More often than not, filmmakers in Bollywood have tasted success with terror-based films This Sunday, the US commemorates the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. A look at how the movie industry fed off the attacks that changed the world

Every historic catastrophe, man made or otherwise, spawns its own cult of creative art.

The 9/11 terror attack was no exception. Bollywood and Hollywood latched on to the dramatic potential of the terror deluge.

There were notable films like Rensil d'Silva's Kurbaan (flop), Kabir Khan's New York (hit) and Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday (hit).

Rensil began shooting his treatise on Islamic terrorism before 9/11. How far did the terror attack change Rensil's film? At that time he had said to me, "I'm shooting the film exactly the way I wrote it initially.

What has happened doesn't alter the world view on terrorism. It only strengthens it. I had been warned that as far as films on terrorism are concerned, we had hit a saturation point. But I believe every filmmaker has his own take on terrorism. Unfortunately the alignment of terrorism with Islam remains unchanged."

That's where Rensil sees a problem. "People objected to some of my film's ideas and my characters' ideology. But we can't turn away from the truth. At least I can't. My film was not grim. It was about a serious global issue. But it wasn't a documentary on terrorism. It was designed as a fast-paced thriller, " said Rensil.

Balanced

Kabir Khan whose film on terrorism, called New York was a success says, "I've been fortunate that my documentaries have allowed me to travel to 60 countries. I've seen first-hand what the state of the world is. I think more of our mainstream cinema needs to get the geo-politics in place.

Where do these characters in our films come from, and where are they going? I need to make cinema about what's happening to our world. Unfortunately, films on terrorism in our country are often high-pitched and jingoistic. And that's counter-productive.

My film, I'd like to believe, was a very balanced view on terrorism post 9/11. I don't think 26/11 changed my perception on terrorism or on my film. Though the attacks on the Taj and Oberoi were the most audacious in Mumbai, what about the foiled attack on our parliament?

And more people died in the train explosions of Mumbai. At the end of the day what do terrorists want? A splash. I'd say a film on terrorism would be exploitative if a filmmaker made a bad film on terrorism. I am aware that some 36 titles were registered for films on 26/11. No harm in that as long as they are sincere."

Formula

Kabir Khan agrees 9/11 became a kind of cinematic formula. "It definitely became a formula in Hollywood, yes. Though there were no real 9/11 films in Bollywood. Only a lot of 26/11 films." Nishikant Kamat agrees that films on the theme of global terrorism somewhere lost its cause and sensitivity.

Rensil disagrees, "I don't think films after 9/11 were formulistic. I think films on subjects like 9/11 are rarely made in an industry concerned mostly with delivering entertainment, which is where the formula exists. The majority of the films on 9/11 were delicately handled."

List of Films

My Name Is Khan (MNIK): Directed by Karan Johar the plot revolves around Rizwan Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan) who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a developmental disorder.

After his mother's (Zarina Wahab) death, his US-based brother (Jimmy Shergill) brings him to San Francisco where Rizwan starts working as a salesman. Rizwan meets Mandira (Kajol) and they get married. Mandira is a single mother. Post 9/11, Mandira and Rizwan's life changes.

New York: A film starring John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh is the story of three friends Sameer (John), Maya (Katrina) and Omar (Neil) living in America.

Omar falls in love with Maya but when he learns that she loves Sameer, he moves away from their world. Omar returns later, at the insistence of FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan), who suspects that Sameer is the head of a sleeper cell that is planning an attack in the US.

In the process, Omar learns that 10 days after 9/11, Sameer was arrested and detained for a period of nine months as a suspected terrorist; a charge, which was proved incorrect. Though Sameer was released due to lack of evidence, the incident changed him forever.

Fanaa: A film starring Aamir Khan and Kajol, is the story of Zooni Ali Beg (Kajol) and Rehan Khan (Aamir). Zooni, a blind Kashmiri girl and Rehan, tourist guide in Delhi fall in love. Zooni undergoes surgery to reverse her blindness. She is told that Rehan had died in an accident. Seven years later, some terrorists are about to pull off a huge terrorist attack.

With parts stolen from India, Pakistan and Russia, they hope to build a nuclear explosive device. But, the detonator or an electronic trigger is missing. Rehan infiltrates an Indian army unit that is taking the trigger back to Delhi to safeguard it from the insurgents. Zooni finds out what Rehan is upto and shoots him.

Tere Bin Laden is a Bollywood satire film starring Pakistani pop singer Ali Zafar in the lead role. Ali (played by Ali Zafar) is a reporter, who wants to migrate to the US. After many failed attempts to migrate to the US, Ali makes a fake Osama bin Laden video using a look-alike, and sells it to TV channels. The film is a spoof on Osama Bin Laden and a comic satire on America's war against terror.

Kurbaan: Starring Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, is a film set against the backdrop of global terrorism. Avantika (Kareena) and Ehsaan (Saif) fall in love and decide to move to the US. Avantika stumbles upon information that puts her life in danger. Ehsaan's identity too undergoes a drastic change. Kurbaan deals with Islamic fundamentalism post 9/11.