Benazir: A story in the making
Listen to this articleIn the afternoon of December 27, 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gave a speech at a Pakistan Peoples Party rally held in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat National Bagh. After delivering her speech, Benazir entered a bulletproof car and departed the area. Along her route, there was a man on a mission. As the car with Benazir approached the location of that man Benazir opened the top hatch of the vehicle so she could stand up and wave to the assembled crowd.
It was then that the man on the mission fired three shots at Benazir and then detonated a suicide vest filled with explosives and ball bearings. He was no more than nine feet away from Benazir and so it is unclear whether it was the bullets or the shrapnel that killed her, but what was instantly undeniable was that Benazir Bhutto — twice Prime Minister of Pakistan — was dead, slain by an assassin
For those who knew her well, her assassination was deeply tragic but not totally unexpected. Benazir Bhutto came from a politically prominent family, was well educated, having studied at both Harvard and the University of Oxford. She was a passionate woman driven by a deep love of her people and she was the first woman ever elected to high political office in the predominantly Muslim nation of Pakistan — which meant she also had plenty of powerful enemies.
Benazir’s spiritual sister hails from neighboring India and her name is Aasha Gowda. They both came from politically and socially prominent families and they both share a passion for fairness and equality for women regardless of their religious persuasion. But unlike Benazir, Aasha immigrated to America in 1999 to pursue a career in computer coding. That brought her to Hollywood and Disney Studios where she entered and won an in-house competition for the final episode of “Lost” the TV series.
But she was denied the prize because at the time Aasha was a consultant to Disney and not an employee. What she did gain from the experience was an open door to pitch show and movie ideas to Disney executives. Then she became totally enraptured by the life of her spiritual twin Benazir and Aasha began working on a film script for a movie she has entitled “Benazir.”
To add reality and powerful insight to her project she recently paid a visit to former Vermont Senator and American Diplomat Peter Galbraith. Over the years Galbraith had befriended Benazir and has a significant amount of knowledge on a vast variety of elements that impacted both Benazir Bhutto and the country of Pakistan, including some rare insights on Benazir’s assignation.
All of the details Galbraith shared with Aasha shall forever remain secret but I was told by Aasha that what she learned will add even more punch to her screenplay and book.
As this is being written final script details are being worked out as are details for her book about Benazir. While there are still many aspects to be worked out, given the abundance and importance of information she now possesses, Aasha Gowda is extremely confident of a successful movie and book. I also had the opportunity to speak at length with her producer Paul Gant and his enthusiasm was inspiring and much of the necessary funding, I was told, is already in place.
So when you put it all together, the first woman in history to achieve top political office in a Muslim nation, deeply loved by her people, murdered by a suicide bomber and her story soon to be told by her spiritual sister Aasha Gowda with the extraordinarily powerful insights of former American Senator and Diplomat Peter Galbraith, this is one project deserving of full attention. I know I will be in constant contact with Aasha, Gant, and all others that come on board and will be reporting to you. This really is something very very big.
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.