"I admire Naseeruddin Shah a lot and I think he is one of the greatest actors India has ever produced" - Kabir Khan 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, December 12, 2006 - 01:44 IST
IndiaFM proudly brought director Kabir Khan on Monday for a live celebrity chat where he spoke about his film
Kabul Express, his experiences in Afghanistan and a whole lot more. Here are some excerpts from the chat.
Trigga : Salaam Kabir, how u doin
Kabir Khan : salaam trigga how r u?
documentaries : Can you give me da names of some of them
Kabir Khan : taliban years and beyond, titanic sinks in kabul, forgotten army, 2 assassinations and an accident
kabul time : hey kabir... how are you?
Kabir Khan : im fine how r u?
Guru : hey kabir .. i m eagerly waiting for your movie kabul express how was john on the set...?
Kabir Khan : john was wonderful on the set. very easy to work with
atik : hi kabir, i heard that kabul express will be released in january. is that true?
Kabir Khan : its releasing in 4 days on 15 dec. aren’t u reading any newspapers?
Guru : hey u know i have some frndz who are from afghanistan
Kabir Khan : great...give my regards to them
Guru : they told me its very bad for girls in Afghanistan. is it really?
Kabir Khan : yes, the conditions r pretty bad but not as bad as they used to be during the time of the taliban
atik : hi kabir, in UK, some posters say releasing in january
Kabir Khan : that’s very strange. don’t know how that can happen... coz v have our own office in london
Saira : y the delay in release?
Kabir Khan : saira... theres been no delay in release. v always knew it was going to come in December... the earlier dates
were only trade speculation
coolboy : is this ur first film kabir?
Kabir Khan : yes this is my first feature film. I have been doing documentaries before
Saira : how were you treated as indians in afghanistan???
Kabir Khan : very well... the afghans love indians and it is because of pple in afghanistan that kabul express is
complete
Guru : hey kabir i am interseted to be a model ..where is your office so i can drop my picture there
Kabir Khan : drop it at yashraj studios
atik : kabir, is there actaully any songs in the film, playing in the background?
Kabir Khan : atik... there is brilliant background score in the film... but no songs
Imperially : Hi, was Mr Aditya chopra very supportive with the theme at the start itself?
Kabir Khan : adi was very supportive... he loves the idea
Saira : do u think u and arshad were welcomed more because you were muslim... did being muslim have any bearing???
Kabir Khan : no saira... being muslim had no bearing... afghans love indians irrespective of their religion
dolly_diti : did john abraham really faint on the sets of ur film???????
Kabir Khan : john never fainted on the sets... he fell ill towards the end of the schedule coz of very harsh weather
conditions like -15 degrees
atik : kabir....is Mini Mathur ur wife? i read somewhere. pls say hello to her for me, i am a fan of her. she is a great TV
anchor
Kabir Khan : yes... mini is my wife. Will convey ur good wishes to her
jibran : kabul express is looking quite intresting movie... kabir
Kabir Khan : thanks u jibran
!00%.afghan : I haven been to kabul jan for almost 6 years and i missed it aloy so I cant wait to watch kabul
express
Kabir Khan : great... im sure ull find the film interesting...
Rohit : y did u sign john 4 this movie?
Kabir Khan : johns off camera personality is very close to my character suhel
suz : do you think kabul express will work at the box office? is the indian audience ready for hard-hitting documentaries?
Kabir Khan : I’m very confident of Kabul Express working at the box-office. Audiences are ready for realistic cinema.
kabul express is not a documentary
| I’m very confident of Kabul Express working
at the box-office. Audiences are ready for realistic cinema. |
manual : hi trul;y interseting script, have to say cant wait for the comedy, was it hard to shoot?
Kabir Khan : it was a tough film to shoot coz of harsh conditions and the death threats from the taliban
livia : Yashraj usually have a 3 film contract... is that with u also?
Kabir Khan : yes i have a three film contract
pushkar : wht after Kabul express? is there any other film in pipeline?
Kabir Khan : yes...i have already started work on my next film... too early to give details
Saira : im glad to hear that.... the reason I ask is that I am thinking of doing aidwork with a few non-muslim friends...
