A Case of Exploding Mangoes (2008)

Benazir Bhutto called the mysterious 1988 plane crash that killed Pakistani dictator Mohammad Zia ul-Haq ''an act of God.'' In this satirical reimagining of history, God gets help from a blind death-row inmate, a mango-crazy crow, and a Pakistani Air Force officer who suspects Zia's hand in his father's ''suicide.'' Mohammed Hanif confidently tackles ''the biggest cover-up in aviation history since the last biggest cover-up,'' bringing absurdist humor and surprising warmth to A Case of Exploding Mangoes. Look out for a cameo by Osama bin Laden at a ''Kabul/Texas-themed barbecue'' thrown by Pakistan's U.S. ambassador. A-