I just watched the Diana movie from 2008 on Amazon. A bit late but in 2008 I just read about it.

I know that Dr.Hasnat Khan, cardiac surgeon, was very careful what he said at the trial, and he also said she was not pregnant, that she took her contraceptive pills regularly and he also thought it was an accident. He also said that he tried to call her the night of the accident, and that his call did not go through.

He didn't seem to like the movie or himself as played by Naveen Andrews--"I never stood like that, with my hands behind my back."

But I didn't know anyone personally.

In 1997, I was newly hired at RFA (Radio Free Asia) and all those 3 years I was severely over-worked, writing, voicing and producing 5 original features a week--everyone else translated AP and other news articles directly.

In April 1997 I went to my first Conference on International Affairs in Boulder,CO. The first of several I went to each spring or Easter--the last one in 2004 which was different, about human trafficking and held in Denver.

In Boulder, I met a British journalist. I've forgotten his name, but I asked him what Princess Diana was like. He said,"She's just an ordinary young lady, and she was terrified (of the press). Think about it,if she's terrified (of us) how are we supposed to feel?"

But I remember the program I did on her funeral,the way I also wrote the obit when Aung San Suu Kyi's husband Dr. Michael Aris died.

The jerk who headed the Burmese section and his two female lionesses were always sabotaging my programs, but I did those obits anyway.

For the Princess Diana piece, jerk said,"That's not about Burma."

But I did it anyway. For a mild-mannered woman,I canbe quite bull-headed.

I carefully recorded the exact amount of sound bytes we were legally allowed--3 mins, copied them from NPR, and I choose the footsteps of the pall bearers to start the program. The streets were absolutely silent.

A few days before, I had seen pictures of Princess Diana at the minefields. I thought then, "Those beautiful legs, they will never be mangled by land mines."

Instead, very soon she'd be killed in a car crash.

Mother Theresa spoke of her, and died herself the next day.

The piece was broadcast and got good feedback from my audience inside Burma.

The kid with broken teeth who was jerk's sycophant--said "Sayama (Female Teacher) you acted like you sounded sad."

I said,"Of course I am sad. Don't you see how Dan Rather talks about such things."

I remember saying the front of the car was folded in like an accordion.

About this movie, I think it's one of the better bio-pics.

It's respectful of the living as well as the dead.

It doesn't assign blame on anyone.

For that you will have to read Dominic Dunne's account of the trial in the link below.

It's truly sad.

Hasnat Khan said something like, "It happened,and there's nothing I can do about it.

He married 3 times,the first 2 marriages ending in divorce, all to Pakistani women.

I don't know who wrote the screenplay.

I don't know how the movie-makers got the rights to depict living persons like the butler Paul Burrell and Dr.Khan himself.

I would give this movie 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

Kyi May Kaung

3-15-2026