw your own conclusion but after you have seen this one……… cause its different and worth a watch.

A great film -every one is in-

[ejderkelebek · 8/10 · 13 April 2007]

That is a great film from two main aspects. The first aspect is, everyone is in. A Paki, an Afghan, Two Indians and of course an American as a non-hero late role which is literal. As an actual America in general plays the head role in this film. Those people all traveling in one Jeep. Unbelievable. Their attitudes, the one who gets the gun, shows power, the cricket loving, cigarette talks. I like this film a lot from the second aspect.The humanness oaf all of those men. Even terrorist. The sense of the American in the Pepsi scene. This film is like a reality shoot. Marvelous. I did not like the end. Very soft ending but still very good film.

Riding The Kabul Express

[cultjones · 6/10 · 17 December 2006]

Set in a War Ravaged Afghanistan post 9/11, Kabul Express sets off on a journey illustrating the different sides of those involved particularly that of a Pakistani soldier ordered to dutifully fight along side the Taliban in spite of his personal beliefs. We soon learn about the regime and immediately despise the Taliban and its representative, Imran played by Salman Shahid. However, as the story unfolds, both the audience along with journalists played by John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, begin to see Imran's humanity, the cruelty inflicted by either side and discover that soldiers exist to unquestionably follow orders. The film briefly touches on the complication of International politics while painting Pakistan as the bad guy.

Arshad Warsi continues to flex his versatile acting material and maintaining his hold as one of the better actors in Bollywood and Hanif Hum Ghum and Salman Shahid are certainly more than adequate in their supporting roles. Although John Abraham's effort to stretch his acting abilities is admirable, his performance is sterile and evidence suggests he was miscast. Linda Aresenio who portrays the American Journalist Jessica, came across as no more than an amateur actor which was a real shame as these were the two main downfalls of this original feature.

Even though there was scope to create a deeper bond between Imran and the other characters and the end seemed fairly rushed, one much realise this is new territory for Indian cinema and their first step is a respectable one. Kabul Express contains a bit of everything from horror, breathtaking visuals to a good chuckle which is delivered with perfect timing by Warsi. A must see for those that appreciate quality and originality in Bollywood.

Kabul. Its heaven beyond that fire.

[singh-amrit · 9/10 · 18 December 2006]

The movie raises 2 BIG questions. Who is the culprit for the situation in Afganistan and who is world's all time greatest All Rounder in Cricket.

Yes, its this unique and fine blend of humor and world politics' BIGGEST burning issues that makes Kabul Express easily one of the finest films of the year.

With some convincing acts by immensely talented Arshad Warsi and great looking John Abraham and rest of the cast, coupled with great direction and splendid (simply splendid) cameraman-ship, this movie is a treat. Its essentially a big screen movie.

Kabul Express takes you to the soulful journey through the heart of Kabul with Express paced narrative but making sure you don't miss a shot due to fast speed. If there is any establishment like Kabul Tourism, this would be a perfect advertisement for it, as the cinematographer captures exactly what needs to be captured, leaving you wondering if you could some day go for a vacation on those rugged roadways.

Beauty of the film lies in the effortless ease with with which it tries to find the cause of the destruction in Afganistan and making us believe that no one, including the soldiers fighting there, wants a war. It's all about money honey. You know what's it all about when one of the protagonists says, "Its all Only for money, only to suck all the oil and sell Coke and Pepsi here." You might just laugh away at the dialog, only later realizing how true was it. The best part is that you wont realize that you are actually watching a film which deals with such serious issues with the director extracting humor from least likely situations.

Despite being very convincing the movie leave one question unanswered, Who is better among Kapil Dev and Imran Khan :o)

Go and watch it, essentially on the BIG screen.

Cleverly Justified Taliban With The Help Of Emotion And Comedy.

[rajbhark07 · 6/10 · 20 April 2020]

Acting, Location And direction wise this is a good film. But terrorist should not be Justified any how.

Two great films neatly wrapped up in a terrible one

[j30bell · 4/10 · 18 December 2006]

Kabul Express is not a hideous failure. It's just not very good.

Two Indian journalists head into war-torn Afghanistan to interview a Talib for an exclusive scoop back in India. Quickly they fall victim to the very thing they went to find, and end up on a nightmarish road trip in the custody their putative rebel, played very effectively by Salman Shahid. Along the way, sidekick Jai frequently berates hunk Suhel for "another fine mess he's got him into", starts a shooting war with his Talib captor about whether Kapil Dev or Imran Khan was the greatest all-rounder, and witness (and photograph) the death by beating of two runaway Taliban prisoners.

