View source for The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim
| image = The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical Release Poster
| director = Raghav Murali
| producer = Zaki Hossain
| writer =
| starring = [[Rahsaan Noor]]<br/>[[Monica Dogra]]
| music = Rusho Mahtab<br/>[[Navin Kundra]]<br/>[[Bilal Khan (singer)|Bilal Khan]]
| cinematography = Titus Fox
| editing =
| studio = Onai Entertainment
| distributor = Ziryab Films
| released = {{film date|2015|04|15|Los Angeles|2015|05|29|United States|df=yes}}<ref name=BusinessStandard /><ref name=MyVeronaNJ>{{cite web|title=Verona Actor's New Role: The War On Terror|url=http://www.myveronanj.com/2015/05/20/verona-actors-new-role-war-terror/|publisher=My Verona NJ}}</ref>
| runtime = 113 Minutes
| country = India
| language = English<br/>Hindi
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim''''' is a 2015 Indian crime [[drama (genre)|drama]] film directed by Raghav Murali and produced by Zaki Hossain.<ref name="Art + Genius">{{cite web|title=Welcome Kal Parekh and Sana Serrai to the Mirage Cast|url=http://artandgenius.com/2014/05/11/welcome-kal-parekh-and-sana-serrai-to-the-mirage-cast/|website=Art + Genius|publisher=Art + Genius|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518205023/http://artandgenius.com/2014/05/11/welcome-kal-parekh-and-sana-serrai-to-the-mirage-cast/|archivedate=18 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The film stars [[Rahsaan Noor]], [[Monica Dogra]], [[Kal Parekh]], and Sorab Wadia in pivotal roles.<ref name="Art + Genius"/><ref name="Rati Agrawal">{{cite web|title=Monica Dogra on Life, Music and What Lies Ahead|url=http://idiva.com/reviews-entertainment/monica-dogra-on-life-music-and-what-lies-ahead/30718|website=iDiva|publisher=Rati Agrawal}}</ref> The film is loosely inspired by true stories of the [[NYPD]], [[FBI]], and [[CIA]]'s use of Muslim informants.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rahsaan Islam on the BIG Picture with Sumaiya Zaman|url=http://independent24.tv|website=Independent TV|publisher=Independent TV}}</ref> The film was produced in English and in Hindi and premiered in the United States 15 April 2015.<ref name=BusinessStandard>{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/the-spectacular-jihad-inspired-by-9-11-attacks-115052700905_1.html|title='The Spectacular Jihad...' inspired by 9/11 attacks|author=IANS|date=27 May 2015|publisher=|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref><ref name=ZeeNews>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/movies/character-of-taz-inspired-from-honey-singh-rahsaan-islam_1613009.html|title=Character of Taz inspired from Honey Singh: Rahsaan Islam|work=Zee News|accessdate=20 April 2016}}</ref>
==Plot==
Sabrina Jiwan is filming a news piece about a Muslim informant who was encouraged by the NYPD to entrap his victims. She proceeds to interview the informant, Taz Rahim, where he discloses his story.
Six months earlier, Taz was a struggling rapper living in Jackson Heights, New York, an immigrant Bangladeshi neighborhood. To make ends meet he sells marijuana and is one day arrested by an undercover cop. Around the same time, Sabrina receives permission from Mo Khan to make a documentary about his congressional campaign. Later he is revealed to have impregnated his mistress.
After spending a few days incarcerated, Taz meets with the undercover cop, whose real name is Nick Patel. Nick threatens to deport Taz unless he agrees to work as a Muslim informant. Taz proceeds to get involved with the neighborhood mosque under the guise that he is trying to turn his life around. While working with his new friends, Taz’s path collides with Sabrina's. On the recommendation of Ali Uncle, Sabrina decides to hire Taz as an intern for her documentary.
As time passes on, discussions prompted by Taz concern his friends at the mosque. They decide to report to the NYPD and Nick Patel that they believe Taz is a terrorist planning a terror attack. News of accusation spreads through the community and Mo asks Sabrina to fire Taz from her documentary. Nick is also thinking about removing Taz from the operation after the embarrassment but Taz is able to convince Nick to give him one more chance. Taz then convinces Ali Uncle to talk to Mo about giving Taz another chance. In a private discussion, Mo requests Taz to murder his mistress.
