In the eye of terror...

Rarely do filmmakers take the risk of showing children as protagonists.
But Big Pictures along with Sudhir Mishra and director Piyush Jha, dared to do something different. Their film Sikandar is a suspense thriller about an innocent school-going boy who finds a gun and how it changes his life. The basic premise of the film ��� that has a worldwide release today ��� is how terrorists use young minds to spread terror.
Playing Sikandar is the little boy from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Parzaan Dastur. Now all of 18, the young actor is ready to impact the minds of the audience with his performance.
And joining him in the film is Ayesha Kapoor, 15, who got rave reviews for her outstanding performance as the young Rani Mukerji in Black. ���It���s my first film as a protagonist and it���s so much different from what I have done before,��� said Parzaan, who along with Ayesha spent four months preparing for the film. ���We���ve attended workshops, learned how to speak like Kashmiris. I also had to learn to play football,��� said Parzaan, while Ayesha added, ���I can���t speak Hindi but
I learned the language. It was good fun ���coz we got to do white water rafting, hiking and other adventure sports there.���
The film has been shot in Kashmir, because Piyush wanted to break the myths and clich��s that contemporary India has about the place. ���Today, people are faced with two challenges ��� one is great prosperity and the other is strife. Which way are we going to go... that���s the question I���m raising through this film,��� said Piyush, who took two years to write, research and get it onto the floor.
Mahesh Ramanathan, COO Big Pictures, said, ���Terrorism is no longer confined to the upper reaches of Kashmir. The film is a must see for every parent and child who wishes to ensure that the fate of Parzaan never befalls them.��� Sikandar has already been screened at the International Film Festival of Los Angeles and the Stuttgart Film Festival, where it received overwhelming response.