Pakistani dramas are always under fire for portraying the ‘weepy woman’ and the ‘naik perveens’ that seem to have no spine or are always victimised. People tell me that I must have nerves of steel to watch dramas that are full of tears and misery.  Well, I do. But that’s not the end of it. There is a gradual change that’s happening in the Pakistani dramasphere. Women are taking on risky roles and writers are writing scripts where women don’t have to spend at least 20 out of 24 episodes crying about their husbands and their mother-in-laws. One recent game changer that has aired on television is Khuda Mera Bhi Hai. The play stars Aisha Khan as Mahgul, who gives birth to an intersex child. She is married to Zain (Syed Jibran) whose mother, Arshi (Irsa Ghazal) was not too happy with this match because she thought Mahgul was very ‘independent’ and ‘forward’. Mahgul and Zain call it quits and he ends up marrying a girl who is kind of obsessed with him (Kashmala played by Hira Tareen). Mahgul decides to raise her child despite the opposition she faces from her family and friends (she is even unable to admit her son into a school because of his biological condition). Mahgul finds a friend in Mikael (Ally Khan) who happens to be a billionaire (dramatic license, indeed!) and helps Mahgul raise Noor (Furqan Qureshi). Mahgul’s friends, Sanam (Marium Saleem Nawaz), Babban Mian (Tipu) and her mother Savera (Saba Hameed) become Mahgul’s strength as she takes on this difficult but brave journey. From the get go, the play talks about many important topics such as domestic abuse, how divorce is considered taboo, social pressures, and most importantly, the rights of transgender people and intersex individuals in the Pakistani society. What’s great about Khuda Mera Bhi Hai is that the protagonist is an extremely strong woman who is respectful and compassionate. The writer, Asma Nabeel, did an excellent job in creating a strong and wilful character in Mahgul. She deals with her problems in a sane and intelligent manner as opposed to playing the victim and the dukhi damsel that we often see on television. All conflicts in the play are resolved through dialogue and communication. This is perhaps one of the best parts about Khuda Mera Bhi Hai. Yes, there is physical tension present as well, and while there is a lot of emphasis on dialogue, the undertone still contains a lot of action. Shahid Shafaat, the director, brilliantly executes difficult scenes and the lead actors leave no false notes to be scrutinised. Perhaps the only fault I found in this serial was the Game of Thrones-esque music that often plays during sad scenes and makes me think of the ‘Red Wedding’.

There is a lot of spectacle, colour, emotion, singing and dancing in the recently released teaser of Punjab Nahi Jaungi. Two beautiful ladies, however, stand out amidst all the razzle and dazzle of the decidedly glitzy 75-second video. One is the glamorous Saba Waseem Abbas who walks ever so seductively, wearing pink, orange and purple, to welcome a triumphant Humayun Saeed to her home. The second is the perennially beautiful Naveed Shahzad who registers her regal presence in the teaser with remarkable grace and style. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] There is, of course, no shortage of eye candy in Punjab Nahi Jaungi. The first collaboration of ARY Films and Six Sigma Plus, after the spectacularly successful Jawani Phir Nahin Aani, the film stars some of the finest looking actors of Pakistan. Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Azfar Rehman, and Urwa Hocane form the corners of the love quadrangle of the production. The film tells the story of two lovers, played by Saeed and Hayat, whose romantic relationship is complicated by the attention of the characters played by Rehman and Hocane and by the displeasure of their elders. The film doles out drama, romance, blood, and tears in large doses, enough to move the most jaded of filmgoers and make a mark at the box office. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Punjab Nahi Jaungi’s biggest strength is most likely the tremendous chemistry between Saeed and Hayat, who first appeared together in Jawani Phir Nahin Aani and subsequently in the highly rated television serial, Dil Lagi. Beautiful, confident and winning, the actors form a couple that looks good on screen and makes love stories engaging, believable and interesting. Saeed, who made his acting debut more than two decades ago, looks good, not to mention young and owns the screen with his strong presence, charm and charisma. Blessed with oodles of stardust, the resourceful actor continues to be Pakistani cinema’s most bankable star year after year. The immensely talented and funny Ahmad Ali Butt brings his unique style of comedy to Punjab Nahi Jaungi. Fans of his comedy and those who enjoyed his performance in Jawani Phir Nahin Aani are likely to flock to the theatres just to watch him. In a matter of a few years, Butt has become one of Pakistan’s most popular comic actors. After Jawani Phir Nahin Aani, audiences have high expectation of Butt and, based on the teaser, they are unlikely to be disappointed. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] The very debonair and talented Rehman makes his cinematic debut with Punjab Nahi Jaungi. The star of many successful television plays and films, Rehman has a huge fan following and adds to the film’s attraction. He appears briefly in the teaser, but we hope he gets his fair share of screen time in the film. Relegating the brilliant young actor in an unimportant role would be both sad and wasteful. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Punjab Nahi Jaungi has a lot going for it and comes in a year which needs a big hit; 2017 has not been kind to Pakistani films as there has been no big hit in the year thus far. Punjab Nahi Jaungi is likely to be the hit that is needed to rejuvenate the industry and attract crowds of filmgoers to theatres. Although its commercial success is all but a foregone conclusion, the teaser of the film raises concerns that the film borrows a little too heavily and too freely from Bollywood. The teaser includes a scene that has been lifted from 1999 Bollywood film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and several shots reminiscent of Karan Johar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Yash Chopra films. The largely original Jawani Phir Nahin Aani was strengthened by its quintessentially Pakistani sense of humour. Audiences looking for the same level of originality from the team that made Jawani Phir Nahin Aani may be in for a disappointment if Punjab Nahi Jaungi turns out to be another Bollywood knockoff. That would be sad and a step backwards for the Pakistani film industry.

Pakistani directors and producers often misunderstand the movement to revive Pakistani cinema. This year has seen numerous below average movies, thus questioning the merit and authenticity of the command in filmmaking; movies like Thora Jee Le, Whistle and Raasta. Let’s see if Umer Adil’s latest venture, Chalay Thay Saath will be able to break this dry spell. The film doesn’t seem to have any star power, thus it makes one question – can a movie with no crowd-pullers make it big in the box office? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Hm1OQokXM Zain (Osama Tahir) and Tania (Mansha Pasha), who are on the verge of separation, plan a farewell road trip for Resham (Syra Shahroz). They plan on going from Karachi to Resham’s hometown, Hunza. Along for the ride is their childhood friend, Faraz (Faris Khalid) and a Chinese tourist, Adam (Kent S Leung). He doesn’t speak Urdu, and his English isn’t that great either. But despite the language barrier, we see love blossoming between Resham and him. As the movie progresses, as does their love, Resham asks her father (Behroz Subzwari) to meet Adam to decide their fate. Let’s just say the first impression does not sit well, and Resham’s father tells Adam to stay in a camp outside his house until he earns his trust. Unfortunately, Adam must return home to look after his ailing mother. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] Filmmakers need to understand just how essential location can be to a movie, as visually scenic scenes are usually the highlight of any movie. Chalay Thay Saath is beautifully shot, and a great documentary on Hunza, Giglit, and the northern areas of Pakistan, but when it comes to viewing it as an actual movie, it lacks a lot. The dialogue is average, albeit fresh. However, they are easily forgettable. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="338"] Photo: Facebook[/caption] In terms of music, Chalay Thay Saath has a brilliant score as it’s fresh for Pakistani film. Conversely, music cannot make a movie great as it requires more than just appealing sounds. As for the direction, it is evidently decent; Adil has enacted the aesthetic beauty of the north remarkably. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Performance wise, Chalay Thay Saath doesn’t showcase any impeccable and bravura performances. Shahroz gives a good performance and looks gorgeous on-screen, but she wasn’t given any opportunities to prove her mettle as a performer. Kent is fresh and innocent; he effortlessly pulls off his character. Khalid has a very strong screen presence and is good “hero-material”. Pasha performs affably well, but she seems to go overboard in a few of her scenes. Tahir played his part decently also. Subzwari is just average, maybe a little more persuasiveness on his part could have gone a long way. Chalay Thay Saath is the kind of film that makes you feel good because of its theme and how visually appealing it is. However, it does drag on quite a bit and it isn’t exactly believable at some points. For a 28-year-old girl who is apparently a doctor, some of Sharoz’s scenes are hard to digest. Thus, it offers little, if any repeat value. At the box office, it will definitely have to face a rough sail.

