With feature films still having a larger fan-base and audience in Pakistan, it’s refreshing to learn that the trend of short films is finally picking up in the Pakistani Film Industry. Short films are an excellent medium for new talent – actors, producers, writers, directors – to showcase their skills effectively. Slowly but surely, we see a growing appreciation for short films in the audiences as well. The demand for new and dynamic content in the entertainment industry continues to grow relentlessly, mainly caused by the easy access and rise of streaming platforms. This has consequently led to an increase in the amount of film/TV series productions on a global spectrum.
The Pakistani Entertainment Industry is growing throughout the world; be it our dramas, our music, or our films, audiences all over the world are huge fans of the immense talent our entertainment industry holds and the stories that are so close to realism. Film festivals have become a vital and indispensable platform for content acquisition for broadcast networks and streaming platforms and have become the flag bearer of giving rise and recognition to emerging talent, providing an opportunity for them to compete against up-and-coming and seasoned filmmakers worldwide.
One Last Shot
The International Film Festival Circuit, a partnership of eight different Film Festival Events in the United States, is one such festival that consists of thousands of films from many different parts of the world, which screen films and recognise screenplays created by international independent filmmakers.
Saram Jaffery and his short-film ‘One Last Shot’ have put Pakistan on the map by winning multiple awards in the United States of America at New York Film Awards 2020, Los Angeles Film Awards 2020 for Best Acting, Best Drama, and Best Narrative. The film has also won the Best Canadian Short Film and Viewers Choice Award at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and Best Romantic Drama in India at Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and in Italy at Oniros Film Awards.
‘One Last Shot’ is based on a struggling musician’s life who comes from a South Asian background. It is inspired by real-life stories where Saram Jaffery plays the lead role of a struggling musician, trying to make ends meet and makes bad choices along the way which puts his relationship with his loved ones in jeopardy.
The short film is a debut for Aniqa Zulfikar who plays the female lead in the film. The Canadian-based Pakistani model has done theatre work in the past. However, this is her first film. Zuhair Raza Jaffery plays the antagonist in the film. He is a renowned veteran Pakistani actor who has appeared in countless dramas during the ’80s and ’90s. His most popular work includes ‘Ainak Wala Jinn’ and ‘Zameen’.
Saram Jaffery – The man behind ‘One Last Shot’
The fireball of talent, Saram Jaffery, is an actor and filmmaker who has always been immensely passionate about his two skills and embarked on his acting journey quite early. He was a child star and appeared in a few drama serials on PTV. From there, his passion grew and he ventured out to the theatre.
“My favourite thing to do in my free time, when I was a kid, was to watch movies and TV shows. I would often stand in front of a mirror and try to re-enact scenes from the movies. Then in my school days, I started getting involved in dramatics and performed in many school stage plays during my time. It just always felt like a buzz too good to describe. Every time I would perform on stage and get appreciation from the crowd, that feeling always felt priceless. I always felt like this is where I belong and performing arts is my calling”, Saram expressed while speaking to Galaxy Lollywood.
When asked about his experience as an actor and a director and which of these two roles he enjoys more, he said, “I have definitely enjoyed directing, but acting is something I absolutely love. It’s been my childhood love.” He also added, “I love the challenge and opportunity to be someone else on the screen. It’s like every time you’re meeting someone new within yourself and exploring your own emotional range and capacity to live that character’s life.”
He further added, “It can be a bit overwhelming to act and direct at the same time. I wore the director’s hat for ‘One Last Shot’ because as a writer of this film I had envisioned the film a certain way and was really keen on bringing it to life as close to my perception as possible. I was lucky enough to work with an amazing and super talented team of actors and people behind the camera that made the whole ride very smooth.”
The biggest challenge Saram had to face during ‘One Last Shot’ was to work within limited resources and budget. “I think emerging artists from South Asian backgrounds always struggle finding the support system within their community. I always say that young talent from a South Asian background has to be really passionate and brave to make a film, because we still lack acceptability of arts as a career choice.”
He also added the ‘One Last Shot’ gave him an opportunity to spot a lot of hidden and untapped talent. Acknowledging his “amazing team of young and passionate artists and filmmakers” he said that with audiences moving more towards OTT platforms, there’s a higher demand for content.
“I think it is high time that our community and leaders, be it in Pakistan itself or anywhere else in the world, come forward to support the emerging talent and aspiring artists because now we have a much bigger opportunity to reach a global audience and share our stories with the world.”
We also asked Saram what motivated and inspired him to shoot ‘One Last Shot’ to which he told us that his main motivation was to show Pakistan in positive light to the international audience.
“Being an overseas Pakistani, I come across many people from different backgrounds that still have a negative image of Pakistan because of what’s mostly shown in the news. Things have gotten better in the past few years. With the rise of social media, the world is getting to see a different side of Pakistan. But I still see an opportunity of improvement in that direction. I believe art is a very strong medium in any country to reach the masses.”
Saram Jaffery is excited to continue his journey of being an actor and a filmmaker. With the demand for content being as high as it currently is, emerging talent has a huge opportunity to showcase their talent to a global audience. The love and support ‘One Last Shot’ has received have motivated him more than ever to bring bigger and better content for the audiences.
Saram has many more projects in the pipeline. “I am working on a few projects right now. Some of them will be partially shot in Pakistan. There is a feature film about mental health issues, then there’s an immigrant drama web series and another psychological thriller web series. All of them are catered towards mainstream cinema and streaming platforms. I am more focused on acting and producing for now but will be directing here and there.”
‘One Last Shot’ marks Saram Jaffery’s first leading role and also his digital debut in the streaming platform market. The film is available to watch in the USA and UK on Amazon Prime Video.
The short film has given the Pakistani film industry notable exposure globally, however, Saram wants to continue contributing towards introducing Pakistani cinema to the world and to build a positive image of the country through the medium of art.
