Mithun da was mesmerised by Kargil’s beauty: Suman Ghosh

It’s a story that’s close to almost every Bengali’s heart. No wonder, Kabuliwala director Suman Ghosh and leading man Mithun Chakraborty are trying their best to recreate Rabindranath Tagore’s emotional saga perfectly for the big screen. And their quest for perfection led them to the barren mountains of Kargil.

“We needed to show Afghanistan in the film, as Rahmat comes from there. It wasn’t possible to shoot in the country because of the political situation there. So we scouted places where the locale and the terrain are like Afghanistan. We finally zeroed in on Kargil,” Suman said, while discussing the high-altitude shoot. Here’s what else he told us...

I was worried about Mithun da’s health when we decided to shoot in Wakha. So, we kept a doctor, ambulance and oxygen cylinders handy. As a team we are very happy that everything went off so well

Mithun da was mesmerised by Wakha’s beauty. There were shots where he had to take long walks in that terrain, and he was all game – such is his dedication even at this age

I think Kabuliwala is the first Bengali film to be shot in Kargil and we had a beautiful experience. The military is posted everywhere, and it’s a safe place. We got immense support from the authorities there too

Regarding my portrayal of Rahmat in Kabuliwala, I anticipate a deeply emotional journey. The character’s unwavering affection and strong bond with Mini evoke profound nostalgia and resonate with audiences universally
– Mithun Chakraborty

Wakha, which is 13,000 feet above the sea level, has a terrain that looks exactly like Afghanistan. We heard that Lal Singh Chaddha was also shot there and that Aamir Khan spent a hefty sum building a proper road to the place. Our film’s opening scene was shot there. Hope people appreciate it