Qandeel Baloch’s biopic has once again brought her right back into our lives. The uneasiness and discomfort has started unsettling us once again. Even her story has the power to keep us on edge and make us start talking again. The debate is rife, whether the story should be told or not and you don’t need to guess where the most votes lie. The anticipation around this project is brimming with many questions. Yesterday, I happened to watch a chunk of the show Popcorn on Express TV. The discussion was the routine banter, and questioned whether the biopic is an attempt to capitalise on Qandeel’s death and mint money on an Eid transmission. More questions arose – how would the story be treated? Would she be celebrated, presented as a victim or a lesson to learn? Only time will tell, but the basic question remains the same as it was during her life – does she deserve this attention? Should her story be told? There’s criticism that there are many honour killings every year in our country but none of them get the media space and attention that Qandeel did. Honour killing, like war crime, climate change and many other issues, has become an abstract idea for us. Our sensibilities have become immune to the idea honour killing. It is just one of those evils which we condemn as a passing reference but even our words have become trite. We know very little about most of the honour killing victims and whatever we know comes from matter of the fact sources like the news, crime shows and some documentaries. The identity of the victims is kept secret due to the well-being of the families and other legal constraints. But this time, the victim had a name and a face and that too an extremely famous one. The murder brought to light the discussion we were too ashamed to have and raised disturbing questions which we were averting our eyes from. Does honour give the license to kill someone? In order to feel the pain and suffering of the victims, we must know their stories. We have to see them as real and tangible human beings with flaws and strengths like us; they are not just abstract ideas. We have to experience their lives, no matter how unnerving it is. And that is the precise reason why this biopic is important. Biopics have far more artistic freedom than documentaries. Thus, they can tell the stories that we have tried so hard to shove under the carpet. Since the making of biopics is a popular art form, the message will be received on a larger scale, thus the story will be experienced and discussed by the viewers. It will also give the viewers a chance to see a more human side of Qandeel; the side that the mainstream media bulldozed into another stereotype. Another great thing about the project is Saba Qamar. It takes herculean courage to take up a controversial character to perform in our society. It might even invite unpleasant attention and criticism towards her and that too at the time when her Bollywood movie is about to be released. Kudos to her for this brave choice and for bringing strength and credibility to Qandeel’s story. Her Instagram post also praised Qandeel in the following words:

“She had the courage to expose how two-faced people could be.”

Apparently, Umera Ahmed is supervising the project and if this is true, it will be a great advantage for the project. For Ahmed, it will be a break away from her usual subjects and as far as I can see, it will definitely be interesting to watch.

We hope the biopic will give a human face to the evils of honour killings.

Would somebody please, for the love of God, make this guy stop? Ever since this debate over the revival of Pakistani cinema has surfaced, I have been unable to wrap my head around the fact that these discussions invariably tend to feature a certain Syed Noor.

The only reason these dialogues could feature this supposed icon of our not-so-iconic film industry is if we plan on telling our new age filmmakers that this is that one guy you should not emulate under any circumstances.

But since Noor is still revered as a cinematic godfather-like figure amongst certain factions of the media, he took this as an encouragement to unleash another one of his mindless productions on the unsuspecting masses. The trailer of his latest venture Chain Aye Na recently hit the internet and whole of the digitaldom is in a state of awkward shock.

In 1998, Syed Noor was on a high; his film Choorian had just released and went on to be one of the longest running Pakistani films showcased at a single screen cinema. He went on to become one of the few acclaimed directors in the Pakistani film industry. It makes you wonder then, how the same director, who delivered cinema greats like Larki Punjaban and Majajan, could stoop to releasing a film like Chain Aye Na. https://youtu.be/r5GSFXj95kA I don’t understand how the movie went so wrong, even though it had big names like Nadeem Baig and Atiqa Odho in the cast. Mustafa Qureshi or even the relations of Behroze Sabzwari, Waheed Murad and Sabiha Khanum couldn’t save Chain Aye Na from the unfortunate fate it was headed towards. From the get-go of the trailer leak to the official trailer release and the cringe-worthy remakes of songs from Noor’s earlier film ventures, the film was doomed to be a flop. Unfortunately, it was inevitable due to the ever-so-hard storyline encompassed within this poor directional comeback. The main reasons behind the ill fate of Chain Aye Na range from lack of originality, trying too hard to prove something, and definitely not keeping up with the times.

Whilst Noor was hoping to cast Saima Noor and Shaan Shahid in his upcoming venture, he failed to realise the fact that the Pakistani film industry had evolved immensely between the years of his last mainstream release Shareeka and his recent release.

Noor also failed to realise that the Pakistani audience is accustomed to watching films with originality and quality, which his film obviously lacked. The audience of today is not limited to the rickshaw driver finishing his night shift or the dhaba workers of mall road; it is the new working class elite, a social media active audience and a quality expecting awaam.

Not only did Noor cast industry heavy weights who trusted in the ‘Syed Noor’ brand, but he also launched the film careers of Shehroz Sabzwari and Sarish Khan, instead of the intended Shaan/Saima duo.

