Now a film on Bush shoe-thrower

After conceptualising a play on his life, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has now decided to make a film on Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the 32-year-old Iraqi journalist who threw a show at George Bush, former US President.

After conceptualising a play on his life, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has now decided to make a film on Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the 32-year-old Iraqi journalist who threw a show at George Bush, former US President.

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Actor Imran Zahid, who played al-Zaidi in the play, will essay the role in the film as well. Bhatt's daughter and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt will produce the film with actor Dino Morea.

Bhatt’s play was recently staged in Delhi and he decided to make it into a film after the positive feedback that it generated. Bhatt says, “Pooja has decided to produce the film version of

The Last Salute

(based on Muntadhar al-Zaidi’s book of the same name) with an International technical crew and cast. It will be shot entirely in Lebanon and will be in Arabic and English with subtitles in order to present it to a global audience. I will present the film and will collaborate with Al Zaidi on the screenplay. The film will be directed by a maverick, non-conformist director from the Middle East. The Indian version will have Imran. We are looking for a partner to produce the Indian version.”

As to why he decided to make the film, he says, “It was a woman from the audience who injected the idea that

The Last Salute

should be made into a film and shown to the people of USA.” Zahid says, “Bhatt

saahab

felt I should do the role since I have been observing al-Zaidi for four months now. We will take things forward and he will finalise the rest of the cast.”