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The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)
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Well, I prefer movies that make me forget about the problems with the world. Come on, Yaar. I mean, "Bol" is a brave movie. It had to be made. And you know all the students in the union are just raving about it. Bravo, son! Uncle, your medicine. Damn good bootlegger, yeah? This divine music... Sweetens the sting of death. How many people are there? What are you doing? Get off me! Don't hurt him! Is there anyone to help me? Please, don't go. - All okay, son? - Absolutely. Jamal, salaam. Hello, Mr. Bobby. Alissa? It's Bobby calling from Lahore. Listen... Something's happened. Cooper... We've got something. We have sound? I'm a professor. I'm a professor. I didn't do anything. Please... Please, don't kill me. Please, don't kill me. I didn't do anything. This won't help you. Please, don't... That's all. Let's do our own checking at the university. Get CTC on the line, please. They sent a tape. This place has the best tea in Lahore. And do you take sugar, Bobby? No, thank you. Well, you have waited a very long time for this interview, and for that, I must apologize. Oh, I'm just glad we could finally do it. I finally felt the time was right. Do you mind if I record? Let's enjoy our tea for a moment, please. Oh, I loved your early work. Your book on Massoud fighting the Taliban... great stuff. I'm still trying to figure out who wrote the other two. Oh, thank you. I'm flattered that you read them. Nobody move! Stay calm. - What's this? - Shall we take them in? Sir, the police are here. Get up! Search him. Enough. Catch that boy! They seem a little edgy. Our police become very animated when it's an American that's been kidnapped. You teach at the same university as Anse Rainier. I do. Don't you think he's worth looking for? By roughing up people who had nothing to do with it? I've heard the group taking responsibility recruits here. What makes you so sure they had nothing to do with it? They're my students. And they're innocent until proven otherwise. I learned that from CSI: Miami. Yeah. Hmm. Do you think he's still alive? So tell me, Bobby, what exactly is the article about? Well, I'm still working on it, but so far the logline is, "Pakistan's New Militant Academia. " Am I part of the new militant academia? I don't know. Are you? You know, the answer to that question may challenge some of your preconceived notions. Changez, I'm a journalist. Generally, we try to avoid preconceived notions. But of course. - You mind if I... - Yes. I only ask one thing. That you please listen to the whole story from the very beginning, not just bits and pieces. Do I have your word? You do. Looks can be deceiving. I am a lover of America. Although I was raised to feel very Pakistani. After all, the blood of princes runs in my veins. Perhaps that's an exaggeration. Let's say the princes and I moved in the same circles. We attended the same schools... Lived in the same neighborhoods. But all of a sudden, there were new princes in town. Hey, Chingu! Buy a new car. Time to junk your oxcart. Yes, we still had the prestige of a Punjab Club membership... Abu, we need a new car. But our bank account was empty. And retire this magnificent chariot? Nonsense. These new-money scoundrels are ruining the place. Your Bina madam's waiting. Bond! What vulgar clothes. No one will marry you. Ammi, please. I'm the Bond girl. It's no joke. They're lining up. Go, work in India. There, anything goes. "Though memories fade, "may Allah never free you from my love. " Changez, remember, your father's a poet. Sing for us. Mm-mm. He doesn't want to sing those songs anymore, Ajju. He's an American now. Va, va, va, va... Listen, son. He fusses over you because he loves you. You know that, right? Cigarette? Poems don't buy generators. Somebody has to be where the money is. Hey, Chingu, take me to New York with you. I could be the dazzling new ethnic friend on Sex and the City or something. But, Chan, what about your Mr. Bond? Oh, please. Bond? I'd drop him in a second for Mr. Big. All I want is a loft in SoHo, weekend in the Hamptons, and a pair of big, fake American boobs. What? Is that too much to ask? Not at all. God bless America. God bless America, indeed. God bless its level playing fields. God bless winning. See you next Friday. Changes, take a seat. You have 20 minutes to convince me that you belong at Underwood Samson. Well, I've never gotten a B in my entire life. Touch wood. And I'm about to graduate summa cum laude. Good... although I've heard that line several times today. What else? Well, I also played varsity soccer four years straight. I'm glad you got some exercise. Changes, a position at our firm as a financial analyst is one the most sought-after jobs in the entire world. Lift up the hood. Show me what makes you run. Where are you from? Lahore in Pakistan. Are you on financial aid? Yes, I am. It's more difficult for an international student to be accepted at an Ivy League school if they apply for aid. You must have really needed the money. Yeah, I did. The accent's great. Makes you sound like royalty. How did your rich-kid friends at Princeton react to your Horatio Alger story? Most of them don't even know where their bootstraps are. You know what, Jim? We don't really discuss it. I know you're seeing a lot of people today, so... Wait. Your friends here don't even know, do they? That's interesting. That's lifting up the hood. So tell me, Changes, why did you want to come to America? For future reference, Jim, it's "Changez. " In America, I get an equal chance to win. And whether or not you hire me, Jim, I am going to win. Good fucking answer. Thank you, God! I was a soldier in your economic army. I worshiped in those magnificent temples of money and steel where men in tailored suits control the fate of billion-dollar corporations... men like me. You got skylines like that back home? You're all smart. The game changer at this stage is will. Do you want excellence more than the person sitting next to you? At Underwood Samson, we do not get paid for hunches. The reason why our fees are higher than any other firm is because of our unparalleled ability to not only assess value but to create it in our clients' businesses. We do that by focusing on the fundamentals. This is a hypothetical business. Thanks to groundbreaking research, BNUS Transportation, using 11-foot-tall cylinders, can teleport travelers to any destination in the world instantly. Buenos Aires to Cairo in a second and a half. I want you to tell me what the company is worth. Information is in your binders. You have one hour. Okay. Is he serious? So that's as per the third quarter. Please, continue. And because of these factors, I project the total value of BNUS at $48 billion with revenue growing at an average 52% per annum for the first two