Indeed, the film seems to have an unusually full list of actors playing across religious, cultural and racial borders with few if any problems. It may seem odd to have an Englishman playing a Pakistani, but just a few minutes of watching Lee at work will dispel any reservations anyone could possibly have about this casting decision. It is an intriguing thought and one wonders if it would have worked by itself and whether it could afford to piggyback off of Gandhi's tactics or not.Ĭhristopher Lee's depiction of Jinnah is simply masterful. This is a subtle message but the one that is hinted at throughout the film and the real backbone of the message of the film. It is no mean feat to achieve the creation of any nation state by the rules created by others. He did not even advocate the 'civil disobedience' tactic so favoured by Gandhi. The key to the biographical nature of this film, and the contrast with Gandhi, is that Jinnah fought for the creation of Pakistan entirely through legal and constitutional means. It is certainly a lot more sympathetic to the Muslim leader than is found in most other depictions of him. Cinematographically, the film is not quite in the same league as Attenborough's film and yet it is an intriguing and valuable movie in its own right. I am sure that most Western moviegoers are aware of the Richard Attenborough film 'Gandhi', however I am not so sure that many know of this film on Gandhi's Muslim contemporary Jinnah.
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