Kabir Khan might have made two good films out this material. Instead he chose to combine the two, which just didn't work. The opening moments of the film promised a harrowing docu-drama (including what looked like a real life execution of a veiled woman). In the next scene we have our two heroes doing a Laurel and Hardy routine. This pattern was repeated (and certainly repeated on me) for the rest of the film.

Juxtaposing violence and humour is no bad thing of course. But Khan lacked the inclination - or perhaps the experience - to make an effective black comedy. His film is at its most assured during its comic phases. Some of these touches are memorable (the cricket fight, the donkey etc). The film is at its worst when indulging in bizarre, cod-serious non-sequiturs on the futility of war, love or photojournalism – usually from the mouth of the appalling (in this film) Linda Arsenio. Possibly it's not her fault – her dialogue was also the worst in the film, but she didn't improve it.

The film could have been redeemed by a powerful message, but Khan couldn't quite bring himself to show a Talib fighter as a real human. So what we got instead was a cheap shot at the Pakistani government. To me, this symbolised the whole film. It was a missed opportunity. It had all of the elements for a great black comedy, and all the elements for a serious study of war. But in the end it was just a mess.

Bold Comedy

[Sweta_B · 8/10 · 15 September 2006]

I will not bother to recap the story, I'll go straight into my opinion. Everyone takes this subject matter so seriously (as they should) because it is happening at present, but this film dares to add comedy at the most unexpected times, to the most unexpected situations, while still being informative and paying respect to the subject matter. Is worth at least one viewing. At the Toronto Film Festival, people seem to really enjoy this film, if that means anything. I was a little surprised to hear Arshad Warsi refer to this film as a Bollywood film, although I guess it is, even though it does not resonate as one. This appears (according to IMDb) to be Kabir Khan's first narrative film, I must applaud him for a job well done. The only thing that needed major adjusting, is Linda Arsenio's acting. It ruins a great deal of the film. I could hear the people behind me saying exactly what I was thinking, "she's so bad!" This almost seems to be a trend in Bollywood films, Western people's acting is rarely believable. All in all, very good, watch it!

first Bollywood movie on some International Problem

[indu9 · 7/10 · 24 December 2006]

& really awesome one !!! Bollywood doesn't really make lots of movies on theme other than family drama or love or comedy. The maximum deviation that you can find is a very few movies based on domestic terrorism movies. This one definitely stood out than the rest in that regard. A very simple story, yet strong enough to capture the audience till the end. light comedy yet depicting the horror of Afganistan during the Taliban regime, mostly through dialogs. Most of the shootings as per one John Abraham's comment as done in Afganistan, that could justify why there is no Bollywood Actress and hence no typical Hindi songs. Everyone's role is competitive and justifiable. The director could do a better job in showing (through video not narration) of the horrifying past. Most of the shooting appeared to involve very few people in/around a very small mountain range. But hey, this is the first Indian movie as such in this category, so no complain there either :)

a comedy that tells you nothing new

[dumsumdumfai · 2/10 · 16 September 2006]

There are many ways to tell a story, in style, tone, plot, characters, and point of view no less. But if you keep up with the news, the intricacies of international politics, then IMHO, it is kind of lazy of the director to choose the tone of comedy to mix with such a serious opening image. Maybe that is exactly the point. And like everything nowadays, it is only an opinion. But still, opinions can be a lazy one, however the rational behind the choice.

And the story of the film is told through basically a road-movie style in comedic tone with a few messages, shot at you the audience so directly that it is like pointing a gun to your head. Man, I sincerely hope that, audience nowadays are not so dumb. Then again, I did choose (wrongly) this a part of my 2006 TIFF filming experience.

Strictly OK all around performance (in the end), with flashes brilliance.

[kooleshwar · 6/10 · 17 December 2006]

The goal of this movie is quite clear, its another attempt by a star to prove that he is an actor by doing a festival circuit movie. Whats not clear was whether or not he read the script before choosing this movie as his artsy vehicle.

Also I would like to make it clear that I did not want to see this movie and was dragged to the theaters by the demands of my sister and Bhabhi.

I find such artsy movie painfully simple to understand especially when the motives are so clear.

I figured out the formula of the film by just looking at the posters, the all so standard one where are the actors are compressed into a row with the accolades (participation in this case) are displayed in wreaths on the top.

