Kabul Express
Character Sketch
John Abraham as Suhel Khan and Arshad Warsi as Jai Kapoor
TV journalists from India in search of the ultimate news scoop: meeting the
Taliban.
Salman Shahid as Imran Khan Afridi
A soldier of the hated Taliban who needs to escape the wrath of the Afghans and
run to his country, Pakistan.
Hanif Hum Ghum as Khyber
A proud Afghan who has seen the destruction of his country over the decades.
Linda Arsenio as Jessica Beckham
An American photojournalist ready to risk her life to photograph the Taliban.
Synopsis
This is a thrilling story, spanning 48 hours, of five individuals linked by hate
and fear, but brought together by fate to finally recognize each other. Five
people from different worlds, their paths are destined to cross in a ruthless
country devastated by war - Afghanistan.
Kabul Express is set in post 9/11 November 2001 Afghanistan where the American
bombing has destroyed the most hated Taliban regime and the Taliban soldiers are
trying to escape to Pakistan to avoid the wrath of the Afghans. Against this
turbulent backdrop, Jai and Suhel - two Indian Television reporters have entered
Afghanistan and their aim is to somehow get a rare interview with a Talibani.
Helping them in their pursuit of a Talibani is their Afghan guide, translator
and driver - Khyber in his Toyota Jeep called Kabul Express. The three of them
are having their share of adventure as they go from being blindfolded and taken
to secret hideouts in the mountains to interview Taliban prisoners to nearly
getting trampled by horses while shooting a game of Buzkashi Rugby played on
horses with a dead lamb. They are saved from getting trampled by an American
photojournalist, Jessica. Despite all their attempts the Taliban remains
elusive. But unknown to them, these hunters are being hunted down themselves...
One cold winter morning in Kabul, they get kidnapped at gunpoint by a Taliban
fugitive who wants to escape to the Pakistani border. The kidnapper, Imran is a
Pakistani army soldier who was part of the Taliban. He knows that as
journalists, Jai and Suhel's movements in the country will not be questioned and
posing as their local guide, he can reach the safety of his country. Imran knows
that the Taliban were the most hated regime in the history of Afghanistan and if
caught by the Afghans, he would be torn to pieces. From here on begins the
two-day journey from Kabul to the volatile Afghan-Pakistan border. Jai and
Suhel's mission becomes a nightmare as they are taken hostage aboard the Kabul
Express and made to drive across the most dangerous country in the world.
Jessica sees their car driving away from Kabul and mistakenly thinks that they
are onto a big story. She begins to chase them. Before she knows it Jessica gets
stuck in a bizarre situation and inadvertently, also gets taken hostage by
Imran. Along the long treacherous route they get stopped by dangerous mercenary
armed bandits, see an angry mob kill prisoners with their bare hands, and in a
hilarious situation they even get chased by a suicidal donkey! Political and
ideological boundaries not withstanding, all five of them are forced to act as a
team in life threatening situations. As the film unfolds, a special relationship
develops between an Afghan, a Pakistani, two Indians and an American.
By the end of the journey Jai, Suhel and Jessica actually help Imran reach the
border of Pakistan - his country that he is very proud and patriotic about. But
the turbulent political situation at that time has a surprise in store for all
of them.
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