In 2014, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza paired up to direct and produce Na Maloom Afraad and it proved to be an instant box office hit. It is the longest running movie in Pakistani cinemas since 2007, beating the records of Khuda Kay Liye and Waar. After three years, the duo returned to direct and produce Na Maloom Afraad 2, which was released over Eidul Azha. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the movie, it is important to applaud and appreciate the fact that two remarkable Pakistani movies, Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Na Maloom Afraad 2, were released in succession. This is a huge milestone for the Pakistani film industry. But back to Na Maloom Afraad 2; the cast is almost the same, except for a few new additions, and the movie picks up from where it ended in the prequel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2OO3Af8q-A The movie revolves around Farhan (Fahad Mustafa), Shakeel (Javed Sheikh) and Moon (Mohsin Abbas Haider.) Farhan is happily married to Naina (Urwa Hocane) and is working as the CEO of their company, Shama Achaar, along with his brother-in-law, Shakeel. Everything seems to be working perfectly well for the two, up until they receive a phone call from an offshore bhai (gangster) demanding extortion money. To make things worse, their factory catches fire that night and they’re left in a conundrum. Amidst this chaos, they receive a phone call from Moon to invite them to Cape Town for his wedding to Parri (Hania Aamir). While they are in Cape Town for Moon’s wedding, they somehow end up with Sheikh al Baklawa’s (Nayyar Ejaz) 24-carat gold commode and the trio find themselves in the midst of a cat and mouse chase. This situation is what forms the crux of Na Maloom Afraad 2’s storyline. In terms of performances, Na Maloom Afraad 2 undoubtedly belongs to the three protagonists. Javed Sheikh, like always, proved that he is a true showman through his impeccable performance as Shakeel. Not only are his dialogues penned smartly, he delivered them with utmost hilarity and presicion. Furthermore, Fahad Mustafa looked confident and flawless playing the role of Farhan. His constant transition from being a toughie to an emotional softy leaves the audience in awe. Personally, he was my favourite. Mohsin Abbas Haider added the fun element in the movie, just as he did in the prequel. However, this time around he has a six-pack to flaunt, which he proudly does throughout his time in South Africa. Moreover, even the supporting actors such as Nayyar Ejaz and Saleem Mairaj did a commendable job. Despite having only a few scenes in the movie, Ejaz impressed the audience as the Sheikh. Mairaj, being the splendid actor that he is, was extremely convincing in his role as a gangster. Thus, it would be justified to say that Na Maloom Afraad 2 belonged to the male cast. I, for one, felt that Urwa Hocane and Hania Aamir looked great but were merely used as eye candy since they had nothing major to offer in terms of performance and dialogues. Moreover, Sadaf Kanwal performs an item song, Kaif O Suroor, which could have had better choreography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Gx7pMTKos As for the script, it did fall short when it came to the female actresses, but it also fell short in the novelty and interest department. Unfortunately, the dialogues did not leave much of an impression on the audience, other than the great comedic timing. But we can’t expect movies such as Na Maloom Afraad 2 to have exceptionally well-crafted dialogues since it’s purely an entertainment movie, nothing more. Nabeel Qureshi should be grateful to the cast though, because if it wasn’t for the great performances, the already mediocre script would become duller. There were a few scenes in the movie which did not make sense and were extremely illogical, but then again, for a movie such as Na Maloom Afraad 2, it doesn’t matter. As long as a movie manages to entertain the masses with slapstick jokes, it will do well and Na Maloom Afraad 2 does just that. The art direction and cinematic shots are wonderful and the movie has not been marred due to excessive branding, which is a prevalent issue in Pakistani movies. Luckily, the brand placement in Na Maloom Afraad 2 was not overwhelming. I suggest other directors and producers follow Qureshi’s cue and tone down on their blatant advertising and brand placement. All in all, Na Maloom Afraad 2 is a great watch, especially if you’re looking for a few good laughs. The only issue is that it brings nothing new to the table in terms of a storyline and creativity, as I felt I had watched the movie countless times before. If you plan on watching the movie, which you should, suppress the inner critic in you and expect a thoroughly well-shot and funny movie, nothing more. All photos: Screenshots

Just after the revival of Pakistani cinema, I vowed that I will not miss any Pakistani movie on screen. Since then, I have watched some of the most brilliant movies containing strong messages and some amazing performances. I was just as excited to watch Pakistani movies like I had always been to watch Indian movies. Pakistani cinema was producing movies that finally garnered my interest. Shaan Shahid, a Pakistani actor, writer, model, and now a film director, is quite known to us since ages. Shahid’s career span has now extended for more than two decades while completing almost 500 films with phenomenal acting. He has successfully established himself as being one of the most popular leading actors in Pakistan.  Three brilliant movies starring Shahid that I cherished watching were Khuda Ke Liye, Yalghaar and Waar. These movies not only demonstrated his brilliant acting skills but also gave a push-start to revive Pakistani cinema. Although Shahid played a vital role in lifting up the movie business, it was seen how he was now winning the hearts of the new generation. Likewise, when the trailer of Arth 2 released, it felt exciting to now witness Shahid taking on a new role towards a romantic storyline. What got my attention more was the news of Mahesh Bhatt calling up Shan to remake the Pakistani version of his Bollywood movie, Arth. Shahid’s direction alongside Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s vocals and the beautiful visuals seemed intense to me. I was excited for the movie and wanted to see what and how Shahid would translate it as. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH9opHVuwt4&t=4s I was there to watch the show on the very second day of release. The cast and story seemed as exciting as the idea of having to see the first remake of a Bollywood movie in Pakistan. The movie begins with a breakdown in a struggling musician’s marriage, Ali (Shahid), who plans to move back to Pakistan from UK. He luckily finds Uzma (Uzma Hassan), who herself was on the verge of a breakdown in her marriage with her filmmaker husband Farhan (Mohib Mirza). Uzma is Ali's fan and wants to save his dying music career. In the midst of all this, the two deepen their relationship and become quite close to one another, given the similar circumstances both are facing in their lives. Uzma's husband, Farhan, gets a chance to work with superstar Humaima (Humaina Malick). Farhan and Humaima's relationship is darker and causes them a great deal of emotional turmoil. The movie talks about love, pain, sorrow and hints of infidelity. All in all, the movie itself is one emotional rollercoaster ride where you will feel everything the characters feel and will be too attached to them by the end of the movie. Despite a few setbacks, Shahid successfully got the music right, giving us more than a few memorable songs. Sahir Ali Bagga has never been in a better form than he's seen in Arth 2. I salute the efforts made by Shahid to redirect an already successful Bollywood movie into a Pakistani version, highlighting the narrative in a local, relatable manner. We need to realise that Pakistani movies and story lines cannot yet be compared to Bollywood; it will take time for us to reach to that level since we are still new. Regardless, they still did an absolute fantastic job! As Shahid brilliantly explains,

“Arth is the first film with the DNA of an Indian story to be set in Pakistan. If we want to strengthen film trade between our countries, Arth’s model is a great way of collaborating.”

