Salim Shaheen has made over 100 films in Afghanistan despite the
Taliban forbidding the capture of images. The low-budget films are popular and tend to be action-orientated, influenced by
Bollywood and
kung fu film. He made his first production at the age of 16. Shaheen is known by the nicknames Afghanistan's Steven Spielberg and Sultan-e-cinema. In 1995, a filmset was bombed and nine of Shaheen's crew were killed. His film
Debt was made in 2004 and led to him becoming nationally famous. French journalist
Sonia Kronlund made the documentary
The Prince of Nothingwood about Shaheen in 2017. This resulted in him visiting the
Cannes Film Festival and
Mumbai International Film Festival with the film. == Personal life ==