years. I'm not with you on the growth rate. Changez, I've got a five-star safety rating from A.B. Townes. My travel cylinders only cost 11 million bucks apiece. What is your analysis? Your company is worthless. What? Care to clarify? Well, A.B. Townes is all well and good, but if your business is convincing a mother that you can successfully disarticulate and then reassemble all the molecules in her five-year-old thousands of miles away, this technology is at least a generation away from practical, widespread usage. Is that a hunch? Because you're not getting paid for hunches. No. Page 68. Your own market surveys show 72% of your potential travelers would never use the cylinders no matter how safe you proved that they were. So I should just pack up and go home? No, I'm saying you should pack other people up and go into shipping. The same... the same polling suggests that 94% of clients would be okay with you teleporting their baggage. So your business isn't travel; it's shipping... subcontainer-scale shipping. Real-world assignments come in on Monday. Nothing too exciting. Everybody will be disappointed. Almost everybody. Go, brother. # Let's go # # Uh-huh, yeah, yeah # # Top-level philanderer # # My time in the camera # # Reason why she's smiling # # 'Cause I'm nice with the algebra # # President, I rose to the top of my class # # Model chick by my side # # Champagne in the glass # # And she telling me # # Papi far ahead in these lanes # # So such-and-such # # Should probably just stop speaking my name # # I'm the boss here, the king would never... # Toss it, Wainwright. Ow! Plays out like this. First, B-school. Second, run my own hedge fund. Third, philanthropy. And in 25 years, I'm gonna be devoted full-time to wiping out malaria. What if someone takes out malaria before you get there? Well, I'll pick the next available disease and kick its ass too. If that lazy fuck Posada would learn to slide like that, we'll get another pennant this year. Well, unlike you commoners, I have a law degree. I'm gonna run a Fortune 500 company until I hit ten digits. What about you, Changeez? Where do you see yourself in 25 years? 25 years... I'm gonna be the dictator of an Islamic republic with nuclear capability. Anyone want a soda? No, I'm good... Saddam. He really scared me. Thought he was for serious. Thank you. Wow. Ooh! Whoa! What the hell was that? That was Herman. He overshot his gap. Herman, are you okay? Oh, man. Yeah, I'm good. You all right? Oh, I hope I got that. Your expression was amazing. You're not hurt, are you? No, lost a couple of inches of hair, but apart from that... Oh, you know what? It's a little out of focus. Excuse me! Could you do that again? Do... do that again? It looks great. Yeah, sure. Oh, thanks. All right. Like, one or two feet higher. Come on. Go fly, Herman. I'll strap my wings on. I'm sorry. Is this, like, a magazine shoot or something? No, no, no. It's not that official. I'm just photographing these guys for a new project. I wasn't trying to kill you, so... And I won't kill you. I promise. We'll see. In Lahore... in Pakistan, where I'm from... kids don't fly on skateboards; they fly kites. Kites? Really? I don't know your name. - Oh, Changez. - Ah. Stay on your mark, Changez. Changez. Changez... That's right. Very good. Okay, Herman? He's coming, isn't he? He's coming. I can feel him. - Whoo! - Sweet, Herman! Great. Okay. - Right. - Sorry, got to run. Is there a way I can... Hey. You're my William Tell. You know, with the apple and the... Right. Shot it. Bye. Wainwright. Mm! Couldn't get the number, could you, Mobutu? He was right. I'd missed my moment. Here I am rambling on, and I haven't offered you anything to eat. I'm sorry. Junaid! Yes, Khan, sir. Get us a chicken curry. Dall and two naans. Okay? A rogani naan for me. Wow. I think I'm growing on him. Students... The police are here for your protection. Do not interfere with Professor Rainier's investigation. Do not forget, demonstrating and disrupting the peace is forbidden. We advise you to return to class and cooperate with the police. It's serious. The police are everywhere. Forget them. Poetry is serious too. As Khan sir says... "The most transcendent poetry is, by definition, political. " So you want poetry to do the protesting? Why not? Mm. All well, sir? You're always where the food is, no? Why aren't you at home marking these exams? Yeah, well... Ahmad and those guys wanted me to protest, but you know me. I need lunch before I can protest. Presenting the militant academic. Bobby Lincoln, this is my teaching assistant, Sameer. Watch out. He knows Urdu. Peace be upon you. And you. Peace be with you, brothers. Ali, start your protest so I can go home! So, Bobby, I must ask you. Why do you think they'd be harassing my family? I can't speak for the American authorities, but I think it's safe to assume they consider you a person of interest. And they make these decisions with what evidence? So how do... how do I become uninteresting? Look, Changez, the kidnapping of an American citizen is about as heavy as it gets for them. And I'm sure if you were willing to go in and talk to them, they'd probably be able to help you. You think I had something to do with this kidnapping, Bobby? I'm not the one you have to convince. Is that the first lie you've told me today? They've got Asif. Some things are heating up. - I know nothing. - Give us their names! I must warn you, Bobby, I find it very difficult to confess all to a man I know so little about. Fair enough. What do you want to know? Well, what drew you to our part of the world? Well, for one thing, it's a hell of a lot more interesting than Paterson, New Jersey. "Your nest is not atop the dome of a royal palace. "Your next is not atop the dome of a royal palace. "You are a royal falcon. Build your nest on a mountain peak. " Wow. Iqbal. So now Lahore is your nest. Been here seven years. Your Urdu is quite good. I've picked some up. Looks like you picked up a couple of weights too, huh? You look quite solid for a journalist. Thank you. Like somebody who could move very quickly in the event of an emergency. I'm not anticipating any emergencies, are you? The future is very hard to predict. Oh, not if you're an analyst from Underwood Samson. Yes. The Navy SEALs of finance, eh? You know, like the SEALs, our special talent set us apart. We were catapulted into privilege. I felt I was entering in New York exactly the same social class my parents were falling out of in Lahore. Hey, Underwood's worth it. I hear his brownstone's worth $16 million. Well, mozzarella stick, when I'm CEO and you're my butler, you're gonna wear tails. - Gentlemen. - All right, all right. So shall we, gentlemen? - Thank you, good sir. - You're welcome. I hear he has a Monet over the pisser in the master bathroom. Interesting piece, isn't it? Hello, Mr. Underwood. Thank you for having me. Changez. The artist is having her first solo