Kabir Khan : saira im glad ur going to be doing aidwork. thats a great cause
Rohit : afghans love indians?????? we heard that u wr threatened by them... and they asked u 2 stop the shooting?
Kabir Khan : rohit...u have to understand the taliban do not represent the afghans. those who suffered most at the hands
of the taliban were afghans. do no equate the two
srk : when will u make a muvi with srk...pls tell
Kabir Khan : yes wud love to work with srk
pushkar : wht is ur expectation frm this movie?
Kabir Khan : im very confident about this film
filmi_kabul : sir i saw the making yeterday it was rocking
Kabir Khan : im glad u liked the making... thank u
A fan : loved the songs of the film... do you see in any way the songs being included in the film ???
Kabir Khan : the songs are not included in the film... but there is a beautiful background score
Saira : why do u think you got death threats from the Taliban???
Kabir Khan : saira... the taliban does not want afghanistan to come back to normal and shooting a major international film
sends out a message that things are getting back to normal
Rohit : indian audience will surely appreciate ur effort of making a different film... we r tired of watching the same
concept again n again! thanks 4 showing us a different movie...
Kabir Khan : rohit... thanku i hope the film can live up to ur expectations
prrnce : i hv a g8 story for kabul express 2, i can act as well.. wud u wanna meet me?
Kabir Khan : prince... im not making kabul express 2... thanku for the offer
Happinezz : If the MAKING was anything to go by, i'm sure the film releasing this friday will ROCK!!! All the best
Kabir... Will you catch the film in theatres this weekend?
Kabir Khan : thanks happinezz... hope the film makes u happier
pushkar : wld like to make a commecial family drama?
Kabir Khan : commercial family drama is not really up my street
Rohit : is kabul express inspired from any hollywood flick or is it an original concept? plz be frank n honest!
Kabir Khan : rohit... if u read the newspapers u wud know that kabul express is based on my personal experiences in
Afghanistan.
| Rohit : is kabul express inspired from any
hollywood flick or is it an original concept? plz be frank n honest!
Kabir Khan : rohit... if u read the newspapers u wud know that Kabul Express is based on my personal experiences in
Afghanistan. |
Imperially : who is ur favourite actor?
Kabir Khan : difficult question... I have several favourites
A fan : I hope the release of the movie on December 15th breaks all the previous records of this year....
Kabir Khan : saira... im glad u feel strongly about the subject... im sure all ur questions will be answered once you see the
film
Happinezz : Who is your favourite character in your film? And who do you feel will stand out the most post-release?
Kabir Khan : i think the afghan actors will be the surprise package of the film
| Kabir Khan : I think the afghan actors will be
the surprise package of the film |
atik : would u be interested in making a commercial movie or are u more interested in realistic films like K.E?
Kabir Khan : these days commercial films have a very wide canvas. i think kabul express is very realistic yet very
commercial
halla : the trailers were shown during FANAA. the film was to release in September. But now it is coming after Dhoom 2.
why the delay? any rework in post-production, be honest.
Kabir Khan : v never announced september... that was only trade speculation.... the film was ready in may ut v have
been travelling in the international film festival circuit.
dolly_diti : how much research went into the making of this film?
Kabir Khan : dolly... v did very extensive research for kabul express
Saira : Is the drug business still booming in Afghanistan.... I thought Karzai has started to abolish poppy fields???
Kabir Khan : saira karzai is trying very hard but unfortunately the poppy fields are still blooming
!00%.afghan : Kabir, We Afghanz r so proud of u. .. Keep the good work up
Kabir Khan : 100% afghan...thanku
A fan : i feel that the biggest hero / star of this film is Kabir Khan... I hope you be a huge success after this move...
Kabir Khan : hey fan thats very flattering... thanku so much
HOTTIE_22 : as a child did u always think of making films?
Kabir Khan : not as a child but ever since i joined college i wanted to make films
raju : hi , what is your opinion about aamir khan as a actor
Kabir Khan : i think aamir khan is one of the finest actors v have. would love to work with him in the future
Happinezz : Do you feel Pakistan or America would have any objections to the way they/Afghanistan has been depicted in
KE?
Kabir Khan : i wudnt really bother if pakistan or america have any objections. i have made the film for the indian
audience
don : were u aware of the website www.indiafm.com before this chat?
