Forget Ertugrul, Kashmiri Gazi Comes in Bollywood Blockbuster ‘Brahmastra’

Mehmet Bozdag’s Turkish Historical Fiction and Adventure TV Series “Diliris: Ertugrul” was a phenomenal hit on OTT in Kashmir during the Covid period of 2020. Promoted among others by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, the period film was about Ertugrul Gazi, conqueror Osman’s father and founder of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.

“Ertugrul Gazi”, which appeared on Pakistani television months after the repeal of Article 370 in the Indian parliament, has become a household name across the valley. Some saw it as an attempt to revive Islamic adventurism, vaguely reminiscent of the atmosphere of rebellion sparked by Moustapha Akkad’s 1981 super hit “Lion of the Desert” – an epic about Libyan political hero Omar Mukhtar in which Anthony Quinn played the starring role.

“Omar Mukhtar”, shown at the Regal Cinema in Srinagar, played a key role in changing Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s image from a crossover hero to a sold-out villain. This paved the way for a relentless insurgency in Kashmir which was sparked by the rigged Assembly elections in 1987 and a boost from guerrilla training camps and incendiary speeches by Benazir Bhutto in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan.

However, the steam of “Ertugrul Gazi” turned out to be fleeting. The people of Kashmir enjoyed it as a Covid hobby, made memes about Gazi and soon forgot about the hero.

Two years later, Kashmir’s own Gazi shines in Bollywood blockbuster “Brahmastra” – the Rs 410 crore budget film which broke the global collection mark of Rs 300 crore in the first six days. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, Brahmastra has a galaxy of 9 producers including Karan Johar and Ranbir Kapoor. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni.

Inspired by stories from Hindu mythology, the film follows Shiva, an orphan with pyrokinetic powers who discovers he is an astra, a weapon of enormous energy. He tries to prevent the strongest of the astras, the Brahmstra, from falling into the hands of dark forces who share a history with him.

Indian model Gazi Rouhallah of Budgam, 34, plays Raftaar, a henchman of Junoon (Mouni Roy) who aims to conquer Brahmastra and free Brahma Dev from his captivity on an island. Junoon in the darkness embarks on the assassination mission with the henchmen Raftaar and Zor.

A resident of Budgam township and the son of a junior employee of the government’s public works department, Mohammad Kazim Lone, Rouhallah is a product of the local madrasa “Jamia Babul Ilm” who passed his 12th grade from the upper secondary school of Budgam government boys. Through a competition, he got the position of medical assistant in the Indian Air Force (IAF), which he left in Bangalore immediately after being noticed and enlisted by the country’s top model groomer, Prasad Bidappa. Bidappa introduced Gazi to the Bangalore ramp in 2009.

Commuting between Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Gazi got big breaks from top fashion designers in the country like Sabyasachi, Christian Louboutin, Shantanu and Nikhil, JJ Vallaya and others.

In 2015, Gazi flourished as an Indian super model and the most requested face for various luxury brands. His signature beard, lean, muscular physique ignited the ramp, every time he got down to business.

Gazi gained attention after Raymond’s publicity. All major fashion shows in the country started having Gazi as the male showstopper.

By hanging out in the streets of Budgam and giving fashion advice to his friends, Gazi carved out a niche for himself when he starred in his first Tollywood film, Sankarabharanam. Many in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh still recognize him as Saleem Bhai, his character in the film with Nikhil. Since then, there has been no turning back.

And all that recognition for a boy who hadn’t been in a theater for the first 20 years of his life.

There has been a blanket ban by Kashmir activists on film, fashion and modeling since they crippled government authority in December 1989. Attempts to open three theaters by the government of Farooq Abdullah in 1998 failed as there was a grenade attack on Regal and an encounter at the Neelam cinema.

Today, the owners of the famous Broadway cinema have built Kashmir’s first multiplex in collaboration with INOX. It is expected to be inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on National Film Day which has been rescheduled by the Multiplex Association of India from September 16 to September 23.

“Modeling and acting had been my passions since my school days, but I had no exposure, no grip, no sponsor. I left with total dedication and determination. Due to my talent and my hard work I have been introduced to the best in Bollywood including Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Shilpa Shetty, Priyanka Chopra and others, all of whom have given me love, respect and exposure. Now that I have a role in ‘Brahmastra’, I feel thrilled and extremely encouraged by the critics,” said Gazi. STORY FROM INDIA.

“Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon held two workshops with me as they wanted me in a role in ‘Raabta’. But I was dumped at the eleventh hour. Thank God I got a role in ‘Brahmastra’ which I really needed to realize my dream,” said Gazi, whose ambition is to work with Hollywood. “Sankarabharanam” was my first and my last film in the South. Brahmastra is my first in Bollywood but my destination is Los Angeles,” the portfolio-heavy actor-model said.

Gazi with Aishwarya Rai once appeared on the cover of ‘Conde Nast Traveler’ but in Kashmir he was first noticed in the Raymond campaign. “He came out during a cricket match between India and Pakistan. It was on TV every two minutes. Till then no one here recognized me,” Gazi added. 2012’s “Agent Vinod”, he briefly appeared in the hit song “Pyar ki pungi” with Saif Ali Khan and Mallika Haydon. “It’s been a rough journey on a rough track, but now I see great hope”, Gazi said.

Gazi is a down-to-earth actor with no assistants or PR support. “When Brahmastra came out for screening all over India on September 9 and my director and producers wanted me in Mumbai, I was harvesting paddy at home. I had another engagement with my sister, but tomorrow I am flying to Mumbai,” Gazi said.

Read also : With the inauguration of the first multiplex in Srinagar, cinema is back in Kashmir after 33 years