TOM HANKS - INDIAN STAR TO PLAY PAKISTAN RULER

INDIAN STAR TO PLAY PAKISTAN RULER

A veteran Indian actor has controversially been cast as Pakistan's former military ruler in a new TOM HANKS movie about the CIA. Bollywood's OM PURI will play General MUHAMMAD ZIA-UL-HAQ in CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, which details the US agency's role in arming rebels in Afghanistan. But despite strained relations between Pakistan and India making Puri an odd choice, the actor insists he'll do the character justice. He says, "The film discusses the entire political scenario of the time. "I appear as a well-settled Pakistani President who strikes a deal with the Americans that money and arms to the Afghans must flow through his country." Zia ruled Pakistan from 1977, after seizing power in a bloodless military coup. He died in 1988 in a mysterious plane crash. As well as Puri and Hanks, JULIA ROBERTS is also slated to appear in the drama.