Right from the first trailer of Rangreza, its selling point revolved around it being a colourful musical, its romance angle, and for some, even Gohar Rasheed. Except for the song Phool Khil Jayeein, the album did not find much positive reception from audiences, however, the film itself released recently to considerable hype. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXpKI-jM1Ns Directed by Amir Mohiuddin, Rangreza primarily revolves around three characters. Ali Zain (Bilal Ashraf) is a rock star who falls in love with Reshmi (Urwa Hocane), a girl from a family of qawwals who has been engaged to her cousin, Waseem Wallay (Gohar Rasheed) since childhood. Waseem is an ill-tempered, notorious and egoistic man who is supremely possessive when it comes to Reshmi. Ali’s father arranges an engagement between his son and a prominent politician’s daughter, but nonetheless, Ali keeps pursuing Reshmi. Given how influential Ali and his family are, Reshmi understands the limitations and never responds to Ali’s moves. However, Waseem gets to know about Ali’s interest in Reshmi, and all hell breaks loose. What results is a self-proclaimed musical set in the backdrop of class, politics and family drama. While watching Rangreza, it felt like the script got lost in translation somewhere; the film simply cannot be categorised under any genre. It cannot be called a musical; it doesn't even have good music! There are a couple of songs that are tolerable enough to listen to once or twice, but that is it. Rangreza isn’t a typical romance film either. The movie is unable to sell a romance blossoming between the two leads, so those who thought Rangreza would be a good romantic film will be highly disappointed, as the film explores neither romance nor love. Finally, Rangreza isn’t a subject-oriented film with a message either. It is, in short, a confused take on relationships, with characters so complicated that even the writers and the director failed to understand them. In terms of performance as well, the movie is an example of a superlative let-down. The characters are half-baked and shallow, and extremely poorly developed. Despite heavy promotions and media buzz prior to release, within the first couple of days of release, it proved to be a big fat failure. Audiences yawned in the theatres, enjoying their nachos more than the “naach gaana” (dancing and singing), and would have probably preferred staying at home rather than staying to watch Rasheed utter cringe-worthy, corny lines. Ashraf needs to work on his expressions and his acting at large, or else he’ll find it close to impossible to gather audiences to watch his films. He looked timid, and even like a novice, in a few scenes. He tried to “act” too loud and lost the subtleness somewhere, and it’s strange that the director either didn't notice or simply failed to offer him any prompts or feedback. Hocane, too, looked awkward in the entire film, and her costume designs in particular were visually unpleasant. Rasheed, on the other hand, tried his best to re-create Akshay Kumar from his Mr & Mrs Khiladi days, but the attempt falls flat, as he made his character, Waseem Waalay, synonymous to “Torture Waalay”. Rasheed’s body language and vocal expressions were lacking; watching him in the film makes one wonder if he thought it was going to be broadcasted on radio. Saleem Mairaj and Tanweer Jamal are perhaps the only two actors who gave their best and stuck to what was required from them. The actor playing Ali’s father was awful, and the same goes for Alyzeh Gabol’s cameo. Rangreza is a film that should be avoided by all means, simply because everyone values their hard-earned money and time. If filmmakers want audiences to support Pakistani cinema, then they should come out with quality films with good scripts, better acting, and music that is more than just tolerable. Rangreza is a tasteless, colourless and soulless, confused farce of a musical, and watching it was a waste of time and resources.  All photos: Screenshots

Just like its predecessor, this year started with a new hope for Pakistani cinema, a hope that the industry would continue to produce better films than it did in previous years. While the industry may have produced more films this year than it has in a long time, unfortunately, the graph went down in terms of the quality of content. Let’s take a look at what the revival of Pakistani cinema looked like this year. 1. Thora Jee Le https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmZjj6RuAOU Rafay Rashdi’s directorial debut Thora Jee Le was considered one of the most promising films of the year, simply because it launched more than half a dozen actors, actresses and musicians. However, its alarmingly weak plot and below average performances could not sustain the hype, and hence the film busted at the box office. Luckily, perhaps, the actors involved successfully managed to escape the sinking ship that was Thora Jee Le, and got a chance to revive their careers on the small screen. While most actors get their first break on the small screen and then move their way up, these debutants did the reverse and now grace our TV screens instead of those of our cinemas, proving just how cut-throat the film industry is. 2. Raasta https://www.facebook.com/RaastaTheMovie/videos/1793505597556990/ From the very beginning, audiences did not have many expectations from Raasta, mainly because of the fact that everyone knows about the stark “similarity” between the film’s lead, Sahir Lodhi, and the King of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan. Raasta was rejected by both critics and the masses alike almost immediately, bombing at the box office. It was such a lousy attempt at storytelling and acting that it was simply a pain to watch. 3. Chalay Thay Saath https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Hm1OQokXM Umer Adil’s road trip turned romance highlighted the significance of family ties and bonding, and could even be considered a visual treat. It had the potential to be a great film, yet its content and performances pulled it down, leaving Chalay Thay Saath simply being a below-par film. Usually, films centred on road trips at the very least have a great background score which adds to their timelessness and appeal, but unfortunately, Chalay Thay Saath has nothing of that sort, with both the music and the film having absolutely no recall value. 4. Mehrunisa V Lub U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrhoFSrlBbU After the success of Wrong No, the same team came up with another family entertainer, or at least, that’s what they claimed it was. Mehrunisa V Lub U is a great example of when a filmmaker wants to present a film with a strong message and only focuses on that, while messing up literally everything else in the film, namely music, acting, script and common sense. With several scenes blatantly copied from Bollywood films of the 90’s and early 2000’s, Mehrunisa V Lub U was a sheer let-down, particularly to a follower of Pakistani cinema. 5. Yalghaar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki-inDlVlmo Yalghaar was considered to be one of the most awaited Pakistani films, as it featured not one but two megastars – Shaan Shahid and Humayun Saeed. If anyone could pull crowds to the theatres for a Pakistani film, it was these two. While Yalghaar was a good attempt, it needed more than that, perhaps a better script, performances and direction, in order to attract crowds. Unfortunately, this was not the case, resulting in an entirely forgettable film that failed to impress anyone. 6. Chain Aye Na https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5GSFXj95kA This film was nothing but a fool’s paradise for Syed Noor. Nobody actually went to watch this film, and those who did, like me, would have liked a refund, as it did not take long to realise that it was simply torturous to watch. The film bombed at the box office, and the reasons for its failure are pretty obvious. Chain Aye Na feels like something Noor forgot to release in 1997, and one can only hope in hindsight that he would have left it in the 90s, where it belongs! 7. Saawan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heyVzwJeOzY Saawan was a great attempt at a movie, but its execution was a let-down, considering it was a feature film. While the film received acclaim and a few international awards, due to its portrayal of how conservative and orthodox Pakistani society is, and that was it. The film at times offered no logic, no emotional investment and no sympathy for the protagonists, which is necessary for a movie of its calibre, as well as for it to appeal to a Pakistani audience. 8. Balu Mahi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW7xb-FgXqs Balu Mahi was amongst the more decently made films of the year, but then again, the film’s plot was hugely inspired from super hit Bollywood films. With the first half a rip-off of Jab We Met, and the second half largely taken from Dil Bole Hadippa, (if one were to replace the cricket match with polo and Sadaf Kanwal with Sherlyn Chopra). Osman Khalid Butt was pretty decent in his performance, and yet there was something missing in the film. Perhaps originality? 9. Verna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqup82jtx8Q Shoaib Mansoor returned with his third film, a much hyped venture with Mahira Khan in lead. However, even the controversy before its release and the public campaign to unban Verna was not enough to sustain the film. Despite the talented cast and crew and the serious and relevant subject matter, the film made little sense. Mansoor deserves praise for highlighting an issue that no one else invested in on the silver screen, yet there needs to be more than that to make a good film, and unfortunately, that was missing in Verna. This is perhaps the most unfortunate film on the list, as it was most definitely the one with the most potential to not only attract audiences but also reform Pakistani cinema as a whole, all of which it failed to do. 10. Rangreza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXpKI-jM1Ns Rangreza is undoubtedly one of the worst films to come out of the industry this year. From the barely developed characters to the underwhelming performances, there is nothing salvageable in this film, which is a farce of a musical. This was another bummer, simply because when a film manages to create so much hype despite the absence of superstars like Mahira or Shaan, one expects it to be tolerable at the very least. Watching Rangreza was an enormous waste of time and hard-earned money, it would have been best to just stay at home. There were several films last year that impressed viewers, but this year, apart from a couple of films such as Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Na Maloom Afraad 2, all the films churned out were trash. If 2018 does not bring good films, the much hyped revival of Pakistani cinema just might fall flat. With this in mind, one can only hope that the next year gives us some quality as well as quantity. Happy New Year!

