Subcontinental doves of peace come in many different shapes and sizes, but even hard-bitten Londoners have been taken aback by the arrival in the British capital of Pakistani film producer Sabiha Sumar.

She is the director of the award-winning film Khamosh Pani that won the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno International Film Festival. The film was also much-talked about at the recently concluded London Film Festival.

At a time when Indian and Pakistani diplomats are engaged in discussing confidence building measures, like reopening the Srinagar to Muzzafarabad road link, Sumar embodies a tradition of tolerance that could prevail in the months and years to come.

Although a Pakistani national, Sumar is happily settled in New Delhi, from where she happily and successfully practises her filmmaking craft.

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Her award winning film has been described as a German-Pakistani-French co-production. Some of the film crew and the lead actress -- Kiron Kher -- are Indian. Between them they pulled off a coup in Locarno of which anyone in the subcontinent would be proud.

Sumar is far too modest to describe herself as a peace activist, telling rediff.com: "I don't think of world politics, I only do what is best for my work."

From London, Sumar is due to fly to South Africa before returning to New Delhi and Karachi to her parents' home.

She is married to a Sri Lankan and has a daughter.

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