Meet Babar Ahmed, a young director who is making waves in the in the independent film industry. His recent project ‘The Royal Kill’ is a thriller based on the story of a high school girl who is unaware of the fact that she is the last living descendent of the royal family from the kingdom of the Himalayas. With an Oscar-nominated cast and exquisite fight sequences, this film is bound to be a success! Read on to learn more about him and some of his projects.

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Please introduce yourself to our readers:
Readers, I am a Pakistani living in America, and have directed a movie called "Royal Kill" which is being released on April 10 2009. The movie stars Pat Morita (THE KARATE KID), Eric Roberts (THE DARK KNIGHT), and Gail Kim (WWE). The first two actors are Oscar-nominated.

Tell us where you grew up, your family and education.

I grew up in Pakistan (Swat, Abbottabad, Lahore) and then moved to England.

You have a degree in economics, how and when did you become interested in film making?

I always had an interest but never knew how or if I could pursue filmmaking. After finishing my studies, I decided to participate in the one-semester New York Film Academy Directing program. My intentions were to just go for 3 months to America then come back and pursue a conventional career. I directed a short film which won a few awards. My teachers encouraged me to give a shot at filmmaking for at least a year. I worked on some more short films that led to another year, more films, more scripts, and another year, until one day I was answering questions for The Saturday Post.

What was your first film project? How was it received by the audiences?

The short film 'Mother & Son', is about a young man who is devastated by the death of his mother. However, his memories of her inspire him to appreciate everything he has.
This was a 16mm short film, black and white with music only, no dialogue. The audience reaction was positive because they felt connected to the character and they liked the ending.

You are a writer and director, which is easier - writing the film or directing?
Both are challenging.

Tell us about your latest venture “Royal Kill” which is set to be released April 10th in the US. What is the story about and who have you cast in the movie and why?

A fierce assassin from a kingdom in the Himalayas arrives in America to assassinate a high school girl; a girl who is unaware of her status as the last living heir to the kingdom. The king's bodyguard also arrives to protect the girl. As the battle for the princess's life intensifies, the line between good and evil begins to blur with a mind-blowing finale that defies all expectations.

The film is full of intense action, thrills and suspense; tell us how you were able to achieve them for your film?

The whole team was responsible for achieving this including the Stunt Coordinater, Wrestling Coordinater, Visual Effects Supervisor, Cinematographer and the actors themselves.

Scenes from the movie

Scenes from the movie

What locations did you choose to shoot the film?

All of it was shot in the Washington DC area.

You are probably the only Pakistani film director to work with a cast like Pat Morita, Eric Roberts and Korean superstar Gail Kim, tell us about your experiences working with the cast and crew of Royal Kill.

When I said 'action' and Pat Morita completed his first 'take' I thought to myself - 'Now I know why Pat Morita is Oscar-nominated'. In between takes the people watching the filming would ask him if he could do his 'wax-on wax-off' from "The Karate Kid". And he never disappointed his fans.

Eric Roberts was equally powerful in front of the camera. He was always a team member on set trying to help out in any way he could. Gail Kim and Alexander Wraith, the lead actors, both jumped into their characters which helped in portraying a realistic, gritty tone in the movie.

Recently, we have witnessed that even small budget movies can have a huge impact, like Slumdog Millionaire which became an instant hit with the US audiences. What in your opinion are the reasons that make or break a film?

Marketing, timing, story and cast.

What are the most important things one needs to think about when making a movie, and how much budget or funding is required?

Persistence, as well as making best use of the budget that is available regardless of the figure.

You also teach film making, what advice would you like to give to the youngsters who would like to follow in your footsteps?

I am sure the youngsters will achieve what they set out to do.

Lastly, what is your message to the readers of The Saturday Post?

Read The Saturday Post, even if it’s not Saturday.