It looks like Pakistan will continue to intrigue filmmakers, be it television shows or movies. In director Michael Winterbottom’s new independent film, The Wedding Guest, which according to one report is inspired by rural Punjab, Dev Patel stars as a man who “who goes to Pakistan and kidnaps a young woman about to be forced into an unwanted marriage,” noted The Hollywood Reporter. Patel is also a co-producer of the film, which had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival last month and is said to travel to India and Pakistan in the film. Whether Patel actually travelled to Pakistan (in secrecy) is the big question or was it all shot in India.
Said THR further about the film: “A solitary figure who projects the aura of a hit man, Jay (Dev Patel) heads from the U.K. to Pakistan, where he buys a couple of guns (no problem), makes a road trip and kidnaps a young Muslim woman, Samira (Radhika Apte), who willingly goes with him because she’s about to be forced into an unwanted arranged marriage. Along the way, Jay shoots to death the armed guard posted at the house. He feels no remorse.”
The director of films like A Mighty Heart, it remains to be seen who picks up this film for a theatrical release or whether it ends up on a streaming platform. As for reviews, it’s too soon to tell as well. But to be fair, both Winterbottom and Patel have strong credentials so the film could turn out to be a compelling watch or a waste of time.
