Bollywood explores human side of terrorism

By Prithwish Ganguly

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Terrorism is set to be the flavour of Bollywood this year with as many as four films wooing audiences with stories exploring the psyche of terrorists.

"Black and White", "Mission Istanbul", "Amir" and "Mumbai Meri Jaan" have plots touching upon instances of terrorism like the Mumbai commuter train bombings in 2006.

But all four films also explore the human side of the 'terrorist' - the moments of indecision and emotional upheavals in their lives.

"The person who has chosen to be a terrorist or someone who is forced into it or got caught in the loop are all humans in the end," filmmaker Raj Kumar Gupta told Reuters.

"They also have passions and emotions and suffer from guilt and indecision," said the director of "Amir", the story of a man unwittingly ensnared in a terror plot.

Subhash Ghai's "Black & White", which opened in cinemas on March 7, probes the mind of a would-be suicide bomber in New Delhi while filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia's "Mission Istanbul" is inspired by global terrorism.

And Nishikant Kamat's "Mumbai Meri Jaan" relives the horror of the train bombings that killed 187 people in Mumbai.

The directors said their films would promote mutual co-existence by depicting the suffering of victims of terror attacks.