The rather dry spell of 2019’s first trimester could potentially end with a bang with supposedly three films lined up for a 22nd March release. While things have confirmed for Project Ghazi with its trailer, the news regarding Sherdil is yet to arrive. For now, the date’s third and most certain contender, Laal Kabootar, has just come out with its much-awaited trailer.

Karachi as a Character

The two-minute-long trailer that released in two versions; one with explicit language and one without it, succeeds in grabbing the attention. It is obvious that the film’s canvass isn’t extensive and larger than life and a conscious effort is made to keep things as organic as possible. This is visible as most of the film appears to be shot in Karachi depicting the city as a character and not just a backdrop.

The overall feel of the trailer translates into a film that is potentially dark, gritty, intense, and a Pakistani take on the much-loved spaghetti western genre that has been explored rather rarely in local cinema in recent years. The only notable example that comes to mind for the same genre is Na Maloom Afraad, while the unreleased, The Legend of Maula Jatt, could also be classified in the same category.

A Dark Entertainer

Although the trailer doesn’t reveal much about the storyline, we do see that Mansha Pasha’s character is going through some struggle and must opt for the help of Ahmad Ali’s character. Ahmad’s character, on the other hand, hails from the streets of Karachi with his own dreams to fulfill. Also added in the mix is crime, some shootouts, and the bad police wallas with a dark sense of humor.

If loaded with a substantial story and gripping screenplay, Laal Kabutar could prove itself to be a dark entertainer.

A special mention should also be given to the musical score of the film. Although the film doesn’t appear to have any dance or romantic numbers, the rap song that is heard throughout the trailer is not only interesting but also gels well with the overall mode of the trailer, and potentially the film too.

As is shown in the clip, the film will explore the themes of greed, power, and revenge. Which character will be pivoting which theme and arc, however, remains to be seen on the big screen.

The Explicit Language

The fresh aspect of the film seems to be it’s realistic and (at the same time) stylistic portrayal of the characters and the language they speak.

The explicit language may be offensive to a few, but that is what adds depth to the scenarios and bring the more organic element to it that may be a vital requirement for the film and its sequences. Let’s just hope it passes through the unnecessary barriers of censors.

In a nutshell, the trailer of Laal Kabootar is slick, dark, and intense and succeeds in convincing us to head to cinemas to watch the film on big screens. We hope we won’t be disappointed.