show very soon. I advise getting in early. Yes, it's impressive. Oh, my God. You've got to be kidding me. Actually, Erica, this discerning young man was just admiring your work. Oh. You know him already. My William Tell. Yes. He's very courageous. Well, if my niece is vouching for you, I think Jim Cross better watch out for his corner office. You drink, Changez? - Yes, I do. - Good! I had a Pakistani once. He didn't drink. Oh, Jesus, Uncle Max... What? You got something for this fellow? Matter of fact, we do. I was just about to talk to him about our project in the Philippines... auto business. Interested? - Yes, definitely. - Good. Well, let me know about Sunday at the Greenwich house, my darling. Okay. Bring your friend if you like. Mm. Can I borrow you for a moment? You clean up very nicely. Thank you. I'm sorry about being related to that knucklehead of an uncle. Oh, go easy on him. It's not easy to grow up in the slums of Connecticut, right? No. Erica, darling! Oh! You know, I knew a Pakistani once, and he saved me from small talk at a Wall Street party. Really? Did he drink, though? Because I hear they don't drink. # I want you to be # # I want you # # So this is... # Your father is a poet. - Yes. - I don't believe you. - Why would I make that up? - Unbelievable. You know how often I dream of having a family full of poets? What? No, I'm serious. Is he published? Yeah. His laser-sharp words and his inadequate salary are well known throughout the Punjab. Wow. Who was that guy jumping in your painting? My boyfriend, Chris. Is he... is that your current boyfriend? He died 23 weeks ago. We grew up together. Wow. I'm sorry. My friends keep saying, you know, "Turn the page. " "Lift the black veil. " And it's just... I wish it was that easy. People back home have this thing called iddat. It's like, um... it's like the period that a woman is allowed to mourn her husband. But she's only allowed to mourn him for four months and ten days. And then it's over? Mm-hmm. Right. That'd be nice. It's okay to turn the corner. You're already two months into overtime. I don't mean to be flippant. No, no, no, no, no. It's good. It helps. # I want you to be # # I want you # # Come on now, so sure # # I want you to be # # I want you to be # # I want you to be # # I want you to be # # I want you to be # No, no. Blues originated in West Africa. Okay, you can say it as many times as you like... The blues originated in West Africa. Actually, I don't really know what I'm talking about. Look at this. Okay, so all these pictures of me... you've got to have a little crush on me. You have a very healthy self-esteem. That's good to see. You know what this says to me? This is saying, "Changez, throw a burka on me "and confiscate my college degree and take me home to Mama. " Would I have to wear a burka? You look so serious. Oh, my God. Get out. - What? - Don't do that. Don't make fun of me. - "Do I have to wear a burka?" How am I making fun of you? What? You know... After you told me stories about Lahore, I kept hearing your voice afterwards. You know, I don't recognize my own voice anymore. It sounds all tinny and fake, like someone who doesn't come from anywhere. You sound real to me. Oh, God... I feel like I'm cheating. Should we stop? Oh, I want to. I want to, but I can't. Pretend I'm him. Oh, Manila, Manila. Hide your virgins and your extra layers of middle management, 'cause we're not here to play. - Welcome. - Good morning. Changez Khan from New York. We had one goal: to figure out how much profit this company could really throw off. How do you squeeze more productivity out of a company that pays its workers 5 bucks a day? I think the fat is there. Let me get this straight. You're saying that they can effectively lose 1/4 of their workforce? - 1/3. - 1/3 is a big chunk. I'd feel more comfortable shooting for a 15% reduction. May I? Please. Okay, so this entire sector is devoted to fixing mistakes that they make on the assembly line. I say, let's get in a team from Japan and fix the line. Then we can get the current error rate of 11% down to industry standard, which is 4% to 5%. Then this entire crew becomes completely superfluous. Boy, that's brutal. That's too aggressive. That line is already at capacity. I want to put together a team of consultants... the best, ex-Toyota maybe. I want them here soon... like tomorrow. Done. You have a gift for this, a very lucrative gift. Please. I have a theory about those who have the gift. They're outsiders. You and I have a lot more in common than you think. I was the first in my family to go to college. My father was a car salesman. He would come visit me at Harvard with his cheap haircut and his Payless shoes, and it would make me hungry, hungry to be the best. You're hungry like that too. So... Where do you see yourself in the next ten years? I'd like to be a managing director at Underwood Samson by 30. Why not 27? The first step to becoming a managing director is to be made an associate. We'll start laying down the groundwork as soon as we get home. Until then, consider this a down payment. You're a long way from Lahore, kid. Let's eat. Um, I... I don't know which tower it hit, but it hit directly in the middle of one of the World Trade Center towers. Sean, what kind of plane? Was it a small plane, a jet? It was a jet. It looked a two-engine jet, you know, maybe a 737. We are talking about a large passenger jet. A large passenger commercial jet, that's right. And where were... Oh, my God! - Oh... - Oh, my God. That looks like a second plane. Now it's obvious, I think... Right now, we can recap and tell you that two planes have hit the towers. It looks like there's a lot of smoke. We're still trying to get information. Police are telling us, if you're in the area, please get out of the area ASAP. Stay with us as we get more information. There was a huge explosion. I can't really see very well right now, so what I'm trying to do is just head out... head over to the Hudson River, so... In that moment, I should have felt sorrow or anger, but all I felt was awe. What audacity. The ruthlessness of the act was surpassed only by its genius, that David had struck Goliath. I'm sorry if my reaction to the attacks has offended you, Bobby. I hope you see that I'm not celebrating the death of 3,000 innocents, just as you would not celebrate the death of 100,000 in Baghdad or Kabul, for that matter. But before conscience kicks in, have you never felt a split second of pleasure at arrogance brought low? And you ask me why they're harassing your family? Let's just cut the bullshit, okay? You believe in violence as a tool for social change. You teach a course in violent revolution at Lahore University. Your lectures are full of anti-American rhetoric. We will wipe the blood of the invaders from our swords! If that weren't enough, you were spotted at an Asal Mujahideen meeting with Mustafa Fazil, a known cell leader. I