Documentary Film Produced About The Great Hashim Khan
by Rob Dinerman
February 3, 2008-Several
hundred squash aficionados overflowed the movie theatre of Florence
Gould Hall in mid-town Manhattan on the evening of January 22nd, 2008
to participate in “An Evening With Hashim Khan And Friends”
that culminated in the first full screen preview of the Hashim Khan
documentary to which producers Josh Easdon and Beth Rasin have devoted
the past five years. Khan himself, now 95 years old and still as
awe-inspiring and dignified a figure as ever, was present, as were many
of his descendants (including 12-time North American Open champion
Sharif, the eldest of Hashim’s and his late wife Mehria’s
12 children, sons Charlie, Sam and Shauket, and a host of
grand-children) and literally hundreds of his fans, admirers and
friends, many of whom travelled great distances to be present at this
occasion and all of whom were eager to see the much-anticipated
documentary and to be part of what devolved into a three-hour Hashim
Khan love-in.
The 90-minute documentary itself benefits greatly both from the
exceptional film footage that Easdon has shot of the mountainous and
still-primitive Peshawar region where Khan was born (and where he is
still greeted as a returning hero whenever he visits his native land)
and from the compelling manner in which Khan’s improbable
life-journey from impoverished roots to British Open squash champion to
world ambassador is presented.
Along the way, and perhaps the most praiseworthy part of the entire
production, the viewer emerges at the end feeling that he or she has
gotten to “know” Hashim on a personal level and has been
allowed an intimate look at what Khan was experiencing inside during
his squash-related travels, during his re-location from Pakistan to
America (there are many quotations from members of the clubs he was
based at first in Detroit for years before his permanent move to
Denver) and during his metamorphosis from unknown figure into
squash’s leading icon. There are also delightful nuggets of
previously largely unknown information, such as the fact that
Khan’s first-round match in his first British Open (which he won,
eventually defeating four-time champion Mahmoud El Karim in the final,
9-5, 0 and 0, even though Khan was nearly 35 years old at the time of
this 1951 event) was the first time that he (by edict of the host club)
ever played squash wearing sneakers (he had previously always played
barefoot) --- and that the footwear actually slowed him down initially
before he adjusted to wearing them.
There are just enough charts interspersed among the film footage to
properly depict Khan’s remarkable career record, which includes
seven British Open titles (the last of which, in 1958, occurred when he
was 41 years old!), three North American Opens, three Canadian Opens
and three British Pro titles, without interfering with the commentary,
and there is ample screen time as well devoted to the manner in which
Khan recruited his 10-years-younger brother Azam (also a multiple
British/Canadian/North American Open winner) and ultimately became the
progenitor and patriarch of the remarkable Khan clan that for nearly
half a century passed the mantle expertly from one member to the next
while dominating the hardball and softball game. As well, there is a
sufficient amount of recent-years coverage to fully convey the degree
to which Khan is still beloved, indeed revered, among his Pakistani
contemporaries and kin.
The documentary would arguably have benefited from less air time given
to a few self-styled American “experts” (one of whom showed
up at the pre-film reception expecting to be lauded only to find
himself instead receiving a lecture from Sharif Khan for having written
a piece about the Khans which Sharif felt was not entirely faithful to
the truth) and from more of an opportunity for greats far better
positioned to credibly assess Khan’s legacy to voice their
thoughts, like multiple-times British Open champion Jonah Barrington
(whose comments were remarkably incisive and entertaining) or two-time
North American Open champ (and U. S. Squash Hall Of Fame inductee)
Diehl Mateer, whose vivid recollections of the numerous matches he
played against Khan during the 1950’s and 1960’s were
especially insightful.
Similarly, there were several intriguing themes (like the rivalries
BETWEEN Khan family members) that were only briefly referenced without
being more fully elaborated upon, which would have made for fascinating
listening. And of course it is unfortunate that Khan’s best years
and hence many of his best matches, took place at a time before squash
tournaments were being filmed for posterity.
However, the foregoing constitute only minor hindrances to the
enormously positive impact of the overall production, which received a
prolonged standing ovation at the end before being followed by a
question-and-answer session in which Hashim (who now walks with the aid
of a cane after fracturing his hip two years ago during his weekly
doubles game) and Sharif Khan responded to points raised by the
audience. The following evening this pair were honored on the
four-glass-wall PSA portable tour court in Grand Central Station about
15 blocks south-west of Florence Gould Hall, where Tournament of
Champions chairman John Nimick conducted a special ceremony in tribute
to their achievements prior to the start of main-draw play. Many of the
spectators on hand that night, still buzzing from the excitement of the
screen preview less than 24 hours earlier, were eager to congratulate
Hashim for being the first squash player ever to have been the subject
of a documentary of this dimension.
Rasin and Easdon have applied to have the film included in the
prestigious Tribeca Film Festival and will be hearing back in the next
few weeks from the organizers of that event. Plans are also underway
for inclusion in other film festivals, for distribution to TV networks
and eventually for the production of DVDs that can be sold to the
general public. Based on the reaction to what has to be termed a
magical evening in New York, there is likely to be a large demand from
the squash community to have access to a film that does such an
exceptional job of defining and celebrating a transcendant protagonist
and truly newsworthy and extended era in the history of the game.