Kabir Khan : yes don... i check indiafm very often
Rohit : we r xpecting a lot from this movie...wat r ur xpectations from kabul? do u think it will b able 2 survive between
other projects like dhoom2, babul n bhagam bhag?
Kabir Khan : rohit... if pple like u support kabul express im sure it will rock
filmi_kabul : who do u think is the best director in the industry at present????
Kabir Khan : very difficult to take one name... i admire several of the new age directors.
arash_afghan : do u think IndiaFM is good? or bad or ugly?
Kabir Khan : its a good website which keeps u updated with all that is happening in bollywood
| arash_afghan : do u think IndiaFM is good? or
bad or ugly?
Kabir Khan : its a good website which keeps u updated with all that is happening in bollywood |
Imperially : When can we see Kabir Khan directing Amithabh Bachchan?
Kabir Khan : soon imperially
Rohit : kabul was supposed 2 hit the screens in september....y did the film got delayed?
Kabir Khan : rohit... v had never fixed the date... v knew v would be coming in december
A fan : Keh Raha Mera Dil.... the 3rd song / track of this Album is mind-blowing... I hope this song get's included in the
movie somewhere... for people to enjoy...
Kabir Khan : enjoy the album... the film does not have space for songs
arash_afghani : who is typing? u or ramu kaka?
Kabir Khan : ramu kaka
atik : Kabir....i heard somewhere u made documentries before KE, where can i see ur work?
Kabir Khan : some of them were running on discovery and nat geo
!00%.afghan : Kabir Khan i belive it is not u chatting... how do v belive its u and not some dummy?
Kabir Khan : y do u think its not me...?
ashish : did not u think to make the movie in english it would ahve been great
Kabir Khan : no i wanted to make the film for an indian audience and therefore hindi
Kapil : I AM HOPING, IT WOULD BR FIRST INDIAN CINEMA WHICH CAN BE CALLED "BRAVE"
CINEMA...... ANY COMMENTS KABIR?
Kabir Khan : kapil... thats for u to decide
arash_afghani : kabir where are you live ?
Kabir Khan : bombay
gunz : Is Kabul Express a film with a strong social message?
Kabir Khan : its a very entertaining film with underlying messages but its not preachy.
Mira : I think Kabul express will be a super hit! i wish best of luck!
Kabir Khan : thanks mira...
arash_afghani : since u not taking scripts, what advise wud u give to people who wud wanna get their scripts in
Bollywood?
Kabir Khan : register ur script and give it to directors who are on the look out for scripts. i do not accept scripts i like my
own scripts
Imperially : Is Kabul express for an international audience? If yes, how will this reach everyone?
Kabir Khan : kabul express is a film that will work for the indian audience as well as the international
audience
pushkar : who would like to wrk with in future?
Kabir Khan : pushkar... i have a huge list
salman 4 life : so are u a friend of salman
Kabir Khan : no i dont know salman... ihave met him only once
Nazima : hi mr khan. How was it like working with john abraham and arshad warsi?
Kabir Khan : john and arshad are great guys to work with... i had a ball
Mira : Mr. khan u is it true that u have experienced what happpens on the movie?
Kabir Khan : yes it is loosely based on my experiences
Imperially : Any input from Aditya chopra for Kabul Express?
Kabir Khan : v had extensive creative exchanges before going for the shoot
jaadoo : kabir..will you ever consider working with hrithik roshan in the future?
Kabir Khan : yes hrithik is a brilliant actor. who wouldnt want to work with him
ashish : which was the best movie this year
Kabir Khan : lagey raho munnabhai by miles
gunz : What sort of reaction did you get from the audience at the Toronto international film festival?
Kabir Khan : great reaction
arash_afghani : kabir can you tell amitab bachchan i am say hi to him ok
Kabir Khan : if i meet him in the future i will definitely convey ur wishes
halla : Kabir pls say 'IndiaFM rocks'
Kabir Khan : IndiaFM rocks
halla : don't u like when sites like IndiaFM connect u with fans like us
Kabir Khan : yes its a very interesting communication
moses israel : u have some another project in hand with the chopras?