So we have John the star who wants to be an actor, Arshard who is going to going to be the funny sidekick in the next billion movies, the pretty foreign thing who will play the typical American woman (as if all foreigners are British or American), the afghan (named Khyber wtf), and the Omar Shariefish looking actor who will probably be Pakistani.

The moment the movie starts you feel that the filmmakers are trying a satire and starting with the humour....BUT THE TRAGEDY IS SO Predictable THAT YOU KNOW IT WITHIN MINUTES AND THE HUMOUR CONTINUES THROUGHOUT.

John has a lesser lines than even Arshad who quite clearly steals the show, the acting is good especially from the Afghan who doesn't look awkward in his first movie.

Whats both endearing and weird is the way bloodshed is tackled in the movie.

For the battle-hardened Afghan death and destruction is a way of life and its eerie to see how casually they talk about it.

But for Indian news reporters on their first war assignment to act like nothings happened is stupid.

For a satire on war you never really feel the squirm that you are supposed to feel, the message if any is clearly lost in the sea of humour and predictability.

You have a miserably failed attempt by the actors on the ideals of journalism which made the shortcoming of the entire effort even more glaring.

The movie is bugged with plot holes and inconsistencies and is badly edited.

The movie has one special moment though when the father meets his daughter but that about it, the movie makes a couple of attempts at special moments but fails.

By and large the only parts where this movie succeeds is the humour and in this regards Arshard Warsi clearly steals the show, all his one liners are great and you are constantly smiling and laughing at them, brilliant ones are the conversations in the car on cricket and its after-effects, in fact for a small period this movie looked like it would rise above the ordinary, on the basis of the conversations between 3 parties that takes place in the car, BUT THE LARGE BORING AND HIGHLY PREDICTBLE PARTS RUIN THAT CHANCE.

Cinematographically this movie is pretty sound some of the shot of Afghanistan are breath taking and shooting in the cramped interiors of a car is much more difficult than it looks.

The soundtrack is ordinary and background score is forgettable.

The editing is poor you can notice the breaks and the cut dialogs, a lot of stuff is left unexplained and unnecessary stuff left in.

On the virtue of its inconsistency performance this movie will end up being strictly OK for all parties, albeit the people who like call their movies cinema and like them as tragic and boring as they come, the hardcore commercial lovers who are seeing this movie for John, the movie lovers who will see just about any movie etc etc.

Overall this movie is strictly OK, I may have liked it more than other because I too have this habit of finding humour in the worst of situations like Arshad but others may find him a bit of a annoyance.

The performance of this movie is exactly like the careers of Kapil Dev and Imran Khan (seeing the movie will help) who were mostly ordinary but showed flashes of brilliance, and had one big moment that defined their careers (the lifting of the cups).

This movie is best watched in the matinée show at multiplex, paying full admission especially at night will guarantee disappointment.

-s HIGHLY PREDICTABLE (even dialogs by less experienced movie goers), fails at everything else but humour, many inconsistencies, large boring parts, bad editing (very?).

+/-s John Abraham (only a distraction ?),unanswered questions.

+s great humour, good acting all around, good cinematography.

total 6/10 (factoring in that I expected less(added points) and the fact that I am biased towards seeing humour in everything (reduced points))

Brave and bold movie

[ultimateloser · 7/10 · 16 December 2006]

Synopsis: Jai (Warsi) and Suhail (Abraham) are Indian journalists in Afghanistan in quest of the elusive Taliban. Unfortunately for them, Talibs are hard to find, and those that are found are promptly and brutally lynched by Afghans or sold to Americans. Jessica (Arsenio) is a Reuters journalist on the same quest who gets thrown together with them. Their driver/guide Khyber (Humghum) helps them in the quest.

The group gets kidnapped by a vicious-looking Talib (Shahid) who's trying to reach the Pakistan border. And this starts off a road trip which provides insights into the Afghan conflict for all of them and us.

On this road trip, they get caught in bushkazi, a sufi trance, kebabs, women's rights and lots of other situations.

Review: On the whole, a very brave and bold attempt by a traditional bollywood production house. Definitely deserves a watch if only for that reason. The cinematography is breathtaking, the Afghan people and actors are wonderfully and heartbreakingly natural. The comedic dialogue and situations keep the movie from getting depressing. The movie tries to tread a politically correct yet sensitive line and provides a sympathetic and humorous portrayal of the ruthless Afghan chessboard from an Indian perspective.