It was an absolute pleasure to join Ahmed Ali Akbar, from the cast of Parchi, in Islamabad. Akbar is known for his roles in films such as Karachi Se Lahore and Siyaah, and his experimentation with diverse genres is a testament to his versatility as an actor. A one-on-one conversation with Akbar, however, is enough to determine that not only is he a good actor, but an amazing human being inside out as well! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMHXeewXN4 I sat down with Akbar to talk about his upcoming film Parchi, his latest projects and more in an exclusive conversation that will definitely keep you thoroughly entertained! How did you start off as an actor? As an actor, my first job was in the PTV drama Stop Watch. I got the role because my best friend’s father had written the play, but I didn’t think that I would take up acting as a career. After 10 years, while I was singing for a progressive rock band, my friend suggested that I give an audition for a play that was being conducted at a restaurant by some person. Later, while I was pursuing it, I discovered that the person was Osman Khalid Butt. So, I gave the audition and fell in love with theatre. How do you cope with rejection as an actor? I accept it. I was an athlete prior to becoming an actor, and one of the things sportsmanship teaches you is to cope with failure. That being said, you cannot be a champion without losing, thus it is not a big deal for me. I always liked auditioning for the roles I received, as it confirms your worth. I opt for legit ways of auditioning, so that the director or producer doesn’t regret it later. Hence, I believe my approach to accepting rejection has a lot to do with being an athlete. How do you balance your personal and professional life? Is it ever challenging? I make a conscious effort of keeping both separate from each other. My personal life is incredibly valuable to me; my family, my brothers and cousins. It has become more difficult to balance both over time (laughs). Many people want insight into your life, and aim to get any photographs or videos taken and have them posted on social media. So, I look at a picture five times and think if I should put it up or not, as it gives away unnecessary information. Do you have any insecurities being an actor? I’m only proud of my past, and God has been very kind to me. When I ponder about my future, I think that anything can happen; I could lose this career, but that thought relaxes me. Since I have dealt with some harsh times in the past, I am glad that those moments taught me to live in the moment and focus on what is being done at present. The minute you start comparing your career with others, you will feel insecure. However, at the same time, if you compare yourself to those who haven’t been as fortunate as you, it kind of balances your mindset. But I am truly grateful for what I have achieved so far. How do you manage to keep yourself mentally and physically fit? I think if you keep yourself physically fit, mental fitness follows. I used to play tennis, and it is as mentally challenging as it is physically. All in all, you have to eat right, as you are what you eat; I firmly believe in this saying. There are only two homes in this lifetime you should take care of; one being the planet and the other being the body you live in. If you take care of these two things, you will not encounter any problems in life. What is your character profile in the upcoming film, Parchi? The film is about four guys who get into trouble after one of them makes a wrong decision. I am one of the more grounded friends in the group. The character I am playing is Saqlain, who is the complete opposite of the character Ali Rehman is portraying. Ali’s character gets into trouble and his friends help him out. My character is very sensible, but he can come off as scared and he can be overly careful as well. He has a girlfriend, whom he falls head over heels for and wants to marry, and his priority in life is to keep his relationships secure. What are your upcoming projects as an actor? The next project I am working on is another film directed by Kamal Khan. We are getting the script finalised and it will go on floors very soon. It is a very unique script and character altogether. I can’t reveal much about it right now, but it is going to be something very different. What would you like to change about Pakistani dramas and films? I would say writing. We have the facilities to make great dramas and films. However, the only thing we lack is writing. I believe we need to explore the depth of characters. We tend to show sad dramas, from the start till the end – that should not be it. A drama should imitate life. It needs to have all those bittersweet moments that life has, similar to the dramas we had back in the 90s. Have you made any regretful decision personally or professionally? There have been no regretful decisions personally, however professionally, there was a time I had to do a couple of dramas that I was not fond of doing. What qualities are needed to become a good actor? Empathy – it is one of the greatest qualities an actor should know of. You need to understand what the other person is feeling and why they are feeling it. You need to be open to experiences, and need not bound yourself to something or draw lines. The more you experience, the better you understand humanity and are able to re-enact it! I believe actors need to be good listeners and observers, and should be able to empathise. What are your thoughts on newcomers exploring Pakistani cinema? I think people should be recognised for their talent and worth.  What would make me happy is Pakistani cinema making its mark internationally and contributing to arts. However, it is always a collective effort. You cannot pull people down if they are more talented than you; you have to push them up. What is your advice for aspiring actors? Something I admire about Osman Khalid Butt and many other people is how they have set up their own theatre plays, and write, choreograph and direct their own work. So if newcomers are coming in, and they cannot seem to find a way into the industry, they should create a way on their own. I believe aspiring actors need to start from theatre, as television and film will restrict them. In today’s world, there are no excuses for newbies, as there are open platforms like YouTube. If you are an actor, you can be bigger than the people who appear on television. Say no more! Akbar’s passion for acting and love for theatre is a standout example for aspiring youngsters. As witnessed above, the actor has constructive views and looks at life in a profound manner. I was truly impressed! Catch Akbar in his latest comedy flick Parchi, set to release this Friday, January 5, 2018. It looks like a true entertainer! All photos: Haider Rifaat

I had been looking forward to the trailer of Ali Zafar’s Teefa in Trouble after its first look was released. It gave a positively different vibe than our usual Pakistani offerings and this had me intrigued. The three-minute long trailer debuted recently, and to my surprise, the trailer was quite lacklustre. The trailer starts off with a beautiful aerial view of Lahore and soon we are introduced to Teefa (Zafar) who is hired by a rich father to kidnap a girl, Anya (Maya Ali), so that his son Billu Butt (yes! You read that right, that is the name the writers went with) can marry her. Teefa is aided by his close friend, Tony (Faisal Qureshi) in this quest. Things go wild when Anya’s father, Bonzo (I don’t know who came up with these names), comes into the picture, while Teefa and Anya start falling for each other. Although the movie has a promising premise, beautiful locales, a charismatic cast and a high production value (it has been touted as the most expensive Pakistani film ever made), the trailer has got nothing good going for it. I still believe that Pakistani filmmakers have a lot to learn when it comes to making and editing a film trailer. Teefa in Trouble is supposed to be a comedy-action-adventure movie, but most of the comedy scenes seem forced. We only get glimpses of action sequences in the closing seconds of the trailer, where Teefa fires a couple of rounds of pistols and the viewers also get a peek into a knife fight between Teefa and some goons. I watched this trailer as soon as it was released and didn’t find any of the dialogues funny. I watched the trailer again in a booked cinema hall and to my surprise none of those present laughed even once while watching the trailer, except for the scene where Zafar calls himself Iron Man while holding a clothes iron. In one particular scene, Maya says,

“I have an offer for you two.”

“Buy one get one free?”

