by Zeeshan Mahmood
As more and more people are making foray into the business of filmmaking we are seeing more and more diversified combination of people teaming up to give Pakistani cinema a breath of fresh air. One perfect example of this trend is an upcoming film Dekh Magar Pyaar Se (DMPS) a passionate project of Asad ul Haq who has taken a varied assemblage of talented and creative people on board to make film a memorable experience for himself and the audience.
Dekh Magar Pyaar Se is a rom-com featuring ravishing Humaima Malik, who will be seen in a Pakistani film four years after release of Bol, and introducing dazzling Sikander Rizvi, the grandson of Madam Noor Jahan. Along with the leading stars DMPS team is comprised of some of the established people of their fields which includes Ali Murtaza, the ace marketer, as film producer; Nicholas D. Knowland, BAFTA award winning Director of Photography, as official DoP; HSY as the fashion/design lead and Saima Rashid Bargfrede as the lead stylist. The OST of the film is done by leading band SOCH, who got international fame with their song “Awari” in a Hindi film last year.
The list does not end here and there is another prominent name associated with the project: Saba Imtiaz. Saba Imtiaz is a freelance journalist and author and her work appears in leading national and international news media including The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and The Guardian. Her debut novel Karachi, You’re Killing Me achieved international recognition and is being adapted into a Hindi film in Bollywood.
The hurt of one more Pakistani novel being turned into a film but not in Pakistan is very much alleviated by the pleasant news that Saba Imtiaz penned the script of DMPS. Galaxy Lollywood team discussed the genesis of the story and aspirations and expectations from the film with Saba Imtiaz in an exclusive interview.
Read the interview below ‘Pyaar Se’ (with love) and keep the fingers crossed for the film release. Dekh Magar Pyaar Se is releasing on Independence Day (Aug 14).
Galaxy Lollywood: You started your career as a journalist, wrote a novel which is being adapted into a film in Bollywood and now you are debuting at the rising film industry of Pakistan as a scriptwriter. How has been your experience of making these transitions and especially writing the script of Dekh Magar Pyaar Se?
Saba Imtiaz: It’s been really interesting to do all of these projects. I’d never written or wanted to write a novel or a film script before, so when the opportunities arose I took them largely because I wanted to see if I could even write anything but reportage. It was kind of a personal challenge to see if I could take the only somewhat useful skill I have – writing – (the other is bargaining at shops) and do something else with it. It’s interesting because you get to learn how to spin and develop a story in different mediums.
Writing the script of Dekh Magar Pyaar Se was absolutely different from anything I’d done before, because I wasn’t just thinking about the story or the characters but about so many different aspects that don’t come up in journalism or fiction: song cues, how long a scene was, would it translate on screen, was a reference relatable, what was happening in the background…
Galaxy Lollywood: Share something about the genesis of Dekh Magar Pyaar Se. How did you get the idea of the film’s story and how did it all happen?
Saba Imtiaz: I’d initially wanted to turn down the offer to write a script: I’d never done it, and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. When the makers of Dekh Magar Pyaar Se approached me they already had a story developed. And even though I wanted to say no, when they told me what the basic plot was I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was really compelling and my brain went into overdrive thinking about how to develop it. That’s how I came on board.
Galaxy Lollywood: What makes the script of Dekh Magar Pyaar Se classy and a different take on romantic drama films?
Saba Imtiaz: I think that’s an answer best left to when the film releases!
Galaxy Lollywood: Asad ul Haq and his team seems to be putting their best. As a writer what are your expectations from the film?
Saba Imtiaz: I’m really excited. Asad always had such a clear vision for the film and his team was imbued with such positivity and excitement for the film and how they would produce it. I’m a really cynical person so I thought if he could even do 10% of what he wants to, it would be great. But I’m blown away by the stills I’ve seen so far: it looks amazing! I can’t wait to see how Asad and the team have brought the script to life.
Galaxy Lollywood: Adaptation of books into TV shows and films is trending in Hollywood and now even in Bollywood as well. Your novel, Karachi, You’re Killing Me, is also being adapted into a film in Bollywood. In Pakistan do you see if it has a potential for adapting books into films? Further, any book(s) by Pakistani author(s) you think should be adapted into film(s)?
Saba Imtiaz: Absolutely. I’d love to see Mohammed Hanif’s Our Lady of Alice Bhatti and The Prisoner by Omar Shahid Hamid adapted into films.
Galaxy Lollywood: Which are your favorite films and books?
Saba Imtiaz: I could basically spend all day answering this question but off the top of my head – my favourite films are Jab We Met and Masoom. Favourite books: Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Ibne Inshaa’s Urdu Ki Aakhri Kitaab.
Galaxy Lollywood: When is your forthcoming book, No Team of Angels, coming? Is it another adrenaline rushing story from Karachi?
Saba Imtiaz: No Team of Angels is a non-fiction, reportage based book on the factors driving the conflict in Karachi, so it has some interesting bits and pieces on the way the city works.
Galaxy Lollywood: Are there any more film projects in the pipeline?
Saba Imtiaz: No.
