Kabir Khan has always been a storyteller of scale—his films sweep across borders, histories, and human emotions, turning intimate journeys into grand cinematic spectacles. With Setara, his segment in the recently released anthology My Melbourne, Kabir returns to Afghanistan, a place he has explored earlier in Kabul Express (2006) and Phantom (2015). This time, he focuses on a young Afghan girl chasing her dream of becoming a cricketer in Australia. The anthology, brought to life by filmmakers Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, Onir, and Kabir, weaves together tales of identity, displacement, and belonging, set against the multicultural backdrop of Melbourne.
In this freewheeling chat, Kabir reflects on the underperformance of his last film Chandu Champion, how OTT has reshaped audience choices, and what it means to stay authentic as a filmmaker.
Excerpts
How did you get associated with My Melbourne?
The journey started some years back when my friend Mitu (Bhowmick Lange), who organises the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, said she wanted to make a film titled My Melbourne based on real-life stories. However, nothing really excited me. But when I was in Melbourne with Kapil Dev because my film 83 was getting awarded, I saw some girls in Hijab who were very excited to see Kapil. They were from the Afghan women's cricket team who had taken refuge in Melbourne after the Taliban took over. Amongst them was this one girl who was the younger sister of one of the players. Her name was Sitara. She was training to be a cricketer and join the Afghan women's cricket team. That seemed like a very interesting story to explore.
Your films often explore global politics, radicalisation, and marginalisation. What draws you to these themes?
I think it goes back to my documentary days when I used to travel all over the world with well-known journalist Saeed Naqvi. That’s when I came across different people and understood their perspective, it was different from the way Western media used to write about them. It opened up my horizons. So, now whenever I see such stories, I really get excited about exploring them.
Even your mainstream films have a political nuance to it. How do you blend the two without making it feel heavy?
I can’t make films without politics. When I was growing up, I struggled as an audience member watching films set in a vacuum. Like a love story with no socio-political context. There were some people who did that like Mani Ratnam and he remains one of my favourite filmmakers. So, when I got the opportunity in Kabul Express, I wanted to tell the dark story of two journalists who were kidnapped by the Taliban, with a blend of humour. I feel humour makes it more profound and effective. You can get your point across without provoking people. Ultimately, a film is not about politics, it is about the humans it affects.
Your last two films have not been as political. Chandu Champion was mounted on a huge scale but it underperformed at the box office. How do you look at the film’s reception?
It didn't do the kind of business that we would have wanted it to do. I think in the post-Covid era, there are certain kinds of stories that will do the big numbers. But it is important to tell stories like Chandu without always evaluating its monetary potential. It would have been a crime If I had not told the story of Murlikant Petkar. I won’t change anything about the film.
Do you think the film would have done better had it been released before 2020?
I think so. There has been a shift in the last few years. Audiences are becoming acutely aware of the money they are spending on films. Franchises get a head start because audiences know what they are going in for. The cost of going to theatres has become prohibitive. The lure of being able to watch a film on OTT is stronger. A lot of people discover these films later. So, as a film you may get your due but, in that process, you end up losing on the box office revenue.
How do you function as a filmmaker in these times?
Well, the answer is not to start changing your style or the kind of stories you want to tell. If you do that then you have definitely failed as a filmmaker. You have to choose your own stories instead of succumbing to the market.
There is a recent trend of re-releases which many are saying is due to a content slump in the industry…
Yeah, but I find the trend really interesting. It gives people a chance to see a film on the big screen which they watched deacdes years ago. The numbers are surely limited but it excites me. Maybe I will think of re-releasing some of my films too.
And what are you going to work on next?
I am currently developing some stories.
Are we going back to Afghanistan?
(Laughs) You never know. I have been doing back-to-back films for the past few years which kept me busy. But now, I have decided to take a six-month break to develop my stories. So, I think in another two or three months, I should be able to announce my next.
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