think I can help. I knew you would. What are you doing? Last night, Anse Rainier was kidnapped, and this morning, your class was canceled. If you're just an innocent bystander, Changez, why were you hiding? Only guilty people hide. Your candor is appreciated, Bobby, but your conclusions are wrong. See, all this rhetoric such as, "We will wipe the blood of the invaders from our sword," this is like undercooked meat. It's satisfying when times are lean, but if you gorge yourself on it, you will get sick. Now, I may be an opponent of American interference in Pakistan but so are many of your own generals. Classes on revolution are taught at Duke. Are all those professors planning on blowing up federal buildings? I did attend a meeting at the Jamia Madrasah. A madrasah is a place of learning, Bobby, and I'm a teacher. My work takes me to all kinds of places, just as your work has brought you here. My thinking is that knowledge is power, not just religious knowledge but... You say guilty people hide. So do people who feel hunted. I missed my lectures for a much more direct reason. What the hell is this? They entered my home and attacked my family. Who did this? A calamity! Bandy! Who did this to you? Three agency bastards showed up. We have to get you to a hospital. Changez, they attack your uncle. They follow Ammi around in the Sabzi Mandi. Why this massive campaign against you? Ammi, this is all going to stop, okay? I promise you. Why do you have to keep giving these firebrand lectures? And where are you going now? Stay out of it. - Keep an eye on him. - I'll be there. A few days after my house was raided... my uncle's shoulder shattered and his ribs broken... my office was ransacked. These are the people who tore my office apart. But that shouldn't surprise you, should it, Bobby? You were there. I recognized you from your column. So you're a spook. Shit. Fuck. Is there someplace private we can talk? Bobby! Bobby! What the hell? Lincoln! Bobby! Get me another frequency. Bobby, I want you to exfil out of there now. What the hell are you doing? Fuck! We got surveillance on the roof? - Yes. - Cover the fucking roof! Did you go to them, or did they come to you? Look, Changez... Don't insult me. You want to have a dialogue? Let's have a dialogue. Did you go to them, or did they come to you? They came to me. How does that happen? How do you go from writing so passionately against intervention in this region to this? You want to know how it happened? I'll tell you. In 2001, while you were busy getting rich in New York City, I was in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. A friend introduced me to Ahmad Shah Massoud. I spent a week interviewing him. He was opening schools for girls, talking about democracy, resisting the Taliban. I know he had blood on his hands, but he stood for something, meant something to people, and that's why I thought we didn't need to be there. Massoud never got the chance to read my book. Six months after it came out, he was killed by a bomb hidden in a video camera. Two days after that, the same guys that killed him took down the towers. And that's when I realized I'd been wrong. We did need to be here. So I picked a side. Look. You obviously knew who I was coming into this, so... So what? Are we still having a conversation? Are you still a writer? You may be a spook. But if anyone can help me, it's you. You picked a side after 9/11. I didn't have to. It was picked for me. All unattended bags will be removed by airport police and immediately seized and destroyed. Please do not leave bags unattended. Note to self: don't fuck with the United States military. U.S. citizen or foreign national? Foreign national. Could I see your passport, please? - Step over here, sir. - Sorry, is there a problem? - He's an employee of mine... - Follow me, please. Don't worry about it, man. I'll catch up with you guys. Come on. Let's go. He's not what they're looking for. Stand right there. I'll take your belongings. I need you to remove all of your outerwear and place it on that chair. So you want me to strip? Remove your outerwear. Who did you stay with? Were you by yourself? And if not, who did you travel with? Arms out. Face this way. Arms out to your side. Arms down. Step over here. Remove your underwear, bend over, place your hands right here, and spread your legs. Put your clothes on. So what happened? They actually made you strip? Let's say they were very thorough. This whole city's in a state of panic. 60 bomb scares yesterday. I just found that my college roommate's father was in the second tower when it fell. It's just a nightmare. Guess people circle the wagons after something like this. Apparently they close the borders too. Could you blame them? Lunatics hijacked planes from two different states, killing thousands of people, not to mention themselves. It's beyond human comprehension. How does that happen? How does it happen like that? What makes you think I'd know? Nothing. You... Sorry, Changez. All I'm saying is, before I'd start a full F-16, tank-ass war against the entire Muslim world, I'd give the CIA, INTERPOL, whoever, a chance to track these motherfuckers down. We got hit first. It's Pearl Harbor all over again. It's common fucking sense. I'm not saying you're wrong, but what nation-state attacked us? Nation-state, my ass! You're splitting hairs. - Am I? - Yeah. They believe God told them to blow us up. It's in their book. It's in their book? Yeah. Whatever it's called. I watched as American patriotism took on different forms. American flags. God bless America. Aha! You want? For some people, it provided comfort; for others, a profit. Hey, give me flag too. Go! $10, $10. And for the vulnerable, it became a shield. American-led military attacks continue tonight against targets throughout Afghanistan. Even as the first emergency... I'm famished. We ordered two lassis. It's bad times, man. Seven more attacks in the last week. Is this the line for chai? You hear about Sodhi in Arizona? They shot him right on the street. It's really bad for the Sikhs. Sikhs are in trouble. Any beard or turban is a target. Not a problem for you, eh? Suited, booted. Good for you. No plastic here. - Give him his tea. - No, no, please. Don't embarrass me. You are like my brother. Thanks. I might have been suited and booted, but I felt just as vulnerable as they did. There was only one place I felt safe... With her. You want to learn how to say "love"? Yeah. There's not just one way of saying it. - There's, like, two or three. - Okay, okay. Okay, so there's ishq. Ishq. Ishq. Ishq. Mm. Well done. And then there's pyaar. Pyaar. That's quite good. Yeah? - You're good at this. - Pyaar. You said this word before to someone? Ishq. Pyaar. This isn't your first time, is it? Mohabbat. Mohabbat. I can't believe they're not there. It's crazy. It was a time of uncertainty. For me, the only things certain were love and profit. It