When I watched the trailer of Teefa in Trouble, I was quite disappointed. I was vocal about my disappointment in the trailer review I penned, which didn’t sit well with some Ali Zafar fans who loved the trailer. Some of these fans asked me to watch the movie when it releases and were quite optimistic that I would actually enjoy the movie. Hence, I decided to give it a try but I bought the ticket with zero expectations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw5dTVTX9zo The story revolves around Teefa (Zafar) who is a thug-for-hire and is asked to kidnap Anya (Maya Ali) by Butt Sahab (Mehmood Aslam). Anya is the daughter of Butt Sahab’s old friend Bonzo (Javed Sheikh), who breaks his promise of marrying off his daughter to Billu, Butt Sahab’s son. Teefa heads to Poland in order to bring Anya back to Pakistan and thus the trouble begins. The plot of the movie is something you must have watched a gazillion times before, it’s a tried and tested formula and the movie is full of Bollywood clichés, which only pull the movie down. A spoiled pretty girl, a heartthrob, a chance encounter, unfavourable circumstances, a funny sidekick, an overly dramatic mother; it is as if the writers took all the ingredients from movies they used to watch in their childhood and put them all together in this one. However, despite of this, the movie turns out to be quite entertaining. The first half is very enjoyable and leaves you excited for what lies ahead, but the second half is a drag and doesn’t have much to offer. The movie has multiple false endings, which is extremely irritating. I actually saw two gentlemen leave the cinema hall before the actual ending. Teefa in Trouble is Zafar’s debut Pakistani film. Although Zafar is talented as an actor, he was not quite able to flourish in Bollywood. With Teefa in Trouble, the stage was perfectly set for Zafar to shine, and he definitely lived upto the expectations. Zafar carries the whole movie singlehandedly; he’s the life and soul of Teefa in Trouble. His character is quite an interesting one. Teefa is a mix of Batman, Andy Williams, Jim Carrey and Shah Rukh Khan. He can do almost anything and Zafar pulls the character off brilliantly. I don’t think there is anyone else in Pakistan who could have played this part better. Maya does the job, but is unable to be more than just a pretty face in the movie. Faisal Qureshi as Tony does a decent job as the quirky sidekick to Teefa. Although most of his jokes aren’t funny, there are some hilarious moments in the movie because of Qureshi’s unique dialogue delivery. Background score and soundtrack are crucial for a mass entertainer such as this one and Teefa in Trouble gets both of them right. The songs are catchy and the background score is on point. Also, the movie has brilliant cinematography, something that most Pakistani movies lack. But what I was most impressed with were the actions scenes in the movie. The kind of action scenes displayed in the movie are nowhere to be found in Pakistani cinema. To be honest, if the actors were Caucasian, I would have thought the movie was a Hollywood production because of the mindblowing action sequences. The stunts were also flawlessly executed. Teefa in Trouble may not be one of the best Pakistani movies out there, but it sure has set new benchmarks in filmmaking. It has set high standards for Pakistanis and hopefully this will force other filmmakers to meet these standards or better yet, even go a step further and top them. I had no expectations from the movie going in, but when the credits started rolling after an awfully lengthy climax, I knew the movie had entertained me. All photos: Screenshots

Director cum screenwriter Nabeel Qureshi and producer Fizza Ali Meerza, the famed duo behind hits like Na Maloom Afraad, Actor In Law and Na Maloom Afraad 2, are once again back to lure filmgoers. This time, they are ready to amaze movie-buffs with a newfangled theme; conveying the message regarding social issues via a highly charged romcom – Load Wedding. The much anticipated film has been creating buzz and excitement since its first look was released. It is obvious, judging by the recently released official trailer, that the subject is captivating for various reasons. The three-minute trailer is a mix plate of buoyant ambiance, unforgettable love affair, a delightful fusion of laudable slapstick, relatable social problems, sharp dialogues, and charged performances. One can easily conclude that Load Wedding is a fresh dramedy with a compelling storyline and enchanting music, all set in the background of a vibrant Punjab. Narrated by Mohsin Abbas Haider, the trailer shows a straightforward young man, Raja (Fahad Mustafa), who wants to marry his childhood crush, Meeru (Mehwish Hayat). However, a red card is shown by Raja’s mother, played by Samina Ahmed, to signify that he can’t marry until his sister Baby Baji gets married. The rest of the trailer clips are enough to understand the dramatic twists and conspicuous upheavals of the unabridged storyline. One more thing that is generating some hype is the parody of Dr Aamir Liaquat; clad in a vibrant shalwar kameez, running his game show. Moreover, the trailer also reveals how unmarried, obese women face difficulties in getting proposals, how they tackle fat-shaming and their constant struggle to shed some weight. It seems that the film tackles some of the sensitive social stigmas attached to arranged marriages, divorce, dowry and obesity in a conventional society. The onscreen chemistry of Mustafa and Hayat, along with the performance of Ahmed, looks true to life, and their Punjabi accent is pretty appealing. Mustafa portrays the small town, honest and frank boy aptly, while Hayat depicts a strong young lady with beauty and brains. Ahmed is a truly versatile actress who flawlessly and comfortably illustrates a desi maa (mother). The trailer shows some dance clips and romantic soundtracks with fascinating cinematography by Rana Kamran. The music is composed by Shani Arshad. All in all, Load Wedding is a family drama with relatable social affairs as well as zesty entertainment full of robust performances and a witty plot. One can hope that the Qureshi-Meerza movie lives up to the high expectations and its overall impression remains as pulsating as its energetic trailer. Load Wedding is slated for release on Eidul Azha. The movie buffs will enjoy diverse films on Eid and it is evident from all the trailer hypes that there will be a tough competition between Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 and of course Load Wedding. All photos: Screenshots

Shamoon Abbasi has come a long way from playing a comic character (Mohammad Shafiq Masood) in PTV’s drama to portraying a furious villain. He is increasingly improving his acting game and matching the calibre of superstars of Pakistani cinema. It seems they are in for some competition! The trailer of Abbasi’s upcoming movie recently released. With an unusual name, Durj’s trailer is brilliantly made and people’s anticipations are firing up. The movie is said to be based on true events and given the ‘cannibal’ nature of the trailer, it will definitely be intriguing. Here are four reasons why people should anxiously anticipate for Durj: 1. Stimulating experience for Pakistani cine-goers From the trailer, it seems we will witness something we have never seen before on the silver screen in Pakistan. There are a few bone-chilling shots in the trailer that makes one curious as well as alarmed because it is not usual to see gore in Pakistani movies. Moreover, it seems that the movie has multiple plots simultaneously running which might coincide at a point. It might be too soon to say but it is possible that Pakistan might be entering into a different genre game. 2. Abbasi – the master of disguise Abbasi plays a fearsome character and manages to make an impact even in the trailer, which only adds on to our excitement to see him in the movie in this new avatar. He is not only the acting force behind the movie, he has also written and directed it. Talk about being multi-talented! In the few scenes that we see in the trailer, he appears terrifying and intense. It is not even about what he says or does but only the way he looks on in the trailer that sends chills down your spine. We don’t get to see such characters in Pakistani cinema and viewers will surely be surprised to see him. 3. An enthralling and eye-opening story We have recently seen many Pakistani movies coming out that lean towards the rom-com genre. While there is nothing wrong with these kinds of movies as they do generate a lot of audience and provide good entertainment, we do need movies that push our limits and give us something to remember. The trailer does not give much away but it seems that the story is about a Pakistani cannibal man (played by Abbasi) who is in hiding. Myra Khan narrates the story in the trailer and talks about how her husband is kidnapped and it seems that he was taken by these cannibals. The police is now after them and they fear that these cannibals might increase in number if they do not put an end to them. We get to see glimpses of human flesh, blood and bones, which might put off a lot of people. However, if you have seen Dexter, Hannibal or even the Saw trilogy in the past, this will be a piece of cake. Apart from this, the trailer of Durj is loaded with meaningful and strong dialogues which will only add to the movie’s impressive outlook. 4. Visually remarkable In order for the story to make an impact, you have to present it well. Durj’s trailer highlights that the filmmakers have paid close attention to visuals. It showcases some very picturesque sights and they are shot really well. From scenes shot during the night to close-ups, the camerawork is spectacular and really grabs the viewer’s attention. There are also scenes shot outdoor in the valleys and mountains that provide a backdrop for the heinous crime taking place in the movie. On the whole, I find the trailer of Abbasi’s Durj impressive on multiple levels. Produced by Dodi Khan and Sherry Shah, the movie also stars Shah, Dodi, Nauman Javaid and Hafeez Ali. Hopefully the movie will prove to be a gateway for new ideas and will have a positive effect on Pakistani cinema. The film is set to release in 2019. All photos: Screenshots