Taz feels that he has enough evidence to arrest Mo but is rebutted by Nick, whom wants to arrest Mo for terrorism not murder. Nick encourages Taz to pretend to move forward with Mo’s request in an attempt to uncover real terrorist activities. Unsure whom to trust, Taz moves forward with the plot to murder Mo’s mistress and then goes missing.
Nick begins to feel the heat from his superiors and interviews Sabrina about Taz’s disappearance and his connection to the murders of two women at a local strip club. Sabrina does not have any information. Later she is confronted by Taz on the street where he reveals the truth to Sabrina that he is being framed by Mo. Eventually, she is convinced of Taz’s innocence and she plans to help him gain his freedom by having him confess to being an informant.
Back in the present, Sabrina releases her interview with Taz. In a final showdown, Taz is able to get Mo arrested with an admission of guilt and the help of Nick. In the end, it is revealed that Taz faked the murder of Mo’s mistress in an effort to put pressure on Nick to arrest Mo. Taz now has his freedom but is scarred by all things he did to let people down in his life.
==Cast==
* [[Rahsaan Noor]] as Taz Rahim
* [[Monica Dogra]] as Sabrina Jiwan
* [[Kal Parekh]] as Nick Patel
* Sorab Wadia as Mo Khan
* Sana Serrai as Meera
* Farah Bala as Yasmina Khan
* Lipica Shah as Natasha
* Marc Goldberg as Roy Kellogg
* Gerrard Lobo as Imran Qureshi
* Subhan Choudhury as Ali Uncle
* Kabir Chopra as Asad
* Nikita Chaudhry as Samira
==Production==
===Casting===
After watching ''[[Simanaheen]]'', Zaki Hossain approached [[Rahsaan Noor]] to cast the latter in a film they would make together.<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview: Actor Rahsaan Islam on Bangla movie Simanaheen, his Background and the Future|url=http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/34662913-interview-actor-rahsaan-islam-bangla-movie-simanaheen-his-background-and-future-hos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307054539/http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/34662913-interview-actor-rahsaan-islam-bangla-movie-simanaheen-his-background-and-future-hos|url-status=usurped|archive-date=7 March 2013|website=Washington Bangla Radio|publisher=Gurjeet Singh}}</ref> The result of their collaboration was the script of ''The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim'', which was finalized in February 2014. [[Kal Parekh]] and Sana Serrai were next to be cast.<ref name="Art + Genius"/> Parekh was noticed by the casting team by his work in [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Television's [[Pan Am (TV series)|Pan Am]] and Serrai was noticed after being named one of the "ten sexiest Indian models who wooed America" by ''Technology'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kal Parekh to Fly to Superstardom with New Pan Am Role?|url=http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2011/10/kal-parekh-to-fly-to-superstardom-with-new-"pan-am"-role/|website=Northwest Asian Weekly|publisher=Northwest Asian Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ten Sexiest Indian Models Who Wooed America|url=http://www.technology.am/ten-sexiest-indian-models-who-wooed-america-074038.html|website=Technology.am|publisher=Technology Magazine}}</ref> The producers had a desire to work with [[Monica Dogra]] ever since the release of her [[Star World]] television show ''[[The Dewarists]]'' and were able to cast her in the lead role of ''The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim''.<ref name="Rati Agrawal"/>
===Filming===
Shooting for ''The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim'' began in June 2014 in [[New York City]].<ref name="Rati Agrawal"/> The film was shot exclusively in the city until August 2014 and took place in every borough of New York City except for the Bronx.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Film Looks at Muslim Queens Rapper Who Becomes NYPD Informant|url=http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150401/jackson-heights/new-film-looks-at-muslim-queens-rapper-who-becomes-nypd-informant|publisher=DNAinfo|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620125333/http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150401/jackson-heights/new-film-looks-at-muslim-queens-rapper-who-becomes-nypd-informant|archivedate=20 June 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|3675676}}
* {{Facebook|SJTRtheMovie}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spectacular Jihad Of Taz Rahim, The}}
[[Category:2010s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2015 black comedy films]]
[[Category:2015 films]]
[[Category:Indian black comedy films]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Indian films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films about jihadism]]
[[Category:Films about Indian Americans]]
[[Category:Films about Islamic terrorism in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation]]
[[Category:Films about the Central Intelligence Agency]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department]]
[[Category:Comedy films about Asian Americans]]