On the cons side, Linda Arsenio is a seriously bad actress. What the heck, she's good looking and probably the only gori they found who was ready to film in Afghanistan! The editing could have been a lot more crisp for a road film: the parts between the 'events' drag a bit. Also, I wished there was some more focus on the lives of the Afghan people.

Westerners also might not like the 9/11 footage used to introduce the movie. Personally, I think it works fine.

However, all these are minor complaints, and should not stop anyone from giving this movie a fair chance.

An excellent film.

[minokshi85 · 10/10 · 13 February 2007]

I think that Kabul Express is the best Bollywood film of 2006. I still feel the effects of this film a week after watching it. The performances by the actors were great. Especially the actor who was playing the Taliban. The movie does a great job of educating the audience in regards to life in Afghanistan, and that not all Taliban soldiers are inhuman monsters. The scenes of the Afghan country are wonderfully shown. There are a lot of emotional scenes, especially during the end when we are not sure about the fate of the Taliban soldier as he try's to get to the border. The movie is realistic and it does not contain any song and dance sequences. The main reason why it is a great film is that it will make certain people realize how fortunate they are to grow up in a country without war. As well, that they should try to find ways to help people in other countries who are less fortunate. Finally the film does a great job of portraying the spirit of the Afghan people. The Afghan people have the spirit to survive turmoil in their country, and they will survive to bring their country back on its feet and make their country great again. This film is definitely one of a kind.

Awesome debut by Kabir Khan

[silvan-desouza · 6/10 · 3 February 2016]

Kabir Khan debuted with this film, which was based on his real life experiences of his journey in war torn Afghanistan. The film released in 2006 when Yrf's other film DHOOM 2 had released few weeks back and was a blockbuster. This film stays out of commercialism, more on war reporting. The film was received well in many film festivals but didn't really work in India The film is well handled by Kabir Khan, the scenes between Salman Shahid and John,Arshad are well handled, also the scene wherein Salman Shahid goes to meet his daughter, the light banter also is well handled. The climax too moves you Minus of the film perhaps is it won't appeal to all

Direction is awesome Music is okay Camera-work is superb, This was a film after ages that was shot in Afghanistan.

Arshad Warsi takes a break from his Golmaal and other types of films except LRMB and proves he is capable of much more, he handles his role well John Abraham is good in his role too, Salman Shahid is terrific in his role, Hanif Hum Ghum is good too rest are all good Thankfully Kabir Khan has signed actors as per their nationality and that adds authentic flavour.

A pleasant surprise

[IndianMovieDude · 8/10 · 22 February 2007]

Kabul Express is a story of two Indian journalists who go to Afghanistan to interview Taliban and their (mis)adventures in the war torn, now forgotten country. The movie is an adventure ride with a dash of comedy and emotions, a Hollywood Chicken Tikka Masala, if you so please.

Historically I am not sure how correct is the movie. I do not think that an extensive research on the history of Afgan conflict was part of the making. Too many Aghans spoke and understood Hindi for my liking. And how correct is the depiction of war journalism, is best left to a professional for comments (though John's character admits in the beginning being a Rookie)

But if you look beyond these (minor) flaws, the film has more that its share of moments. The plot, though follows predictable lines, is well knit and keeps the audience interested. A lot a time has been spent on each character so you end up empathizing with each of them, more so with the driver/guide Khyber and the on-the-run Talib, Imran Khan (The verbal duels of Imran with Khyber and Arshad's character should not be missed). The screenplay is majestic and eerie at the same time...which I guess comes naturally when shooting in the Afghanistan backdrop. Acting is very competent and so is the background score

And in between the journey and the jokes, the movie also makes an attempt to point fingers for the mess Afghanistan has become. To its credit it takes different view points, that of an Afghan, A Talib, a Pakistani, an Indian and, to some extent, an American. The blame is shared expectedly by Pakistan, America and Islamic fundamentalism. There is plenty of America bashing otherwise as well, reflecting the global dip in popularity of the Land of the Brave

Kabul Express is a ride to the frontiers relatively unknown to Indian Cinema audience. It is a must see just for that reason alone. But I am sure you will find more, as I did.

A far cry from your usual "Bollywood" escapism....

