THE horrendous beheading by terrorist jihadis of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl while he was on assignment in Pakistan four years ago will be commemorated in a film to be made in India starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Last-minute arrangements for shooting the film adaptation of A Mighty Heart by Pearl’s widow, Marianne Pearl, are being made in the city of Pune with the Hollywood couple expected to arrive there on October 1. Pune is reported to have been selected because of the area’s similarity to the country between Pakistan’s two major cities, Islamabad and Karachi, where the drama surrounding the abduction and murder of Pearl took place. Pitt and Jolie are expected to spend at least a month in Pune, and local hotels have been booked out for the production crew that will accompany them. The film will reportedly also star Bollywood actors Irrfan Khan and Aly Khan. According to local hoteliers in Pune, security officials have been to the city to ensure the safety of the glamorous Hollywood couple. Given the subject of the film, it seems likely to incur the hostility of the usual suspects who support the jihadi cause. Previously, Pakistan has refused to allow filming, and there can be no doubt security concerns played a part in considerations, given the strength of jihadi fervour in the area.
The Australian
This has Oscar written all over it.
