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Friday, November 15, 2024

Documentary on Pakistan’s Nobel Prize laureate Abdus Salam makes way to Netflix

After bagging numerous awards, the documentary on the life of Pakistani scientist Abdus Salam will be available on Netflix. A rare opportunity offering a comprehensive insight into the life of the scientist who played his due role in making Pakistan a nuclear power

A documentary on Pakistani scientist Abdus Salam will be available on Netflix for its viewers globally from October 1st. The trailer of the documentary is based on the real footage of Dr. Abdus Salam receiving a Noble Prize. He can be seen posing alongside Gustav of Sweden in 1979 and meeting the Pope.

Global Appreciation

The biopic on Dr. Abdus Salam has won awards at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal. He is revered for his precious contribution to the field of Physics. Directed by Brooklyn-based film director Anand Kamalakar and produced under the banner of Kailooka Productions, the documentary has made several screenings at various film festivals around the globe including South Asian International Film Festival, Chicago South Asian Film Festival, DFW South Asian Film Festival, and South Asian Film Festival of Montreal, since its release.

What Documentary is About?

A year ago, a documentary on Dr. Abdus Salam was exhibited to a large audience, primarily the Pakistani community at the South Asian Festival at Washington D.C, the United States of America.

A 75-minutes biopic documentary is shot after rigorous research of 14 years including interviews with his colleagues, friends, and co-workers that covered their observations and interviews. The documentary features every aspect of his life, from being a spectacular scientist of Pakistan to become a receiver of the Noble Peace Prize.

The film has also explored to a considerable extent his role in Pakistan’s quest for a nuclear bomb.

Dr. Salam received the Noble Prize in 1979, became the first Pakistani to receive the award and fourth in the sub-continent.

One of his colleagues remarked that he looked like a ‘Mughal Prince’ dressed up in Sherwani, pagg and Saleem Shahi Khussay in between other men dressed like “Penguins” in their tuxedos. The documentary also talked about his personal life. Abdus Salam remained married to two women throughout his life.

One wife belonged from his Ahmedi community and others was a fellow scientist and a foreigner. The Noble Prize community was puzzled when his both wives appeared at the ceremony.

The documentary has also reflected upon the childhood of Abdus Salam and it was revealed that he was a favored child of his parents. A separate piece of chicken was kept for him whenever it was cooked in the home.

The documentary makers themselves are science students and were triggered by the fact that they have been studying science throughout their lives but how little people knew about the great scientist.

The film has also explored to a considerable extent his role in Pakistan’s quest for a nuclear bomb. However, he strictly resisted the use of nuclear energy and maintained that such powers should only be used for peace. He, nevertheless, played a pivotal role in making Pakistan a nuclear power.

Read more: ‘Cake’ and ‘Salam’ win awards at South Asian Film Festival Montreal

Abdus Salam died in 1996 and received a glorious funeral. The documentary is a reflection of the services of the religious minority group Ahmedi for Pakistan. The exhibition of documentary coincided on the day when economist Atif Mian was asked to step down from the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council due to his religious background.

The official website of the production house read lamented Dr. Salam disparaged based on his religion. Adding that, “By telling this complex story of a man, who due to extremism could not strengthen his people as he so deeply desired, the film draws attention to the state of affairs in the world today, where knowledge is sacrificed at the altar of ignorance and intolerance, depriving the coming generation of all that is precious.”