wasn't long before the economic laws of nature reasserted themselves. Small companies were again swallowed up by big ones. Those that didn't grow would die. Some stakeholders are obviously you people right here. That's why need to revisit... For the 25 years that I've worked here, per union rules, we only take those requests in writing. See, with due respect, that is exactly the kind of bureaucratic mind-set we're trying to challenge here. I am not a bureaucrat. We don't have to like each other. We just have to get the job done. Now, pull out the union contracts. We might need to cancel some of them. - He's young. - I've worked here 25 years. What the hell am I supposed to do? Hi, stranger. When are you coming back? I miss you. Fuck you, Osama. A tiny slice of violence had wormed its way into my life, and I didn't know how to remove it. What was soft inside me fell away. What was hard became harder. Talk to me, Bobby. What's going on? I need more time. You're exposed, and the clock is ticking on Rainier. Turn your target now, or we're taking him to Peshawar to put the screws on him. Okay. What did Massoud do to members of his force that collaborated with the Taliban? He slit their throats. Yes, he did. Do you want that to happen to me, Bobby? Is there something you're not telling me? Juniad, look at that. Careful. Watch out. Brother... Khan, sir, let's go down. Hurry. Each moment is precious, Bobby. Come. It's time to go inside. Where is the security guard? Hello? I'm talking to you, Ma. Hello? Keep the candles safely. Trouble could break out anytime. The sweets go in the kitchen, the soft drinks too. Ma, you're being stubborn. I'll make one phone call to the caterers. They will handle everything, okay? Baita, with the shortages, the prices have doubled up. We just can't afford it. No, what we can't afford is for you to collapse, okay, because you're trying to organize your daughter's wedding singlehandedly. Just let me do it. It's done. My prince. Out of my sight. One thing. Don't tell Abu. Okay, I won't. Okay, talk later. Love you, baita. Uh-huh. Okay. God be with you. Hello! Enough already! - Just... just look at me. - Hello? Just look at... okay, fine. Fine, fine, fine. You're unbelievable. Do you know that? I'm worried about my mom here. She's going nuts because of the wedding. A wedding gets her closer to grandchildren. That's what she wants, right? Yeah, I guess. I made your mom and dad something for the wedding. That's why you wanted the photos? Your ma is so gorgeous. Mm. You're gorgeous. Thank you. Mm. Do you ever think about kids? Um... I did before, but the world's a little scarier now, so I'm not as sure as I used to be. My parents never said it out loud, but I know they want two things in life. They want security in their old age, and they want grandchildren. And you want to give that to them. Yeah. They're my parents. You have a sense of filial duty. Yeah, I guess I'm old-fashioned like that. It's nice. So does that mean you're persuadable? I don't know. Hey. Erica? Hey, what is it? What's wrong? Erica... Ah. I can't believe I'm talking about having kids with another man. Honey, it was just talking. It was just fooling around. And I'm not another man. No, no, no. No, no. You are another man. You are. Chris... he didn't have any family. Not like you. I was his family, okay? I was his family, and I'm forgetting him. Oh, God. You know, I had been... I'd been drinking, and Chris asked me if I was okay to drive, and I said yes. I killed him. Oh, God. Sometimes I just wish I could take a break from being myself. Me too. Following the Parliament attack in New Delhi, the troops are gathering at the border. The fear of war between India and Pakistan... Nuclear powers, grows every day. How many weddings have a bomb shelter contingency plan? The world couldn't wait one more week before exploding itself? Hello. Let's stick to happier subjects. How's the groom? He's an actor, so... A working actor but an actor nonetheless. Poor Abu keeps his heart medication close at hand. You know, if the war doesn't kill him... The wedding costs will. Move on. They never stop girls. Pakistan was born into violence 50 years ago. We knew how to cope. As the tensions became worse, the biryanis became more delicious, the bootleggers more frequent, and the celebrations more raucous. Here comes the groom! Really? Girls, be on time to dress her for the wedding tomorrow, huh? Did you make this? Show me your ring. What are you thinking about? Just how much you must love all this attention, no? Not about your girlfriend? Your turn next, Nasreen, hmm? Find me a guy now. Lovely girl, and from a good family. But you can't consider her because you're an ocean away. Luckily, Abu, they have women in New York too, you know. I'm sure they do. What exactly do you do at the Underwood? It's Underwood Samson. We help companies to figure out how much they're worth, and then we make suggestions so that they can increase their value. Hmm. So... I'm a fruit seller. You don't buy my guavas. - You don't sell me guavas. - No. I pay you to tell me, "The price of the guava is 8 rupees. " Yes, but I can also help you to increase the value of your whole fruit stand. With redundancies. So two fruit sellers become one, and the money is saved. Terrific. I don't see the point. I'll send you back to your village! Sorry, sir. In the tent, the supervisor will fire him. That young man drops one plate, and his livelihood is gone. I should talk to the supervisor. No, no, no, no, no. Come here. Your empathy is aroused because of this one man whose face you can see. But with one line of your pen, thousands of people lose their livelihoods. Abu, you know what? A lot of people... middle-class people, shareholders... they all benefit from what I do. You tell yourself what you want to. You see your mother's handiwork? If I told you the amount your Ammi had to work with, you wouldn't believe me. What is it? - Nothing. - What, nothing? Nothing? Never choke on a true word, son. Well, she had some assistance. What do you mean? I mean that this job of mine that you don't see the point of actually helped to create this celebration, all right? - Excuse me. - No, no, Abu. I'm just trying to tell you that this work of mine can be useful to us. You've made your point very well. Thank you. # You say things to burn the heart... # # You speak of a nest now broken... # # You inflict such suffering... # # Yet say I must smile... # My wisest ally, and I'd cut him to the quick. Only his pride. Please, Changez, don't let yours get in the way of doing the right thing. What would you have me do? Help us find Rainier. Changez... Work with us. The agency has discretionary funds for this kind of thing. We can protect your family, relocate them. Bobby, you promised to listen to me, didn't you? Did you not hear a word I just said? There are some things that money cannot fix. When I returned to America, I found