Rizwan Ahmed Movies
Michael Winterbottom's Trishna, a modern retelling of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Ubervilles, stars Freida Pinto as the title character, a young Indian woman who meets Jay (Riz Ahmed), the son of a rich real-estate man. He convinces her to come work in a hotel owned by his father, and because her family is in desperate need of money -- and he's charming and handsome -- she accepts. While things go well at first, she becomes pregnant and is forced to leave the job. Although Trishna tries to make it on her own as a dancer, Jay eventually returns and attempts to sweep her off her feet again. Trishna played at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Freida Pinto, Rizwan Ahmed, (more)
The long-running feud between an emir and a sultan reignites following a surprising discovery about the strip of land that has been the source of so much contention in this drama from acclaimed director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Name of the Rose, Seven Years in Tibet). Nesib (Antonio Banderas), emir of Hobeika, and Amar (Mark Strong), sultan of Salmaah, both claim ownership of the Yellow Belt, a vast area of land that separates the two men. Eventually, Nesib and Amar strike an agreement that seems to satisfy them both: In exchange for Nesib adopting Amar's sons Saleeh and Auda, the Yellow Belt will remain a no-man's-land. Years later, Saleeh has grown into a fierce warrior and dreams of reuniting with his father, while Auda remains content to spend his days reading and soaking up knowledge. Tensions begin to simmer between the two adversaries once again, however, when a Texas oil prospector reveals to Nesib that the Yellow Belt is brimming with black gold, and that selling it could mean untold riches. As Nesib grows obsessed with the idea of attaining unlimited wealth and power, the ultimate confrontation draws near. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, (more)
A handful of young men set out to take on the decadent West but are more of a threat to themselves than anyone else in this black comedy from director Chris Morris. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is a devout Muslim living in the United Kingdom who has decided to form a terrorist cell to bring forth a jihad against a culture he believes is dominated by the sinful and ignorant. However, Omar isn't much of leader, and he's assembled an unimpressive team of fellow terrorists, among them Waj (Kayvan Novak), who lacks the brainpower to come up with ideas or direction on his own; Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), who is shy and doesn't have much to say; and Barry (Nigel Lindsay), a recent convert to Islam who tries to make up for his lack of practical knowledge with fierce passion. As Omar and his comrades debate both doctrine and methods, they ponder such notions as using birds as explosive devices, creating video communiqués with a hip-hop flavor, and attacking mosques in an effort to provoke nonviolent Muslims. But are Omar and his partners a legitimate threat to the safety of Great Britain, or just four half-bright twentysomethings with more bluster than imagination? Four Lions received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rizwan Ahmed, Arsher Ali, (more)
A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117. Despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, (more)
Inspired by writer/director Eran Creevy's own teenage experiences, Shifty tells the tale of a man who returns to his old neighborhood on the outskirts of London, ostensibly to attend a party but more specifically to check up on an old friend. It's been a long time since Chris (Daniel Mays) left town, and now that he's finally returned, he's eager to check up on Shifty (Riz Ahmed), the lifelong friend he left behind. As it turns out, things aren't going to well for Shifty; not only has he taken to dealing drugs supplied by local heavy Glen (Jason Flemyng), but the constant struggle to keep his activates secret from his self-righteous brother Rez (Nitin Ganatra) has resulted in some serious family tensions. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, former best friends Chris and Shifty will not only confront the dark secrets that once drove Chris from town, but also work to free the desperate Shifty from a volatile situation that could spell danger for both of them. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rizwan Ahmed, Daniel Mays, (more)
Winner of the Silver Bear at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival, The Road to Guantanamo, directed by Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross, uses interviews, news footage, and reenactments to tell the story of the Tipton Three, young British men of Pakistani descent who were detained for over two years without charges at Guantanamo Bay by the American military. Shafiq (played by Riz Ahmed in the reenactments), Ruhel (Farhad Harun), Asif (Arfan Usman), and Monir (Waqar Siddiqui) traveled to Pakistan to take part in Asif's wedding to a Pakistani girl. Once in Pakistan, they hooked up with Zahid (Shahid Iqbal), Shafiq's cousin, and they all met in Karachi. There, they attended a mosque, where the imam urged worshipers to help those in need in Afghanistan, and where an inexpensive bus trip over the border was organized. Out of a sense of charity, or perhaps a naïve lust for adventure, the young men decided to travel to Afghanistan. The American bombing campaign begins shortly after they arrive. While trying to get back over the border, they find themselves in the Taliban stronghold of Konduz, where they are captured by the Northern Alliance during the Taliban surrender. At this point, Monir is separated from the group, and they never see him again. Shafiq, Ruhel, and Asif are brought to Sheberghan prison, where they are detained under miserable conditions, until the Americans discover that they are British. At that point, their journey to Guantanamo begins. Asif Iqbal, Ruhel Ahmed, and Shafiq Rasul describe their ordeal at the hands of American and British intelligence, who were determined to get them to confess their nonexistent links to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, while the brutal scenes are reenacted onscreen. The Road to Guantanamo was shown at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rizwan Ahmed, Farhad Harun, (more)
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