With the dramatic improvement in Pakistan’s security profile over the past couple of years, the country’s socio-cultural scene is also witnessing an equally proportional boom. This encompasses sports, culture, cinema and a host of other fields. The world over, significant spillover effects are observed whenever one of these fields witnesses a boom; the growth of one field inevitably leads to interdependent growth spurts in other cultural domains. For example, the South Korean arts and culture scene has collectively benefitted from the recent craze for K-pop and now, the country’s cinema.
With Pakistan Super League’s fifth edition just kicking in the country is also experiencing fever-pitched craze for the spectator sport as it’s going to the maiden edition of the country’s biggest cricket festival at home ground. PSL may affect the flow of already scarce cinematic releases however it isn’t shying away in taking Pakistani cinema and showbiz to glam up the exciting event. What’s really interesting is that both PSL and Pakistani cinema have observed an almost parallel growth over the past few years and the involvement of local stars in the event has only increased over the past few years. Except for Lahore Qalandars every PSL team has major Pakistani film/showbiz star on board as their brand ambassadors.
Active celebrity involvement
The list is as versatile and colorful as the number and background of PSL teams itself. It is difficult to say which team has more star power associated with it. While on one hand, Karachi Kings has the king of Pakistani Box office Humayun Saeed and the popular superstar Fahad Mustafa along with singer Shehzad Roy, Peshawar Zalmi have big names such as Hania Amir and Mehwish Hayat associated with them. Joining them are Mehrunissa V Lub U star Sana Javed and popular Pashto Singer Gul Panra to raise the spirits of team Zalmi, whereas Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan also actively support the team. Not to be left behind, Islamabad United also has had country’s hotcake Fawad Khan and the talented Momina Mustehsin donning their sports kit.
On the other hand, Multan Sultans have an interesting mix of artists and media persons that include the likes of the hot Neelam Munir with Javaid Sheikh and Momal Sheikh as well as actor Sadia Khan and televangelist Amir Liaquat Hussain. Quetta Gladiators seems to follow similar footsteps with a list of brand ambassadors that include the Superstar hero Bilal Ashraf and Teefa In Trouble’s Maya Ali. Also supporting the Gladiators are rising names hailing from Baluchistan that include Kaleemullah Khan, the headline-grabbing footballer from Chaman and Ahmed Mujtaba, an incredible MMA fighter based in Quetta who turned a lot of heads recently.
Team anthems
Being the brand ambassadors of various teams isn’t the only way Pakistani stars are involved in PSL. Every team releases its official anthem featuring a major star of the country. Peshawar Zalmi’s official anthem by Peshawar based band Fortitude deserves a special mention which has Jaanan and Parwaz Hai Junoon star Hania Amir alongside the superstar Mehwish Hayat. The song not only is highly catchy and energetic, but the high octane performances by the stars also make it all the more exciting. In the past singers like Rahat Fatah Ali, Ali Zafar, Call (Junaid Khan) and a multitude of others have contributed to the official anthems of different teams and this year is no exception.
Symbiotic relationship
Apart from adding to the glamor quotient in the event, the presence of these stars also increases the excitement for viewers and fans of PSL teams, bringing the much-needed relatability to the country’s biggest cricket festival which also, in turn, gives more exposure to Pakistani showbiz and cinema scene.
However, the extent to which the PSL platform could be used to promote Pakistani cinema is still limited as the cooperation between the two fields is in its teething phase. The PSL platform can be an effective tool to market Pakistani cinema to the masses, given its countrywide viewership and the fact that celebrities are already associated with endorsements for the franchise. In previous years, films like Bachaana (Sanam Saeed and Mohib Mirza) have been promoted using PSL’s podiums. Both the leading stars performed at the opening event which also made Bachaana the first film to be promoted via PSL. Ali Zafar’s 2018 blockbuster Teefa In Trouble also very cleverly used the event to launch and promote Teefa‘s teaser trailer. Slick and well-choreographed show-stopping performances by superstars can contribute tremendously towards increasing the buzz for their upcoming productions and also dramatically boost the appeal of the tournament just not among men, but also women.
Final word
Pakistani filmmakers and marketing personnel should, therefore, cement their involvement with PSL to utilize the platform to promote their films, which will also have the added benefit of giving the Pakistani cinema brand more visibility and acceptability. Active involvement of cricketers in film promotions could further contribute towards raising the profile of local film productions among the masses, also helping them know what films coming out. The eventual goal should be to accord cinema with the same craze and hype as cricket.
PSL and Pakistani cinema can serve to be the linchpin of the country’s re-energized sociocultural scene, and with strong expected growth in both the tournament and cinema, both are well placed to benefit from each other.
