Angelina Jolie thanks India for their hospitality

By Stone Martindale Oct 8, 2006, 20:38 GMT

Angelina Jolie (L) with her adopted son Maddox. EPA/NABIL MOUNZER

PUNE- Angelina Jolie says she and Brad Pitt have been welcomed by Pune locals in where they're filming their new movie, A Mighty Heart.

"We deeply appreciate the warm welcome we have received from the people of Pune, India, where we are filming A Mighty Heart," Jolie tells People magazine in a statement. "We are excited to have this chance for our children to learn about India's wonderful culture and history."

Jolie is playing Mariane Pearl, the widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in the film version of Mariane Pearl's book, A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl. The movie is being produced by Pitt's Plan B production company.

California journalist Daniel Pearl was abducted and murdered by Islamic terrorists in Pakistan back in early 2002.

Pakistan proved to be too much of a security risk: "I had hoped to make this film in Pakistan, but after discussions with Pakistani officials it became clear that they would be more comfortable for us to film in India," Jolie says in her statement.

"I am disappointed that we could not shoot the film in Pakistan, a country that I love and have visited three times. We look forward to visiting Pakistan soon. A Mighty Heart is a film about cross-cultural understanding and the values that people of all faiths share. This is not a film about terrorism or conflict, it is a story of people of all faiths working together to find the truth."

The actress has humanitarian history in Pakistan.  Jolie and Pitt spent their 2005 Thanksgiving in Pakistan helping deliver supplies to survivors of the devastating earthquake that hit in October.

The actress visited Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan shortly before she was named a United Nations goodwill ambassador in 2001.