Bilal Qureshi

Parvati and Saleem (Shriya Saran and Satya Bhabha), born in tandem at the birth of independent India, are at the center of Salman Rushdie's novel <em>Midnight's Children. </em>Thirty years after the book's publication,<em> </em>filmmaker Deepa Mehta has committed the story to the big screen.

An Epic Of India Gets A Canvas Its Own Size

Bilal Qureshi

Midnight's Children, from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta, is a sweeping big-screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie's great novel of modern Indian history. NPR's Bilal Qureshi talks to the two storytellers about their collaboration on the project.

In the new film <em>The Reluctant Fundamentalist, </em>the Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed plays Changez, a self-described "lover of America" who moves back to Pakistan to educate activists.

Arts

Riz Ahmed: Shifting Across Identities And Roles

Bilal Qureshi

Both as the lead character in the filmThe Reluctant Fundamentalist and in his life outside the cinema, British actor Riz Ahmed navigates many identities.

In a move for historical accuracy, recent German films like Christian Petzold's <em>Barbara </em>show a colorful, living version of communist East Germany. (Pictured: Nina Hoss as Barbara and Ronald Zehrfeld as Andre).

In 'Barbara,' A New Look At Life Behind The Wall

Bilal Qureshi

Already an awards-season staple, German historical dramas are moving beyond the horrors of the Third Reich and delving into the nuanced past of the former East Germany. Films like Christian Petzold's Barbara, a quiet story about a troubled young doctor, tell a different kind of history.