Kabir Khan : yes starting my next one very soon
arash_afghani : hey kabir are you from afghanistan ?
Kabir Khan : no im not
Imperially : Can we see Kabir Khan making an action packed movie with Abhishek Bachchan in the lead soon?
Kabir Khan : y not
Mira : how was it to revive what u have lived in the past with john and arshad?
Kabir Khan : tremendous experience... john and arshad have really taken the film to a new level
HOTTIE_22 : will u marry me??
Kabir Khan : my wife will kill u hottie
ashish : wat are people in bollywood planning to do for sanjaydutt
Kabir Khan : pple can only support him the rest is for the court to decide
!00%.afghan : Kabir, i belive it is not u becoz i have spoke to u before and u sound so different ////////
Kabir Khan : my voice is different from my typing... it is me
filmi_kabul : are the guns used in the movie real??
Kabir Khan : yes all guns in the movie are real
A fan : I hope we have a Kabir Khan Week -- on Discovery / National Geog... after the film releases for all your
fans' (which I;m sure you'll have after the movie releases) so that we get to see all your Award Winning Works....
Kabir Khan : thanks u a fan
!00%.afghan : So kabir as u said u made the film for Indian Audience.... what about Afghan Audience ur not a good
Afghan any more
Kabir Khan : principally for the indian audience but of course the afghans will also see it
Mira : why did u choose a new singer/composer for this movie (by the way the song is gr8)?
Kabir Khan : what do u have against new comers
Kabir Khan : i think new comers bring a huge amount of passion to their work
Imran Lakha : what would be ur deram cast if u wanted to make a movie
Kabir Khan : my dream cast wud depend on the subject of the film
A fan : I'm sure Yash Raj catch's hold of you, and does not let you go... cause YRF and Kabir are a great TEAM...
Kabir Khan : a fan... ur right dude
punjabi-munda : kabir, saw the trailor of kabul express express in dhoom 2 and i have to say it impresesed me and looked
crazy and i will definitally go watch it
Kabir Khan : thanks punjabi munda
moses israel : ur all time fave movie from yash raj baner?
Kabir Khan : deewar by yash chopra
cool : How does it feel after making a film like kabul express
Kabir Khan : i feel very satisfied after having made kabul epxress
Gauri : plz answer my question r u related 2 Zayed Khan?
Kabir Khan : no im not related to zayed khan... sorry
imran019 : Khan sahab hamara salam kubul kare :)
Kabir Khan : salaam imran
moses israel : u see amitabh starer babul??
Kabir Khan : i havent seen baabul
Imran Lakha : which is the best film of the year?
Kabir Khan : lagey raho munnabhai
diti : can u pls tell me wat drives u the most? ???
Kabir Khan : diti... its my passion for work
moses israel : i think amitabh bachchan is the best actor in the world did u agree???
Kabir Khan : yes... definitely one of the best in the world
Rupam : Hi Kabir ! I am dying to see ur film...Kudos to u for making Kabul Express which comments on something
happening outside India...I wish u cud also make a film on the Iraq War...it wud be thought provoking as well !
Kabir Khan : thanks rupam
arash_afghani : can you make another film in afghaistan
Kabir Khan : yes i can... though currently the script im working on is not set in afghanistan
imran019 : Is kabul express 100% shot in afghanistan? if thats the case it should not be missed?
Kabir Khan : yes its been shot totally in afghanistan
Saira : do you know that SRK is playing your name in Chuk DE???
Kabir Khan : yes... chuk de has been written by a very close friend
Mira : when is the gala premiere of KABUL EXPRESS at Dubai International Film Festival ?
Kabir Khan : 13 night in dubai
raj0007 : do u know ONIR?
Kabir Khan : no i dont know onir... though i loved his first film
gunz : Would you ever make an out and out commercial masala film?
Kabir Khan : maybe gunz
raj0007 : hw it feels to u ...to do ur first film under the yash raj banner?
Kabir Khan : yashraj banner is a great banner to work with. im lucky
Waleed : hey kabir..waleed here..im a documentry filmmaker...(still learning) nice to nkow that..u have taken a step
ahead...
