'Ramchand Pakistani', the debut film by Pakistani director Mehreen Jabbar's, is to be released in India next month after the successful screening of popular movie 'Khuda Kay Liye' Based on an accidental crossing of the India-Pakistan border, 'Ramchand Pakistani' will open in cinemas on August 22 with about 100 prints. An exclusive screening for Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was held in Islamabad and the film was premiered in Karachi just days ahead of its August 1 release in Pakistan, the Associated Press of Pakistan said.

The only Indian star in the movie, Nandita Das, has shared screen space with Pakistani renowned actors like Rashid Farooqui, Noman Ijaz, Maria Wasti, Navaid Jabbar and a young boy, Syed Fazal Hussain. "This movie can't be counted as a conventional Pakistani film just because it has been made in Pakistan. This is a distinctive film with a broad appeal. It reflects the tragedy of hundreds of innocent people of either country who languish in jails of the other and the devastation for all their families," Nandita was quoted as saying in the report. Made on a budget of USD 550,000, critics and audiences alike have widely lauded the film for its acting, direction and screen play.

The film, to be released in India by Percept Picture Company (PPC), was showcased earlier this month at the Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema and shared the International Federation of Film Critics award with Palestinian film "Salt Of The Sea" at the 11-day event. 'Ramchand Pakistani' was also selected for the narrative section of the Tribeca Film Festival and was screened at the Seattle International Film Festival. It has also been chosen to be showcased at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in the US.