that the life I was building had begun to slip out of reach. Should get this guy a razor. Yeah, hi, Erica, it's me. Can you pick up, please? I haven't heard from you in a few days now. And I don't know what kind of magical artistic masterpieces you're cooking up, but I miss you. Hi. Hi, sweetie. Ah, that is the sound I wanted to hear! Okay, listen. Hear me out. I know you're on a deadline. My show's in three days. Look, I'm so under the gun right now. I just... I can't talk. - Okay, but dinner. Just dinner. I haven't even told you about the wedding. They loved your present. Please don't make me feel guilty. Okay, your work is important to you. Okay, but I don't get to choose when to take time off; you do. So, like, one hour is all I'm asking for. I had a Pakistani once, and he was very supportive. Hey. Hey yourself, werewolf. Not sure what's going on with the beard situation, but it's starting to freak some people out around here. I don't understand. But Dr. Phil has a mustache. What? It reminds me of where I come from. Jerk chicken reminds me of where I come from, but I'm not smearing it all over my face. Maybe you should. You have a message. Happy Eid, son. Happy Eid. The house is no fun without you. There's no power either. We'll eat in the dark tonight. Thinking of you, baita. Abu also. Much love. Happy Eid. Quite a beard. That's getting to be some very serious mullah action. I want you to get me two glasses of the crystal... So we've got to evaluate a prestige publisher in Istanbul for a conglomerate. And guess what. You are the chosen one. Thank you. The directors agreed with me. We're upping you. You are the youngest associate in the history of Underwood Samson. Although, I do believe appearances are important. Success requires... some adjustment in that department. Underwood, Samson, and The Mighty Khan. Oh, no partners. Just Khan. I'm a dictator, remember? Mm. Motherfucker. Next time you want to see me, call my secretary, okay? Up yours. I'm not going to take medication! No more medication. There's a crazy Arab guy in midtown Manhattan. Long-distance killer! Why he get all credit? Yeah, 53rd and Lexington. Homegrown! We are homegrown bombers! - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. - We're homegrown bombers! - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. - We are homegrown bomb... Bomb your children! You bastard! Hey! He's crazy. Hey! Hold up! You in the black coat, stop right there. - I didn't do... - Hands on the car. - I didn't do anything. - Put your hands on the car. The guy you're looking for is back there. Yeah, we'll get him. - I work on the 53rd floor... - Hands down. Of that building, Underwood Samson. Why don't you just check? Why don't you just... - Officer, please. - Spread your legs! You got any weapons on you? Don't do this, man. Ain't doing nothing but my job, little man. Ow, man! Uh-uh! Get your hands off me! Uh! Wait right here. I'm Special Agent Ford. This is Special Agent Jackson. This is inexcusable. I'd like to see my lawyer, please. Are you refusing to talk to us? No, you picked up the wrong guy, and I'm sick of this shit. I want to see my lawyer. You ever been to the Philippines? I work at Underwood Samson. I was inspecting a company there as a financial analyst. You ever had any combat training in Afghanistan? Of course I've never had combat training, and I've never set foot in Afghanistan! Don't get upset. I am upset. I'm upset about my treatment. I'm not a fucking terrorist. Have you ever been a member of a terrorist organization? Okay, you know what? I'm sick of having to try and prove a negative, so why don't you either charge me with something or let me go? How do you feel about the United States of America? Agent Ford, I love the United States of America. Hey, baby, I can't wait to see you at my opening tonight. And the gallery's on the corner of Crosby and Prince. Okay, I'll see you. Hey, Marina! Hi, sugar. I'm alone. I'm very, very alone. I want to forget. Ladies and gentlemen, a reminder: never accept a parcel or bag from a third party for any reason. I want to forget. Never leave your baggage unattended. - Hors d'oeuvres? - Oh, no, I'm vegan. I had a Pakistani once... I'm glad... I'm glad you're enjoying it. Good to see you. - Hi. - Hi. - Hi. - Good to see you. Ah. - This is amazing. - Thank you. Changez? Changez! I'm so happy you're here. I don't recognize my own voice anymore. What have you done? It's... what do you mean? This is us. It's about us. From you too now? You're the one goddamn person I trusted in this city, and now I get this shit, this fucking shit from you too now? Hmm? - I don't... I thought... I thought... I thought you'd be proud of me. - Why would I be proud? What? Proud of being your own little pet artistic project? Can we please take this outside? - No, what? Was that the idea? Huh? How chic! How chic! "I'm gonna date a Pakistani after 9/11, and it's gonna be great for my bohemian street cred. " Is that the idea? - That's completely unfair. "I fucked the 20th hijacker"? Huh? I'm like the ultimate downtown status symbol right now. Is that it? You're just gonna walk away? That's all you got to say for yourself? I mean, are your feelings so pure? Would you have been interested in me if my uncle wasn't your CEO or if my mother lived in Queens instead of Park and 85th? - Are you kidding me? You're a sick girl. It was never about that for me! You might not believe this, but that is an expression of love. - You know what it is? That... that is defamation. I want it taken down. Changez, please. Please, just take a breath. I can't believe you're reacting this way. How do you want me to react? Please take a breath. How could you do that? Stop attacking me! Stop attacking me for one minute! Please stop attacking me! Please! Please stop attacking me! You could do it because you're reckless. You're reckless enough to drive drunk with the person you supposedly love sitting in the passenger seat. Oh... Oh, I didn't know... I didn't know you could be capable of such cruelty. Well... The holding company acquired Basak Yayimci Publishing nine years ago. It used to be a classy press, but it's hemorrhaging money, and we need to stop the bleeding. Nazmi Kemal will not be happy to see us. For 42 years, I've made books. And through this press, the greatest Middle Eastern writers have given their stories to the world. And you've come here to render me obsolete. I have great respect for the work of publishers. I've valued half a dozen or so over the last ten years. Are you qualified to value me? Well, no one can put a value on what you've accomplished here. My father is a poet. He's well known in the Punjab. His greatest friend is his publisher. You are a keeper of our culture in this part of the world. Your father is a poet? I think you should be ashamed of yourself, doing what you're doing here. Right. If you'll excuse us, we need to use your office. The