Q.  Lets start by getting to know you.
R.  Well, I was born in Lahore, went to high school in Canada through a scholarship from United World Colleges.  After a double major from Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, in Theater and Religion, I worked with Women Make Movies in New York, the largest distributing house for women’s films.  Shortly thereafter, a few of us started our own film company (named Plan B).  This was the pre-Pulp Fiction time in the Indie industry where the only funding for Indie movies came from government organizations.  There was very little private money.  After a year or so, the Company had to be closed due to the lack of funding. 
 
At that time, I joined Alf Naman Ltd, a high-end boutique real estate firm.  I became a development broker with a niche market - downtown Manhattan, and after about 2 years, started my own real estate firm I.Khan.Inc. However, I continued to be involved in the New York and London Theater scene and also directed four short films.  Real estate is flexible enough that you can carry on like that.
 
In 2004, after about 10 years in the real estate industry, I decided to take some time off from real estate and having gone through New York Film academy, started Indus Valley Productions, a company that focuses on producing feature films, documentaries and music videos. 
 
Q. When and how did you write the screenplay for KASHF?
R. I had written the screenplay for Kashf in 2003, the inspiration for which was a short story that I came across while going through my college stuff. I realized the short story had potential and it became a full-blown screenplay in just 2 months.  Of course, the story got re-written almost 4 times with each subsequent visit to Pakistan.  So, in 2004, I headed off to Pakistan and India to start exploring production for Kashf. 
 
Q. How was the reception to the idea of the film in Pakistan and India?
R. At this time, there was a lot of excitement since the media had just opened up in Pakistan.  I went to Bombay and approached Shahrukh Khan for the lead role but his schedule and security concerns (since all of the shooting would be in Lahore and it was a huge task to arrange security for a superstar like him) led him and me to change to my mind.  I have to add he was a thorough professional and very supportive of making KASHF.
 
Q. And you had shut down your real estate company I.KHAN.INC?
 
R. Actually, I was still being approached by a real estate developer in New York to work on a project.  Since I was already going back and forth to New York to get equipment, I decided to hear about the project that he had in mind.  Turns out, it was the prestigious Santiago Calatrava Residential Project, the 80 South Street project.  Initially, I didn’t think the real estate project was viable given the slow down in the market.  However, subsequently, given all the difficulties I was facing in the pre-production side (couldn’t find a female actress), I decided to put the film plans on hold.
 
The New York real estate market had changed and was booming again and so I decided, after much deliberation, to take on this ‘Building of the Century’.  This started my 2-year adventure with 80 South Street and Santiago Calatrava.  The project was huge, the building was featured in 80 different publications, Calatrava got a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), an honor not previously bestowed upon any living architect before and the building was launched.
 
Q. With the building and everything, how did you get back to KASHF?
R. In mid 2006, done with the Calatrava project, I needed a break and headed to Pakistan.  I was too tired to think about making the movie but then my ex-producer introduced me to Nasir Khan, a young ex-accountant turned producer/director.  He read the script and doggedly pushed me to initiate production.  At this point, I had no plans to do much except give my tired brain a rest, but Nasir’s persistence won and we started our 4 months of pre-production work.  It was incredible how well we clicked together and how important it is to get a producer you can count on.
 
Q. Did you use a local crew and cast?
R. We used a New York crew but we had made it very clear to them that they had to train the local crew.  And they did just that.  We used local artists, actors and actresses who did not have any acting experience.  We had approached some experienced artists but their response was not enthused.  So, using un-experienced artists was a big experiment, we didn’t know if we could pull it off.  And with the local film industry in such dishevel, we had no infrastructure to support us.  However, we rehearsed for one and a half months and I felt confident the actors were ready.  We managed to complete the whole shoot in 28 days straight.
 
Q.   The movie is about Sufism – how relevant is this topic to the Pakistan of today?
R.    Sufism is very prevalent in the Pakistani culture, has been for a long time – there are so many mazaars in Pakistan, all our saints Data Sahib, Mian Mir Sahib, Bulleh Shah, have always been a part of our culture.  These are our accepted saints.  There are so many mazaars just in Lahore itself.  And people flock to them on a regular basis.  It is only recently that all our conversation has become about Talibanization.  

Q.   What were some of the challenges that you faced in making Kashf? Any security concerns/unpleasant experiences?
R.    We ran into a number of minor challenges – first, there were bureaucracy issues when it came to getting visas for the NY crew.  The Pakistani Embassy wanted to treat the production as an American production given the New York crew and it took some convincing to get them to issue those visas.  Then, it was another challenge obtaining permission to film at the locations.  There were one or two unpleasant comments from random folks but nothing significant.
 
