| Gul Makai | |
| Director: | H.E. Amjad khan |
| Producer: | Sanjay Singhla Preeti Vijay Jaju |
| Screenplay: | Bhaswati Chakrabarty |
| Starring: | Reem Shaikh Atul Kulkarni Divya Dutta Om Puri Arif Zakaria |
| Music: | Amar Mohile |
| Cinematography: | Madhu Rao Javed Ethesham |
| Editing: | Praveen Angre |
| Studio: | Tekno Films |
| Distributor: | Pen India Limited |
| Runtime: | 130 minutes[1] |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Hindi Urdu |
Gul Makai is a 2020 Indian biographical drama film directed by H.E. Amjad Khan, written by Bhaswati Chakrabarty, and produced by Tekno Films. The film is based on the life of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.[2]
Reem Shaikh stars as Yousafzai.[3] The film also features Om Puri in his final acting role. It was released on 31 January 2020.[4]
Gul Makai focuses on the journey and struggle of Malala Yousafzai, from her upbringing in the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan, to becoming a champion of free education for girls and women. When Swat Valley was seized by Taliban gunmen in 2009, Yousafzai spoke out for the rights of girls, especially the right to receive a complete education. Under the pseudonym Gul Makai, she began blogging on the BBC Urdu website, voicing her opposition to the oppression she faced in the Swat Valley. As she gained worldwide recognition and support, she was hunted down and shot by a Taliban gunman due to the organization's violent opposition to girls' education.
H.E. Amjad Khan decided to make a film on Yousafzai's life and struggle in 2012, after the assassination attempt on her.[5] After the film was announced, Bhaswati Chakrabarty spent four years researching and writing the script.
Several hundred actresses auditioned for the role of Malala; 16-year-old Bangladeshi student, Fatima Sheikh, was cast.[6] [7] Sheikh's casting resulted in severe backlash from religious extremists and despite efforts to conceal her identity, the actress ultimately had to turn down the role due to safety concerns. The role was then offered to child actress Reem Shaikh.[8]
Veteran Bollywood actors Om Puri, Divya Dutta, Mukesh Rishi and Arif Zakaria were revealed in supporting roles. According to Khan, physical resemblance to the characters' real-life counterparts was given special consideration during casting.[9]
Gul Makai went into production in late 2016 on location in Bhuj (Gujarat) and Mumbai.[10] Portions of the film set to shoot in Kashmir were postponed due to the region's ongoing conflict.[11] Filming resumed and was completed in January 2018.
The film was edited by National Award-winning editor, Praveen Angre, and went through extensive VFX work to recreate the Swat Valley landscape and combat scenes.
| Gul Makai | |
| Type: | soundtrack |
| Artist: | H.E. Amjad Khan |
| Released: | 23 January 2020 |
| Genre: | Filmi Soundtrack |
| Length: | 20:04 |
| Language: | Hindi |
| Label: | Tekno Music |
| Producer: | Sanjay Singla Preeti Vijay Jaju |
The film's score was composed by Amar Mohile. The title song was written by Bhaswati Chakrabarty and the remaining songs were written and composed by H.E. Amjad Khan.