accounts you asked for. Thank you. Thank you. Last two years. Right. Take these figures, discount it to the net present value. What's the ROA? Zero. I'll call London. Changez. Look what I found. Part of an anthology of contemporary poets from the Punjab. Your father is Ajmal Khan, correct? I didn't realize he'd been translated into Turkish. That's for you. Thank you very much. Would you care to join me for lunch? Sure. Have you heard of the Janissaries? No. They were Christian boys captured by the Ottomans to be soldiers in the mighty Muslim army. When they came of age, they were sent to kill their former families and destroy their former homes. How old were you when you went to America? I was 18. Ah. Much older. The Janissaries were always taken in childhood. And when they became men, they were devoted to their new caretakers to serve their adopted empire. I'm not devoted to the empire. Mm. I apologize for my demeanor. I'm working through some personal matters at the moment. A woman. Young men don't make good mercenaries. They need a cause to fight. May I? Mm. When you determine where you stand, the color will return to your world. I'm not so hopeful about the color returning to mine. Hey. Good news. London gave us the green light to terminate Nazmi Kemal and shutter the offices here. They want us to take care of it because we're here in person. So do you want the honors or should I? I'll do it. In the morning? Good. Get back to me as soon as you're done. Get some rest. - Okay. I imagined those Janissary boys, uprooted, landing in new homes with new fathers... some of them good fathers... their loyalties terribly divided. You're deluding yourself that you have this role here. You don't. You don't. Go home, Bobby. Go home? Go home? Do you have any fucking idea what happens to your family if I go home? Huh? Once they snatch you and drop your ass in a cell in Peshawar... Seven more students arrested. We must protest. Brothers, please listen! Everyone, listen to me! Hussain, do what you must, but do it peacefully. Remember, no violence. - Sir, observing situation. Stand by. Copy that. You know, my capacity for evaluation hasn't diminished, Bobby. You know what I see before me? I see a man with hash under his fingernails who likely smokes it alone. I see the odd white man who lives in the old quarter and only ventures out to buy local food and local girls... Who's been here so long his own blood family have forgotten him. And there's nobody here to replace them. You're playing a dangerous game, Changez. - I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm telling you something that it took me a long time to realize. Some truths take their time. I was just coming to see you. Interesting message you left me. You're not letting him go? What the hell does that mean? It means that I'm not gonna fire Nazmi Kemal. And, in fact, I'm not gonna do any more evaluations. I'm quitting the firm, Jim. You accepted the position of associate less than three months ago. You leave now, you'll be giving up all hope of ever doing this kind of work again anywhere. You'd be committing professional suicide. I know I've let you down, Jim, and I'm deeply sorry for that. But I have to tell you that I'm through. You're telling me? You don't tell me! Can we be civil, Jim? You think you're the only person who's experienced injustice firsthand? Throw a rock out there anywhere in this city, and it'll land on the grave of someone who's seen worse than you. Now, maybe you're having some kind of a breakdown. I will see to it that you will get some rest after this is done. But you will treat my commitment to you with the respect that it deserves! And to myself as well. I have a commitment to myself. Do you want to be an insurance salesman, Changez, with a mortgage and a migraine? Is that the life you envision for yourself? As opposed to what? I have to live in truth. You taught me, Jim. You put your fucking shoes on, and you go down to that office, and you do the job you were hired to do! It's not my job anymore. # Hear me out, O, Lord... # # It was you, true Lord, who said... # # Man, you are king of the world... # What's he gonna do? About time. Fidel. Is this about me beating you in basketball? You're gonna be a great analyst, Wainwright. What are you gonna be? Yes, I read the perspectives, and more importantly... # A fine king You made, O Lord... # # Who endures life's blows with grace... # # I don't want this kingdom, Lord... # # All I want is a grain of respect... # # Hear me out, O Lord # # Heed my plea, and I'll heed Yours... # # Curse me if I break this vow... # # If this pact displeases You... # # Then let me find another God... # - Hey. - Hi. Ah, you're... you're moving. Yeah. I should have told you what I'd been working on. I wanted to let you in more than I did. It's just, everything about falling in love with you, Changez, it hurt so much. - It's okay. I understand. I'm sorry about what I said. Oh. You're going back to Pakistan? I have no job, no visa. I have to leave the country within two weeks. You want to come? Yes. But my iddat isn't over yet. You haven't eaten in two days. Good to see you, Mr. Khan. And you, Professor Rainier. We've experienced an exodus of foreign professors from Lahore in the past several months. I need an answer quickly. So two months ago, I was sitting in my office on the 53rd floor of a Manhattan skyscraper. I was living my dream... the American dream. So now I'm back. What I'd like your help with is, is there a Pakistani dream? One that doesn't involve emigrating. It seems we... we put out our begging bowl to other countries. We do exactly what they tell us to do, and then we despise them for it. After a while, we start to despise ourselves for it. I know I did. If we wish to be self-reliant... We need to talk about taxes. So you were talking about options. What are the options for Pakistan right now? Would you like to join us at one of our meetings? If you look at the stats, we don't actually tax our population. So let's start on the national level, and we'll break it down to personal. The only way the government... - Khan. I'd like to introduce Mustafa Fazil. This is Professor Changez Khan. Talk to me, Bobby. What's going on? It's called progress. It takes time. Time's up, pal. I've got to get you out of here. I don't need a second American kidnapped today. Students, cooperate with the police or else! Free the students! Out, America, out! - Sir, are you all right? - Yeah... The students are fired up. It's explosive. If you come busting in here now, you're gonna blow everything. He's gonna lead us to Fazil. I know it. If you don't have a location on Rainier, we're wasting time; I'm coming in. I need you to go out there and keep them calm for me. They don't listen to me. And your family is really worried about you. Tell them I'm fine. Phone them. Stay low. Cooper, no. Coop? We're going in! Everything okay? What's