Kathryn creates Pakistan in Chandigarh

Early Wednesday morning, around 9.30 am, residents of Chandigarh Sector 15 woke up and found themselves in a busy market street of Abbotabad, Pakistan. Thanks to Academy Award winning filmmaker Kathryn Ann Bigelow.
The market area of the beautifully-constructed sector had transformed into Osama Bin Laden’s playing ground for the filmmaker’s next film titled “Zero Dark Thirty” based on the dreaded terrorist.Over the next few days, various parts of the city of Chandigarh will get a makeover to suit the film’s need.
“The Hurt Locker” maker, with her eye for detail, changed the smallest things on the market street to make it resemble the Pakistan city. From the dresses donned by the hired local artists, the shop fronts and even the walls — everything was changed to make it look like a busy street in Abbotabad.
The green and yellow auto rickshaws turned blue or teal with Pakistan number plates. The scooters, bikes and other vehicles on the sets too had their number plates changed. The shops got a new name, name plaques with Pakistan phone numbers and street names painted in Arabic.
The people on the sets wore elaborate turbans or skullcaps and pathani kurtas. Except for those behind the camera. The ones behind the camera (interestingly, mostly women), a part of Kathryn’s crew, were a smiling vibrant lot taking in everything that Chandigarh had to offer.
However, there was no sign of the Hollywood actors — Jason Clarke, Chris Pratt, Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler or the others who are reportedly a part of the film.
Due to the lack of any known face, there were very few onlookers, except for a curious few attracted by the ‘foreigners’ filming India. The foreigners in question, continued with their mission of recreating Pakistan in India.
The crew, according to sources, had planned to shoot in remote areas of Punjab. But due to the ongoing elections in the state, were unable to get the required permissions. And thus, they had to settle for Chandigarh.
Well, if this film goes on to become as famous as the filmmaker’s last, the people of this city would have something to boast about.
ABOUT KATHRYN
Kathryn Ann Bigelow, who was born November 27, 1951 is an American film director who was married to filmmaker James Cameron. She has directed films like “Near Dark” (1987), “Point Break” (1991), “Strange Days” (1995), “The Weight of Water” (2000) but the film that got her the most recognition was the war drama, “The Hurt Locker” which released in 2008. The film won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Picture, won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, and was nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama. With “The Hurt Locker”, Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, the BAFTA Award for Best Direction, and the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Director.
THE STORY SO FAR
Kathryn Bigelow’s film “Zero Dark Thirty”, based on the US Navy Seals Six mission of killing Osama Bin Laden in his hideout situated in Pakistan, is set for a December 19 release.
Having shot a schedule in Jordan, the producers thought it was prudent to shoot in India with regards to the security concerns of Pakistan. Bigelow’s film had created controversy with the Republican politicians worrying over the claims that the CIA had leaked classified information of the mission to the producers. Also, the conservative group Judicial Watch had sued CIA over the same.
Bigelow and her screenwriter partner Mark Boal were the first to work on this subject. However, other projects involving George Clooney and historian Oliver Stone on the same topic are also underway. Megan Allison’s Annapurna Pictures is financing the film while, Columbia Pictures have bought the US distribution rights.