Bollywood spoof “Tere Bin Laden” could have a viewer resurgence

TERE BIN LADEN (2010)
Directed by Abhishek Sharma

As the world watched the breaking news on CNN, MSNBC and Al Jazeera on Sunday, Twitter film fans were furiously chirping about Hollywood’s next steps to bring the Osama bin Laden story to the big screen. What movie buff doesn’t imagine entertainment execs tapping away on their Blackberrys and iPhones with the break of every global headline? Lookout Kate and William, you’ve just lost  your top spot in the biopic queue.

We couldn’t help giving a nod to the 2010 Bollywood satire Tere Bin Laden (Without Bin Laden), which may enjoy a boost in web hits and Facebook fans in the next few days. A tongue-in-cheek look at the war on terror, the film received a favorable review in the New York Times (“Dreams and Schemes Explode Into Global Trouble,” Aug. 5, 2010) though the Hindustan Times offered a mixed bag (“Review: Tere Bin Laden,” Jul. 16, 2010). Interestingly, U.K.’s The Guardian gave it a cool thumbs up (“Tere Bin Ladin: satire with a sting,” Jul. 22, 2010), calling it required viewing by the American government, a bold, curious statement.

The Wall Street Journal’s interview with director Abhishek Sharma (“Bollywood’s ‘Tere Bin Laden’ Director on the U.S.,” Jul. 14, 2010) offers first-hand insight into the film, which had its worldwide release last July (but still banned in Pakistan). Tere Bin Laden is currently on Netflix (and as a free download if you search hard enough) so you can feel free to form your own opinions in the privacy of your home. Historic moments such as this beckon us to turn to film and view these milestones through the cinematic lens!

Here’s the IMDb summary — the official Tere Bin Laden trailer follows below: Tere Bin Laden is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan who is desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the American dream. His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. But when things couldn’t look worse, he comes across an Osama bin Laden look alike. Ali then hatches a scheme to produce a fake Osama video and sell it to news channels as a breakthrough scoop. Unfortunately, there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches a overzealous secret agent on Ali’s trail.