'The Kite Runner' cast says production offers different perspective on 'misunderstood' Afghanistan

​The best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, "The Kite Runner," premiered at New York's Hayes Theatre Thursday night (21 JULY 2022) after two successful seasons on London's West End.

Afghan American actor Azita Ghanizada was proud to make her Broadway debut in a play that is more representative of the Afghan people than the usual fare.

"What usually happens in stories about Afghanistan is we're maligned or we're misunderstood. Or we're misrepresented. We are shown in a way that is always politicized or militarized. It's like it's a military story, it's a political story, it's a geo-political story and this is not that," she explained.

"This is a story about friendship. This is a story about family, love, starting over...It's an immigrant story and it did matter so much that  we handled this with so much attention and love and authenticity and care and that's exactly what this cast has done," said Ghanizada.

There was also a 2007 movie based on the novel about two Afghan boys' friendship altered by an act of violence. The play will run for 17 weeks.