The Richard Attenborough classic, 'Gandhi', which will be showcased as a part of the South Asian Free Media (SAFMA) Film Festival, held in Lahore. 'Gandhi' will be screened on day four of the festival.

The six-day festival will begin with a screening of 'The Motorcycle Diaries', a 2004 movie based on the memories of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, recounting his journey across South America with his friend Alberto Granada, as a youngster in 1952. Other movies include the 1995 French film, 'La Haine' (Hate), 'In the Name of the Father', and the Pakistani film, 'Jago Hua Savera'.

'Calcutta 71', a Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen, will be screened on day two of the festival. Released in 1972, the movie is an anthology of four short stories, each presenting a study of the political turmoil of the early 1970s.

"Our country is starving culturally, and people do not have access to healthy activities on the weekends," says SAFMA General Secretary, Imtiaz Alam. He adds, "SAFMA has initiated this club in an effort to fill in the gap."

'Khuda Ke Liye' brought into India the Pakistani perspective on terrorism and religion. It was the first Pakistani movie that has been released in this country.

Apparently, there are plans to release another movie, 'Salakhein'. Not that it is a problem. Entertainers from Pakistan, especially musicians, have always been warmly received by Indians.

The same cannot be said of Indian entertainers in Pakistan. In fact, Indian movies are banned there.

It is difficult to predict, therefore, what the reaction of the people in Pakistan will be to the first Indian movie to be shown there, especially since the movie in question does not portray their founder, MA Jinnah, in a very positive light.