[MrJigsaw · 16 December 2006]

Americans have always seemed to enjoy "road movies," from "It Happened One Night" (one of the few cinematic comedies to cop some Oscars) onwards, so those feeling bold enough to venture to see "Kabul Express" shouldn't come away totally disappointed; it even harks back to those "Road to…." epics with in this case Bob Hope, Bing Crosby & Dorothy Lamour being replaced by a couple of Indian guys and a Yank gal. They're journalists who have been (literally) dropped into War-torn Afghanistan (that should probably be the official name of the country) to procure a big story, although they seem to have trouble stumbling across anything big occurring; they can't even find any of the poppy fields generating most of the heroin getting injected into Caucasian veins the world over.

Oddly enough, this is a comedy much of the running time. The Indian Bob and Bing are constantly bickering, with the cameraman accusing his partner of getting him into dangerous situations. (Maybe he should consider a career change.) They haggle with their Afghan guide over the cost of an interview with some Taliban members, who in this movie are depicted as almost an endangered species. The interview falls through but they get a kind of unwelcome bonus: their SUV is commandeered by a Taliban with the omnipresent AK rifle (it's clear this is the weapon of choice for most of the non-American world). It's the uneasy interaction of Bob, Bing and their guide (later joined by Dorothy) with their captor that makes up the "heart of" the movie.

This character (played by Salman Shahid in only his second IMDb credit) becomes ever more fascinating as we learn more about him. It would be a shame if word got around that there's a "sympathetic Taliban," thus deterring some Americans from seeing it. The writer/director does "cheat" a little, though: Shahid is "really" with the Pakistani military, not one of those hard-core guys who blew up the Buddha statue or enjoy relegating women to "beekeeper suits" (he makes good use of one at one point). He and the guide (Hanif Hum Ghum in his first IMDb credit) pretty much steal the movie with each seeking the upper hand over the other (Shahid makes Ghum watch him urinate at one point). The reunion of Shahid with his daughter, with cultural mores preventing him from even speaking to her, is the emotional climax of the film. But here's the main spoiler: Americans constantly in search of a "happy ending" will be disappointed here.

Also disappointed may be those seeking more of a political statement. There's no extensive "back story" a la "Blood Diamond" about the nurture of the Afghan guerrilla fighters (including Osama Bin Laden) by the CIA against the Soviets, the pre-Nine Eleven machinations over oil rights etc. It does become clear that the American military has largely worn out it's welcome. The bombing of civilians etc. is presented briefly. Probably the single most jarring image is that of a smiling young boy who stands up to reveal his missing leg.

Ordinarily I hate to slag actors, but Linda Arsenio as "Dorothy" comes off as almost zombie-like, but then she suffers from my memory of Jennifer Connelly in "Blood Diamond" in a similar role. The others are fine, especially the local non-professionals used. I reckon those are some faces you may not forget for a while.

Fair Movie but not really worth the Fare!

[imthebest_rt · 6/10 · 27 December 2006]

Kabul Express has been in news for some time & people have been waiting for it. At least it is not worth the wait. Its a nice movie actually shot extensively in Afghanistan showing 2 rookies on their journey to newly liberated Afghan country. They have an Afghan guide with them. Its a journey where they discover the truth about humanity, the truth which is common to all the humans.

They meet a Taliban commander and he travels forces them to take him to Pakistan border. Pakistan govt has already decided not to let anyone enter in Pakistan (they say that no Pakistani is in Afghanistan, in spite of the fact that lots of them are there with Taliban). The Pakistani Taliban commander is running for his life from Afghan Army, not knowing that his own people are not ready to accept him.

There are a lots of nice moment in the movie during their journey. People from 3 countries fighting for their pride (war of words between Indian, Pakistani & Afghan). There is also an American journalist who's looking for some spice & news. Then there's Taliban's daughter who doesn't wants to meet his father.

Lots of content lots of emotions however movie seems week at the point of execution. It does looks quite real in some terms (as the location and lots of people are real) but seems like a documentary at places. Arshad has done a good job & so has Salman Shahid in the role of Taliban Commander.

Only if the movie could have been made in a more appealing way it could have strike a chord with masses too...

Gross representation of facts to appeal to Indian Audience

[emax007 · 1/10 · 18 February 2007]

Good picture and candid humor to go alone with the serious theme that shows the destruction the country of Afghanistan has gone through in the past 3 decades. The movie is a blend of fiction and a bunch of facts taken out of context. I may not be a Pakistani, but it seems awfully twisted against them. The movie has some beautiful footage of the Afghan country, with some typical Hollywood humor. Overall the movie's point is Pakistanis alone destroyed the nation of Afghanistan and now the Pakistanis have turned their back on Caliban whom they supported until September 11th. Anyone with some political knowledge would probably see through the unwarranted interpretations facts that portray America and its allies to be responsible for the destruction of Afghanistan.

not a family entertainer but a big positive presence on bollywood screen !

