Navid Negahban and Elnaz Norouzi Discuss Their Experience in the Action Film 'Kandahar' with Voice of America

The screening of the film 'Kandahar' featuring renowned American actor Gerard Butler began last week in the United States. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, this action film includes prominent international artists such as Navid Negahban and Elnaz Norouzi. 'Kandahar' depicts the story of an American CIA officer named Todd Harris who is trapped in hostile territory in Afghanistan. After his mission is compromised, he must travel to a location in Kandahar with his Afghan translator, played by Navid Negahban. Along the way, they encounter local forces and foreign spies from countries like Iran and Pakistan. Navid Negahban told Voice of America, 'This is an exciting and thrilling action film. There are amazing actors in this project, and I enjoyed working with each of them.' He added, 'Watching Gerard Butler, Travis Fimmel, and me escaping from characters played by Ali Fazal and Bahador Foladi will be entertaining.' According to Navid Negahban, one of the film's features is the significant presence of Iranian actors like Bahador Foladi, Reza Heratian, Vassili Kuklani, Aydin Momtaz, Elnaz Norouzi, and Farhad Bagheri, who showcased their talents well in this Hollywood production. The filming of 'Kandahar' took place in Jeddah and Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia. Navid Negahban described the filming experience in these areas as incredible, referring to the local people as 'warm' and 'friendly.' Elnaz Norouzi, an Iranian actress and model based in India, is one of the well-known faces in Bollywood and a cast member of 'Kandahar.' She told Voice of America, 'This project is very important and special to me because it is the first Hollywood film I acted in. I have loved Gerard Butler since my teenage years and have watched all his films. Acting in 'Kandahar' was a dream come true.' Elnaz Norouzi further added, 'When I was in India, I participated in a film audition, and my test for this role caught the director's attention, leading me to join this project. I traveled from India to Saudi Arabia because the filming took place in Jeddah and Al-Ula, and it was an amazing experience for me.' According to Elnaz Norouzi, the Iranian actors in 'Kandahar' were like family on this cinematic project and had a great time together. She describes Gerard Butler as a professional, kind, and skilled actor, making the experience of working with him delightful. 'Kandahar' is inspired by the personal experiences of Mitchell LaFortune, the screenwriter, who was deployed to Afghanistan as a military intelligence officer in 2013. He embarked on this mission during the major controversy following the leak of classified government information by Edward Snowden. This is the first Hollywood film to be shot with a substantial budget in the picturesque region of Al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where 'Hegra,' a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located. Some scenes of 'Kandahar' were also filmed in the city of Jeddah, and the project received support from the Saudi Film Commission, with several crew members being locals.