We had one silent generator in all of Lahore and when that conked out, we had to work around a noisy one.  You have to be prepared and flexible that this is Pakistan. No Insurance Company was willing to insurance us in New York to let us take the camera equipment to Lahore.  Feeling some pain, we had to outright buy all the equipment, but which in hindsight was a good move since we are now a full-blown production house in Pakistan.
 
As far as security was concerned, we had no problems.  We were respectful of the calendar e.g. we made sure that we worked around the first 12 days of Muharrum so as to not offend anyone.
 
The most important lesson to take away from the experience of filming Kashf was that pre-production preparation is critical.  We were super prepared.  Nasir, as the producer, had 3 years of experience in the field and was able to guide the process very deftly. 

Q.     What were the fun parts?
R.     Well, filming songs was great fun! I can understand why Lollywood productions have such a huge number of songs!  But the part that is really gratifying, our entire desi crew really stepped up and made the whole process happen smoothly.  Initially when we got there, we were working with some veteran Lollywood lighting crew who were used to a different style of working – showing up late, disheveled etc.  But by the end of first week of production, taking a cue from the NY crew, they had shaped into very respectable professionals who felt part of the production process and gave it their 100%.  They saw that this production was unlike any Lollywood gig and as they got more involved with the shoot, they learnt more and more and came to be like a family to us.  They are all looking forward to doing the next project with us.
 
One thing that really came out of this film is that there is unbelievable talent in Pakistan that is not being tapped.  Our entire background music score has been done in Pakistan.  Ali Sher, a popstar, never thought he would make a movie score.  But he really stretched his imagination and came up with an amazing score.  
      
Q.   Are you the sole owner of Indus Valley Productions?
R.    As far as Indus Valley is concerned, I am the sole owner.  Nasir along with his partners, Adil Sher and Rizwan Saeed, heads the Talking Filmain company in Pakistan which is affiliated with Indus Valley Productions.  We co-produce our projects as we all respect each other’s work and creativity.  Nasir is a very good director; in fact he directed the music video for Khayal, one of the songs from the soundtrack in the film, since I was too busy editing the movie.  
 
Q.   What direction do you want to grow the Company in?
R.    Well, we have decided to tap into the younger generation that is coming out of film school here in the US.  A lot of those guys have approached us to ask how we made this film.  So we have added a wing to the Company where we would assist the younger generation of Pakistani-Americans who want to produce films in Pakistan.  Assistance can comprise of consulting on projects, helping obtain financing etc.  This way the future wave of Pakistani film makers will have some guidance which we did not have.  We don’t want anyone to go through what we had to.  Little things that we can give advice about so that they are prepared.  A country needs to have a Cinema, not this bollywoodiesd version that we have been reduced to. 
 
Q. What future projects do you have in the pipeline?
R. On the film front, I have an Urdu adaptation of the Opera Le Boheme in the works.  On Nasir’s suggestion, we pitched the idea for the Opera when we went to Cannes with Kashf.  And we have got funding from France with French producers.  All the filming will be in Pakistan but this is going to be a much bigger movie than Kashf.  There may be a chance to do the interior shooting in India and come to Pakistan for the exterior shots.
 
On the documentary side, I have executive produced and Nasir has directed a doc called “Made in Pakistan – the most dangerous country in the world?”  We wanted to start a dialogue about Islam and Pakistan especially when we saw this story in Newsweek about Pakistan.  I mean I would argue that given my crew’s experience in Pakistan, where they certainly didn’t feel threatened, it is certainly not the most dangerous country in the world.  It is a branding thing to sensationalize and sell newspapers.  There are two other documentaries along the Muslim front that tries to continue the dialogue.  We want to make films about this topic rather than to be put in a box ourselves.  I am actually on my way to London to meet with financiers.
 
For the films – it’s all about the story.  I have a controversial political thriller based in the US, called The Interlopers in the works.  This, I hope will be along the commercial Hollywood productions.  So far the response from financiers and distributors has been very positive.  We keep ourselves very open about everything, story, actors, whatever – the whole spectrum.  We cannot get stuck on just one genre and that is why I am really excited about La Boheme because it is such an eccentric adaptation.  I like to keep a big palate.
 
Ayesha is a remarkable woman who is starting new genres of films in Pakistan.  Bringing her US education, experience and US crew to her productions, she is blazing new trails.  And she is interested in building depth in the film industry by helping younger generation of Pakistani Americans produce their films in Pakistan.  We thank Ayesha for taking so much time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with us.  We are attaching links where you can learn more about the movie itself and watch a trailer of Kashf.
 
Till next time,
Khuda Hafiz
Aaliya Naqvi-Hai