[jarajapu · 9/10 · 16 December 2006]

We thought the movie was a comedy about two journalists on an unpredictably wild trip but we were pleasantly surprised that it had a message and did not choose take sides, like a normal bollywood movie is inclined to.

Yash raj films needs to be commended for venturing into a complete new area with this film and Aditya Chopra has proved once again that he knows what he is up to.

The movie suffers from the newbie syndrome since it cannot boast of a big start cast but it clearly deserves a special mention at film festivals at Cannes and elsewhere and is worth going to theaters for ! What is also unique about this one is that it sugar coats an otherwise serious story with loads of funny one-liners (Warsi & Afghan wala).

A Stirring Movie

[Herag · 6/10 · 7 August 2011]

The movie is well shot. It requires lot of bravery to shoot a movie in a location that is not necessarily Swiss Alps! and never will be, for a thousand years. The terrain looks (or it might have looked like) when Gazni Mohammed turned the temples in India into ruins. The whole country is in ruins with worst human right abuse of women. The direction by Kabir Khan is commendable. The actors are macho, as we would expect them to be, but their acting is nothing to write home about. This Warsi guy, has a perpetual expression of smelling a gas leak and Abraham dude, needs a perpetual shower. There is suttle Talib (as the Taliban are reffered to) humor, since any humor other than suttle would leave the joker trampled by a donkey or killed by Afghans. The best acting is by Alfredi. The interaction between the father and the daughter is strange. I understand the women have to wear the burkha all the time but the father has no right to see the face of the long forgotten daughter one last time? I failed to decifer that scene. The movie has documentary flair, since Kabir Kahn I learn, is mostly a documentary producer. The photography is breathtaking to say the least. The acting by the American girl played by Linda Arsenio, is detached more like looking to score a point or two! I rather just see the movie (DVD) and skip the special features, which in my estimation takes the charm (the intrigue of the face behind the burkha) away from the movie.

Daily Humor Review

[rohan-dsa · 2/10 · 24 November 2007]

The moral of the story seems to be Imran Khan Afridi's transition to a friendly old man from an aggressive old fart, showing how we assume even good people to be bad sometimes just based on stereotypes. Another parallel moral seemed to be that reporters can do nothing in war torn situations. That was quite a learning for me.

I will take the first moral of the film and apply it to my film watching the next time. Even a relatively decent sounding movie can be the equivalent of silent suffering. The only surprising part of the movie experience was how the uncle next to me who was wreaking of cheap whiskey managed to stay up through the duration of the movie. My friend, who hadn't had a drink certainly couldn't.

My rating: 2.5 on 10 More on: http://daily-humor.blogspot.com/2006/12/journey-on-kabul-express.html

Afghanistan post-taliban

[sandhirflora · 6/10 · 18 December 2006]

At one hand you have constraints of a fictional approach towards story telling, to be packed with requisite drama and emotions required for a commercial product. On the other hand, you have a subject that requires a mature, realistic treatment showing harsh realities, political issues plus much more. Now when one has to strike a right balance between the two, quite often the film-maker stumbles, making it look like a half-baked product or half-hearted effort. But fortunately, and surprisingly, even if this coming from hard-core commercial pot-boiler banner Yashraj films, débutant writer-director Kabir Khan this time manages to strike a right balance between the two without going much overboard. The result-a sensitive, sensible, fresh path-breaking cinema, which not only covers issues both social as well as political related to a war but keeps the narrative interesting with subtle humor thrown in between. Here we have a fictional account of two TV journalists at War-ravaged Afghanistan in post-Taliban times, trying to get interview of a taliban soldier in hiding, interspersed with film-maker's real life experiences. Though one shortcoming is that most of the narrative comes across from the interaction between the five main characters but it is to the credit of taut screenplay and witty dialogs that breaks the monotony of the situation. Direction, Performances (Not just Arshad, John but other three foreigners too), Cinematography, Sound design, Background score, everything is apt, in place, and save it from becoming a routine documentary stuff. Even the emotional situations are handled with panache. Film has no songs and has a length of about 110 mins all of which complemented to the narrative. All in all, it is a welcome relief amidst all those escapist fantasies and is definitely one of the best films of this year. Well done!