going on? It's okay. We need to talk... Alone. Are the police cooperating? Don't count on it. Go! Go! Go! Go, go, go! We need to talk about Anse Rainier. Okay, let's talk about him. Have you seen all the rumors in the newspapers? Do you know what the students are saying about him? Look, Changez, an extraction team is on their way here. If you don't give me something... Call it off! Bobby, what do you think is going to happen when they get here? Do you think all these young men are just gonna stand idly by? all: Out, police, out! Out, police, out! Huh? You need to ask yourself if you think all those lives are worth risking to save one. Who is Anse Rainier? He's an academic. He teaches English to orphans on his day off. The guy doesn't have a violent bone in his body. He read my galleys for the Massoud book. He's a friend, a mentor, like Jim Cross was to you. If that's true, Bobby, you should think very carefully about who your friends are. The only way the government... Salaam. So you were in America when they attacked Afghanistan. Yes. How did you feel when you saw the bombs dropping on your brothers and sisters? I felt angry. Yeah, Americans speak of equality, then take 100 Muslim lives to avenge 1 life of their own. They speak of democracy, then support kings and dictators. Changez... You have an office in the faculty building. Yes, I do. Changez... Many Muslims can sympathize passively. A mujahid acts. There are items, tools of resistance, that we would like to store in your office. Yeah. A wise and effective mujahid appears to the enemy as a negotiable man. He hides behind masks. Wear this mask for us, Changez. I'm asking you to join the fight. I was his for the taking. I had seen firsthand the arrogant America he described, the blindness, the hypocrisy, the xenophobia. My anger had congealed, hardened by injustice and disappointment. Of course I would fight. Of course I would bleed the enemy. But then he used that word... Our only hope as a people are the fundamental truths given to us in the Q'uran. We do that by focusing on the fundamentals. With due respect... These young men were engaged in their own valuation, just like Underwood Samson, moving human beings in and out of binary columns: worker, liability, American, Pakistani, martyr, infidel, alive, dead. I was tired of the reduction. I was tired of deciding from a distant perch the fate of people I did not know. Yes, I'm a Pakistani. Yes, I'm a Muslim. Yes, I'm an opponent of your country's assault on mine. But that's not all I am. We're both more than these things, Bobby. And I've never taken up arms, and I never will, so please, tell them to leave my family alone. Hey! Hand me those petrol bombs! Wait a minute. What's going on? Where are you going? Rainier's fate is not in my hands. Stop all this! Changez. Hey, Changez! Wait! Police dogs! Servants of America! - Listen! - I've said all I had to say. I heard you back there. I did. I'm tired of taking sides too. I just want to bring my friend home. When you picked a side after 9/11, you said they came to you. So who invited you to join the fight? It was your friend, wasn't it? Professor Rainier was in Afghanistan in 2001. I remember him talking about it. Just tell me the truth! You know the truth! Rainier brought me in. He was a case officer. No, wait! Wait, Changez. Wait. We can stop this right now, you and me. If that extraction team comes in here, all hell's gonna break loose, and you know it. Do you have any idea what it means for me to help the CIA in my own country? Please, Changez. Try to see the man. He has a wife... her name's Alissa... and two small girls, Sophie and Molly. Let me call them, please. Let me call them and tell them that he's safe. I can't. I can't. Sir, the cops are roughing up the students. Only you can control them! I'll be right there. I'm coming! Then do it for your students, for their future, because you and I both agree they deserve one. There's a butcher's shop near Sheranwala Gate. I've heard a student talk about it. There's a back room. You can only get to it through the freezer. I heard Asal Mujahideen sometimes use it. Now call them off. Thank you. You did the right thing. I'm calling it in. Don't move. Get out! The police! Stay calm! No one go outside! Junaid, calm them down. Don't worry, sir. Sameer, go outside. Calm them. Amreh, hello? Amreh, I know where Rainier is. You're cutting out. What? Bobby, can you hear me? At Sheranwala... hello? Bobby, can you... Police have been warned and will assist. At Sheran... hello? Fuck. Brothers, listen to me, please! Everything's okay. Sit down. Did you call them off? Who were you texting? My sister. Show me your phone, Changez. What? Show me your phone. Why? Put your hands on the counter. What are you doing? He has a gun! He has a gun! What a fucker! Move! Get it? What are you doing? Put your fucking hands on the counter now. Get back! Fool! He has a gun! What the fuck are you doing, Bobby? You texted your sister, huh? Yes, I did. - Yeah? - Yes. Then what the fuck is this? Why, Changez? Why? Kept us nice and busy while you gave your pals a head start, didn't you? Huh? You're making a mistake that's gonna get us both killed. Just give me your phone. Get back! Let's go, real slow. Back! Step back! Step back! Professor Khan is in danger! You're gonna get us both killed, Bobby. all: Professor! Professor! Step back! Step back! We're with you, brother! Move! Ah! Sameer! Sameer! Step back! Step back! Just secure Bobby and get the hell back here. Go, go, go! We got you, Bobby! Go, go, go, go, go, go! Come on! What the fuck happened? He gave us away. I caught him texting when I went to get my phone. That's why they killed Anse. - When? - Ah! 15 minutes ago. - No, we found Rainier. - I know. I know. A butcher shop at Sheranwala Gate. What are you talking about? We found Rainier in a morgue in Karachi. We got word 20 minutes ago, but he was dumped there this morning. This morning? Shit. Local intelligence verified that Changez rejected Fazil. We misread him. Shit. Sameer's parents wish me to address you. They understand our strong emotion. Emotions give us courage. I have another message from his family. If our innocent, smiling Sameer could hear it... He would fully agree. They ask us not to cry for their son. Too many tears have flowed into the river. They ask us not to take revenge in their son's name. Too much blood has flowed into that river. They ask us not to curse fate. Allah holds our son in His embrace. Wipe your tears! And pray for a future free of dictators and tyrants... Free of all invaders. Come, bring your loved ones. Go tell the majestic sun to preserve its precious rays. We'll teach the core of our own beings to glow with its light. Would you please listen to the whole story, not just bits and pieces? Do I have your word? You do. Looks can be deceiving. I am a lover of America. |
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