Director's Bio:

Raised in a family whose prominent interests included acting, directing, art direction, and writing plays, it was a matter of time before Hyder started directing and producing plays in Hyderabad, India. He was taken under the wings by the likes of eminent Bengali playwright Padma Vibhushan Badal Sarcar and Khader Ali Baig and has earned the respect of renowned directors and production houses including Raj Tilak and national award winner Naga Bhama. Hyder Bilgrami has been involved in the Bollywood movie industry since 1987.

Film Synopsis:

Bandhak...the hostage- from verbal abuse to murder, crimes against South Asian Americans.
God created the heavens and the earth...but also created Man who created differences in skin color...Racism is the biggest problem created by mankind.

Bandhak the hostage is a story of an illegal Indian immigrant and an American racist.
Thomas Johnson a.k.a TJ accuses Baldev of racial slurs one too many times only to be taken hostage by Baldev. Is Baldev right in holding TJ as hostage? Does this crime make Baldev feel redeemed? If not, why did Baldev choose such a radical option?

For Baldev Singh Dhillon, journey in the land of opportunity becomes a journey in the land of hellfire when his father sends him on a mission to bring his brother Sachdev back from America to the mundane village life in Punjab. After his fathers death, however, Baldev decides to stay back thinking that his dreams of making a comfortable life in America had come true, only to realize that life is not a walk in the park for illegal immigrants after all while working as a graveyard shift gas attendant trying to make ends meet.

While Baldev is struggling, trying to cope with the frustrations of life, September 11th tragedy strikes America and poses a new challenge for South Asians in general and Baldev in particular. Baldev's brother Sachdev, a professional living in Oklahoma, is victimized in the September 11th backlash on South Asians and succumbs to a gunshot wound inflicted on him by a racist.

The tragic news of Sachdev's brutal murder pushes Baldev into a state of paranoia. In this delusional state he starts hallucinating TJ as the culprit responsible for his brother's death and decides to take him hostage. The traumatic feeling of losing a brother and hence the hostage episode under taken by Baldev takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of mixed emotions, which is of empathy and anguish.

Although the movie's core story plot qualifies it to be of Drama genre, there is light comedy revolving around daily mundane activities of a bunch of ethnic immigrants sharing an apartment in New York metro area, and an parallel love story of a room mate Sanjay, played by Sabir (debut), who is unable to bring himself up to Sunita, played by Asha Patel of movie Namaste, and openly express his love for her.

The unique plot of Bandhak (The Hostage) is complemented by creative cinematography as well as the beautiful scenic locales of New York/New Jersey. The climactic saga of Baldev committing a crime of holding an American hostage will keep viewers at the edge of their seats as to what the fate of Baldev will be in the end.
Bandhak a film made by Indian Americans in New York and New Jersey is a pledge of support to all South Asian Americans who had been the target of racist attacks.

  
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