The year is almost over, and there is no doubt the ‘revival’ of Pakistani cinema continued in 2018. It would even be fair to say the so-called revival phase is over and the industry has stabilised to a degree. It should only go up from here, as our filmmakers have now understood the basic needs of the modern cinema going audience. While production values, music and the film treatments have significantly improved, the stories remain the weak link. However, this is a problem with most large-scale films, even across the border. Yes, there are still some black sheep insisting on making poor films and drowning our cinema again, but that number has grown to be fairly limited. And no, this was not a sly dig at the makers of 7 Din Mohabbat In (7DMI) or Maan Jao Na. This year saw a good mix of mainstream commercial ‘masala’ cinema with experimental and unique storytelling. Amidst all the chaos, there was some method to the madness. In other words, it was not like the Pakistan cricket team. In this article, we will have a look at the news-makers in the Pakistani film industry over the past 12 months. The all-rounder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw5dTVTX9zo Arguably the biggest film produced by Pakistan, and also its most awaited one, was Teefa in Trouble. It was a movie of firsts; the directorial debut for Ahsan Rahim, the first film for cinematographer Zain Haleem, the first film for actress Maya Ali, and the first Pakistani film for Ali Zafar. It took its time to complete and the producers took a gutsy step by not releasing it on a holiday. Teefa in Trouble lived up to its hype and turned out to be a technically sound, well made, all out entertainer. It was a master class in editing, while its brilliant cinematography, quirky humour and apt sound design were the strength of the movie. Veteran actors such as Mehmood Ali and Javed Sheikh stood out, whereas Maya had a reasonable debut. On top of it all was the excellent chemistry of the trio formed by Rahim, Faisal Qureshi and Zafar. It was evident the three of them had complete confidence in each other, which is why despite a recycled storyline, the film was a huge success and set even higher future expectations from Rahim and Zafar. The underachiever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkXBll2DpuQ Nabeel Qureshi’s track record has been nothing short of remarkable at a very young age. Along with Fizza Ali Meerza, Qureshi has created two instalments of Na Maloom Afraad and the very entertaining Actor in Law. This year they came together with Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat to present Load Wedding. Load Wedding is a good film. It has the cultural sensitivities of interior Punjab, Shani’s soulful music, good acting, satirical humour and most importantly, a couple of very strong social messages i.e. the nahoosat (bad luck) brought by a widow, and the load of dowry upon a girl’s family. Despite flaws in its execution, such as the Punjabi accents of non-Punjabi actors, it was still a very well-made film. However, it did not receive the success Qureshi’s previous films did, the main reason for which was a box office timing clash with Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 (JPNA 2) and Parwaaz Hai Junoon (PHJ), both of which released on the same day. After all, a Pakistani couple was not going to spend Rs6,000 on three films in three weeks. Ultimately, the audience chose the higher entertainment value of JPNA 2 and the more glamorised cast of PHJ over Load Wedding, which went under the radar despite being the best of the three Eid releases. A hot wave in the summer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qa_DNWlYlA June was the month of Eid, and one would expect major films to come out during the occasion. Although we saw a flood of releases on Eid this year too, all of them left the audience high and dry. The biggest disappointment, which was expected after seeing its trailer, was 7DMI. The first venture in films for its producers, 7DMI was a loss-making venture from a financial view point and a painful venture from the audiences’ point of view. Despite being quite awful, it was still not the worst film of the weekend. It was accompanied by two other duds in Wajood and Na Band Na Baraati. However, it was Azaadi which singlehandedly ruined Eid for the cinema going audience of the country. Terribly painful to watch, even for half-an-hour, Azaadi was infused with patriotism and devoid of any story, acting or direction. It made it worse to hear this was allegedly produced at tax payers’ expense. The ‘accidental’ hero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr96skoXSuM A film I have already praised wholeheartedly in an earlier review is Cake. You wouldn’t have expected first-time director Asim Abbasi to create the sensitive piece of art that he did through this movie, which is now Pakistan’s official entry for the 2019 Oscars. It even generated decent box office collections for a semi parallel artsy genre without any mega film stars. Cake is exquisitely crafted, beautifully written, purposefully directed and sensitively acted. It should have garnered a lot more than the credit and praise it received; however, being the official entry to the Oscars is definitely a cherry on the cake. The king of animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o996V_puWU The animated movie of the year is undoubtedly The Donkey King. There was definitely stiff competition, as both Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor and 3 Bahadur were good animated films. This genre is still relatively unexplored for Pakistani audiences, as it requires a lot of commitment and effort. The Donkey King, a film as much for adults as it was for the kids, was a brilliant political satire. It spoke of a world where cops are turtles, the media is run by monkeys and political advisors are foxes. And let’s not forget the presence of a grand circus master trying to control everyone! Aziz Jindani, having proven his mettle in the corporate world over the years, has done remarkably well in his debut venture in the world of films. The moneymaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUM6liPArUE In 2018, JPNA 2 became the highest grossing Pakistani film in history. Making more than Rs60 crores, JPNA 2 set new benchmarks for Pakistani cinema. It is also encouraging to see that a Pakistani film with a high budget (said to be in the range of Rs25 crores) can actually be profitable for the producers and distributors. Even though I personally don’t buy the content of the JPNA franchise, it is quite obvious that Nadeem Baig and Humayun Saeed have figured out the formula of entertaining Pakistani audiences and becoming commercially successful. https://twitter.com/iamhumayunsaeed/status/1044554545123282945 As the year draws to a close, there are some big projects in the pipeline for 2019. Saqib Malik’s long-awaited debut Baaji is highly anticipated, while Asim Raza is coming back with Paray Hut Love. Shaan’s Zarrar promises to be a high-octane spy thriller, but the biggest of them all could be Fawad Khan’s first Pakistani film in years – Maula Jatt. Here’s hoping these will all be fantastic films for 2019, and we will finally see the first Pakistani film to cross Rs100 crores! Happy New Year!