Kabir Khan : thanks waleed
Aejaz : how commercially viable do u think is a documentary film? do they recover the investment? do they ever earn a
profit or r just made for passion?
Kabir Khan : documentaries are mostly run on passion though u can recover ur money from networks abroad
Rohit : WHICH ONE DO U PREFER? DHOOM OR DHOOM2?
Kabir Khan : dhoom2
Rohit : WILL KABUL FIZA BE SHOWN BEFORE OR AFTER THE MOVIE?
Kabir Khan : no kabul fiza will not be shown within the film
Akbar : wud u suggest people to make documentaries since they don't sell much?
Kabir Khan : documentaries shud not be made with selling in mind. the subject should dictate whether u want to make it
or not
| moses israel : sanjay bansali ya karan johar??
Kabir Khan : karan any day |
preity : Did u watch Jaan-e-Mann?... What did u think of it?
Kabir Khan : jaaneman had a very interesting style in the first half... im surprised the audience didnt take to it too
well
shajju : did u no dat ur name kabir bfore in dhoom john name was kabir
Kabir Khan : yes because my brother in law wrote dhoom
preity : Being a debut director, which other debut director's work did U find interesting this year?
Kabir Khan : shirish kunder and dibaker banerjee
Saira : is Vijay Krishna Acharya ur bro-in-law? what r u saying?
Kabir Khan : yes he is
Fatima_norway : didn't u like Naseeruddin Shah's Yun Hota To Kya Hota? that was also a debut film
Kabir Khan : i admire naseeruddin shah a lot i think he is one of the greatest actors india has ever produced. unfortunately
i havent seen the film
| I admire Naseeruddin Shah a lot and I think he
is one of the greatest actors India has ever produced. |
diti : do u have son or daughter?
Kabir Khan : i have a son
Aejaz : do you know anything about the rumours of dhoom 3?are you gonna direct it since ur bro-in-law writes it? do u
think he did a good screenplay for Dhoom?
Kabir Khan : im too close to dhoom to be objective. its all in the family
Saira : Do you have an IPOD... if so which one?
Kabir Khan : saira wud u like to gift me one if u like the film?
nisha : hi there...im in malaysia..can i know wht time is it in india now?
Kabir Khan : 7 45- good evening
Khan : do u have any Afghani kinda of music in Kabul Express
Kabir Khan : yes the background score of kabul expess draws a lot from afghan music
nisha : aaj mere paas gadi hain, bangla hain, bank balance hain, tumahre paas kya hai?....
Kabir Khan : mere paas kabul express hai
gods devil : Is there a story to kabul express or is it more inclined to a documentary style
Kabir Khan : kabul express is not a documentary
Kabir Bedi : who is Kabir Khan??? hehehe
Kabir Khan : kabir bedi who?
jaadoo : don't u think FANAA was boring?... be honest... don't b scared of YashRaj
Kabir Khan : jadoo... there is a difference between being scared and being diplomatic
roopa : so u accept u being diplomatic... hmmm
Kabir Khan : roopa... akalmand ko ishaara kaafi hota hai
| jaadoo : don't u think FANAA was boring?...
be honest... don't b scared of YashRaj
Kabir Khan : jadoo... there is a difference between being scared and being diplomatic
roopa : so u accept u being diplomatic... hmmm
Kabir Khan : roopa... akalmand ko ishaara kaafi hota hai |
GulluBAadShah : hi Kabir! I was at Toronto Fil Festivals Screening of Kabul Express and cant tell U how much I loved
UR movie...U Rock !!!
Kabir Khan : thanks gullu
Waleed : kabir bhai...are u ...willing to work with ore paki actors?
Kabir Khan : waleed... one of them main characters in kabul express is being portrayed by a pakistani actor salman
shahid
Ash : What do you enjoy most about directing?
Kabir Khan : everything about directing... its a great high
roopa : What's different in your movie than in any other indian movies
Kabir Khan : u will have to see the film to decide for urself
Aejaz : will there be a sequel to kabul express?
Kabir Khan : no
Mira : what is the actress name that is on the movie?
Kabir Khan : linda arsenio from new york
ronny : what would you rate the film as - ACTION/COMEDY????
Kabir Khan : light hearted thriller
|
The seed of the idea of Kabul Express
