The biopic of the teenage hero Aitzaz Hasan, Salute premiered on Pakistan Television Network (PTV) on his martyrdom anniversary. The move came as a tribute to the 15 year old boy who sacrificed himself to save 2000 students.
Aitzaz Hasan embraced martyrdom while preventing a suicide bomber from entering his school in the village of Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The brave young man may not be among us in today but he continues to live in our hearts. Each year on the anniversary of the courageous boy’s martyrdom is observed on January, 6th. This year PTV decided to air the boy hero’s biopic on the date.
Director Shehzad Rafique had previously tried to have the film premiere on PTV but was unable to do so.
Shehzad Rafique credits the new management of PTV for airing the film on their channel.
About the Film
Back in 2016, director Shahzad Rafique made a biopic on the life and martyrdom of Aitzaz Hasan as a tribute to the hero.
Shahzad Rafique told a local media outlet that the idea of making Salute occurred to the film-maker on the night of the APS attack. The Salakhain director made the film not only as a tribute to Aitzaz Hasan but also as a homage to all those affected by terrorism.
The film provides a silver lining by shedding light on the bravery of those children, such as Aitzaz, who stood against the cowards that prey on the weak.
Aitzaz Hasan is truly an exemplary human being and the director felt there should be a biopic on him.
Salute was Pakistan’s first ever biopic on Aitzaz Hasan, who stood up against terrorism. The film was very well received by people and particularly the government. Government of Punjab even organized screenings for Salute in all the state-run universities and colleges of the province. The move was part of the Punjab government’s national action plan against terrorism.