The trailer of Kamal Khan’s debut Pakistani film Laal Kabootar recently released and it’s already making waves. The movie stars Ahmed Ali Akbar, Mansha Pasha, Rashid Farooqi and Faiza Gillani in lead roles along with Ali Kazmi. The film is produced by Hania Chima and Kamil Chima. From the trailer, it is evident that the story of the film is based in Karachi. It appears to be a crime caper thriller, a niche in which Pakistani cinema has not experimented much. The trailer of Laal Kabootar is receiving a positive response from people of all social classes and here are four reasons why it will make an interesting film to watch. 1. The setting in Karachi makes the film realistic From the first frame to the last, the trailer appears to depict the lifestyle of a certain class living in Karachi – their dreams and their tendency to adopt short cuts in life in order to achieve their goals. It is obvious from the trailer that the film doesn’t tell a larger-than-life story but bases its plot on realistic and relatable grounds, which is in equal parts different and refreshing. The film will perhaps thus introduce a new age of Pakistani cinema. 2. Twisted crime caper: It is rare to find interesting, realistic and engaging crime capers in Pakistani cinema. In an industry dominated largely by romantic comedies and patriotic films, Laal Kabootar is certainly a breath of fresh air. According to the trailer, the film focuses on the entangled lives of three to four different individuals. The action-packed trailer doesn’t make clear what the plot of the film is, but does manage to evoke a sense of mystery that makes viewers excited to see what exactly the film has in store for audiences. 3. Excellent music: Taha Malik’s music is refreshing, experimental and is perfect for a crime thriller. The background score along with the lyrics are appropriate for the film. This kind of music is unusual for Pakistani cinema but it seems like that the experimentation here too will pay off well because most people are already talking about Laal Kabootar’s music score. 4. Fresh cast supported by engaging content: Laal Kabootar doesn’t star the usual ‘superstars’ of the Pakistani film industry but instead features an ensemble cast of good performers under the direction of a first-time feature film director. Akbar is an impeccable actor who has done a variety of different roles. From Siyaah to Karachi Se Lahore and from Ho Man Jahaan to Parchi, Akbar’s characters have always been different and unique. Similarly, in Laal Kabootar he is seen doing something different. Pasha was last seen on the silver screen in the film Chalay Thay Saath where she wasn’t the main lead. This time, however, she plays the protagonist. Her character seems quite far more interesting here and I for one am excited to see how she performs. The trailer of Laal Kabootar is also loaded with curse words and this is again something unusual for a Pakistani film. This is also the reason for the trailer beginning with the disclaimer of “approved for mature audiences”. Let’s see if Laal Kabootar, also known as Red Band, will be able to do wonders at the Pakistani box office when it finally releases. It will be directly competing with Project Ghazi, releasing on the same date and featuring Humayun Saeed and Sheheryar Munawer in lead roles. It will definitely be interesting to see how this competition pans out. Lal Kabootar hits theatres on March 22, 2019. All photos: Screenshots

Patriotic films have managed to do well at the box office of late. Most recently, Parwaaz Hai Junoon came out last year and fared quite well. In fact, some theatres are still playing it, which obviously suggests that audiences are enjoying this genre. The most recent release in this genre is Sherdil, which has been in the limelight for a while now, mainly due to Pak-India tensions and the skyrocketing patriotism experienced by the country over the past month. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzeQYkNz9hQ Sherdil is Azfar Jafri’s fourth film after Siyaah, Janaan and Parchi. The film is written by Nomaan Khan and features Mikaal Zulfiqar, Hassan Niazi, Armeena Rana Khan, Sabeeka Imam and Samina Ahmed in pivotal characters. Sherdil’s plot unsurprisingly pertains towards the Pakistan Air Force, particularly the story of Haris (Zulfiqar), the grandson of a martyred pilot whose one dream in life is to serve his country, However, his father, a media tycoon, seemingly opposes his decision every step of the way. The film initially focuses on how Haris becomes a fighter pilot and keeps his motherland his top priority. There’s also a romantic angle in the film, which to be honest is its weakest link in terms of conceptualisation, treatment and writing. Haris is then sent abroad for training, where he comes face to face with Flight Lieutenant Arun Veerani (Niazi), an Indian fighter pilot. Thus begins their tussle, which is shown as a love-hate relationship between the two in the latter half of the film. Sherdil’s story is lousy, dull and fails to engage on multiple grounds. It also is very hard to believe, even as an audience aware of the fact that this is a Pakistani film. Performance wise, the only actor standing tall in film is Niazi. Despite his brief presence of hardly 20 to 25 minutes, he leaves the strongest impact on the viewers. After leaving his audience spellbound in Maalik, Niazi ones again entertains and raises the bar through his portrayal of Arun. Meanwhile, Zulfiqar’s main fault lies in the fact that he doesn’t look like the character he portrays in Sherdil; he doesn’t look young enough, doesn’t ooze the patriotic vibes he is meant to, and while he utters heavily nationalistic dialogues, the zeal and passion required to do so is missing. It’s an entirely flat attempt for an actor with a role that is supposed to carry the film. Sadly, Khan and Imam have nothing substantial to offer in Sherdil either and are seemingly present merely as props. While Imam does have an interesting character, she is still limited to a senseless romantic scene and a club song which feels weirdly out of place; like it is present in the wrong movie. Similarly, the actor playing Hasan’s father can only be described as “next level” when it comes to his overacting. Another character the film could have done without was Don, played by Kashif Khan. His character and performance were both unnecessary in the film. Sherdil’s script makes it yet another huge miss to come out of Pakistani cinema. The story is haphazard, while there are multiple glitches in the film which are too obvious to ignore. When not noticing these glitches, the audience looked bored throughout. The story had a lot of potential for improvement, but none of the people involved in the film seemed to pick up on this. As for the music, there is only one song in the film that stands out, which is Kudi Da Jhumka, while all the other songs (pointless to begin with) are terrible as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca9R0VyiNt0 Sherdil is one of those films that talks tall on patriotism and sacrifices – a really good concept to work upon, especially in this climate – but unfortunately has no soul to sell these ideas upon. The storytelling is not only redundant, it is archaic. The Pakistani audience has been exposed to such kind of stories since Sunehrey Din (an old Pakistani miniseries), making Sherdil feel like it does not belong in 2019. However, the only saving grace in Sherdil are the aerial shots and dogfight sequences, which are decent attempts in an otherwise unimpressive and unstimulating experience. Sherdil offers no entertainment, its jokes fall flat (the genre deserves better than toilet humour), and overall it just doesn’t hit the right chords for a film that desperately needed to. All in all, Sherdil is a good idea wasted in visual and artistic translation. Only for the sake of supporting Pakistani Cinema, I give Sherdil: All photos: Screenshots 

Films such as Laal Kabootar have a much bigger responsibility to cinema, particularly for Pakistani cinema, which is going through an interesting phase of its life cycle. Pakistani cinema’s revival is over; it is now in the maintenance stage. I don’t think it will go down to the disaster that it was, but whether it grows further or not remains to be seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgzJ6KRBK8w In order for cinema to grow, all kinds of audiences have to start coming to the theatres; the kind who would watch Kahaani or Andhadhun over Thugs of Hindostan. If you go wrong in making a Jawani Phir Nahi Ani or a Na Maloom Afraad, there will be three more films of the same genre releasing in the next six months and the maintenance will continue. Failure of a comedy will not hurt cinema as much as it would if you go wrong while making a Laal Kabootar, because these films bring in a new audience to the cinema and their failure can alienate those viewers from Pakistani cinema forever. Laal Kabootar has a strong pull for the indie audience. It’s trailer, even though not promoted enough or in the right way, hits the cord and generates enough interest for that specific audience. Once it brings you to the theatre, it has a lot of ingredients working well for the recipe. Taha Malik’s soundtrack is brilliant; probably the best element in the mix, taking a leaf out of Bejoy Nambiar’s book.

*Spoilers alert*