When a film's promo conveys something and you get to see something else, more often than not you feel cheated. Thankfully, despite the fact that there is a huge difference between the promo and the actual product, you don't feel disappointed. Yes, you do hunt for an out and out comic outing, something that the Filmistaan had promised all through its promotional campaign. However, even as the eventual product actually steps into Indo-Pak relationship zone and also gets a tad serious, so much so that the finale is totally into action and drama space, you still don't mind giving Filmistaan a dekko.

Hold this film tight. There is an utterly moving sequence towards the end of this lovely parable on cross-border amity where Sunny (Sharib Hashmi) who has strayed into Pakistan confesses to Aftaab (Innamul haq) that he is obsessed with Bollywood and wants to be a hero, though he knows he knows he doesn't have it in him.

Filmistaan is absolutely flawless. While Gandhiji has been long hailed as the father of the nation, it is CineMaa that is the undisputed mother of not only India but also its neighbouring Pakistan. The much revered CineMaa blesses her devotees with business on both sides of the border, serving as a common thread between the protagonists -- Sunny (Sharib Hashmi) and Aftab (Inaamulhaq) -- in Nitin Kakkar's Filmistaan.

How do you review a movie that is an absolute gem? A movie which entertains, enthralls and terrifies - all in one go? FILMISTAAN is more than a movie; it is a rare diamond which encompasses every aspect of film-making beautifully and captures the essence of the plot without losing the very objective of irony, which it has set out to display.

Filmistaan proves laughter can give a better message than drawn-out melodramatic preaching. Winning the National Award should be enough of a review for a film, but when the film receives it before it hits the theatre, one can never be too sure. However, if it's Filmistaan, you needn't worry.

Nitin Kakkar's Filmistaan is an interesting little oddity in today's movie times. It is one of the more self-effacing tributes to Indian cinema, not unlike its memorable lead character Sunny Arora (Sharib Hashmi). Sunny is a fantastic mimicry artist- the kind that can reproduce every famous voice but his own.

Hold this film tight. There is an utterly moving sequence towards the end of this lovely parable on cross-border amity where Sunny(Sharib Hashmi), who has strayed into Pakistan, confesses to Aftaab(Innamulhaq) that he is obsessed with Bollywood and wants to be a hero, though he knows he doesn't have it in him.

In a country obsessed with cinema, this film which won several national and international awards in 2012, could come in theatres after a two year long struggle. Directed by Nitin Kakkar, Filmistaan is indeed a film that deserves all the accolades it has earned.

An Indian is mistakenly kidnapped and taken to Pakistan. Amidst all the animosity he bonds with his brothers from another land on one common ground - passion for Bollywood and cricket.

There's a sequence in FILMISTAAN, towards the second half, when the septuagenarian haqim sahab, who migrated to Pakistan during the partition, reminisces about the pre-partition days in Amritsar [India], while the protagonist, an Indian, recalls his [now deceased] grandfather's desire, who was uprooted from his homeland, to visit his birthplace Lahore [Pakistan]. That moment, which the first-time director of FILMISTAAN [Nitin Kakkar] captures brilliantly on celluloid, is sure to make many Indians and Pakistanis moist-eyed, especially those who vividly recall the partition.

What's Good: It will be an understatement to merely call Sharib Hashmi a fine actor. He and Innamulhaq exhibit an ineffaceable camaraderie which when blended with a stirring story makes for a gratifying film.