Pulling up to Alliance Française de Karachi on the rather heated eve of 13th March for the Ruposh success bash, I am a tad bit taken aback by how decked up in lights the venue is, ornamented to the nines in hues of red. Immediately, I suspect I am under-dressed, for I initially believed the event to be an intimate affair at Cote Rotie. Entering the premises, my suspicion is confirmed.
The Setup
An entire red carpet – studded with stars and makers of the film, all of whom have arrived in their Sunday best – greets one upon arrival. I swiftly slink to the back to better orient myself.
The Haroon Kadwani and Kinza Hashmi starrer is the celebration of the night. Neon signs related to the film ornate the space right next to Cote Rote, whereas the wider, open space hosts not only a plethora of seating spaces, but also a gigantic screen upon which clips from the film play.
The Kadwanis
Haroon, dressed in all black, beams from the red carpet as he is periodically photographed – sometimes alone, and at other times, with his family, or members of the cast and crew of Ruposh. Kinza is the epitome of beauty and grace as she often poses alongside Haroon, with photographers specifically requesting for a frame with the two stunning leads.
The larger-than-life Abdullah Kadwani makes an appearance in almost all the pictures, and continues to be an omnipresent, active host throughout. The soft-spoken, yet charming Asad Qureshi makes conversation with the multitude of guests as well, and is a remarkably poised co-host.
I am immediately recognized by Muskan Kadwani, Haroon’s sister, who turns out to be my sister’s friend. Finding a sense of familiarity with each other, we briefly converse about the film, her own passion for cinema which she is pursuing through her studies, and how she might eventually enter the Pakistani film industry in hopes to one day grasp directorial reigns.
The Film And Its Milestones
Ruposh falls under the romance genre, where a young, guarded, often arrogant man from an upper-class family finds himself falling for a simple-minded woman from a middle-class set up, despite an unpleasant first encounter. With opposing worldviews, Salaar and Zunaira find hints of solace in each other’s love, till emerging secrets begin impacting their relationship, paving a path to the question: will their love survive all hardships?
The 7th Sky Entertainment telefilm has already made history by surpassing a whopping 100 million views, as was also made evident at the event by a neon sign towards the back where the cake-cutting ceremony eventually took place.
A Star-Studded Affair
The event itself was inundated with stars. Feroze Khan made a swift appearance, meeting the primary cast and crew and conveying his well wishes. Imran Ashraf made an appearance with his wife, and was the very picture of grace throughout the event, periodically checking in with everyone and ensuring that they had eaten.
Faysal Qureshi and his wife, Sana, were seen mingling amongst the crowd, where I eventually camouflaged, immersing myself in conversation with Sana, pitching the Lollywood version of Bollywood Wives. She showed interest, stating that she was already pondering over setting up her own vlog.
Momin Ali Munshi conversed with Faysal, discussing ‘Sorry,’ a project of the star’s that has been stuck for quite some time, where Faysal shed light on the various obstacles that began posing as roadblocks for the the release of a project into which he has actively put immense resources.
Nadia Hussain, Saboor Aly, Zara Noor Abbas and Asad Siddiqui made an appearance as well. Amar Khan asked me for chewing gum at some point, and I have never despised myself more for not carrying any extra.
The Standout Moment
Most events have that one moment where everyone breaks character and hilarity ensues. At this event, Momin suggested that the heads of leading publications take a picture together.
As Momin, Aamna Isani, Raheel Rao, Maliha Rehman, Rabia Mughni, and Hassan Choudary posed together for a photograph, the actors crowded around, teasing that this was the real photograph of the night. Amar Khan began making a video of the moment which she went on to post on her Instagram story. Imran and Haroon grabbed camera phones as well to capture the moment.
Celebrating Ruposh
The night eventually cascaded into everyone gathering around the lead team of Ruposh as they cut the gorgeous celebratory cakes. Shortly after, dinner was served, and an intense catch-up session between the various actors, producers, and leads of publications began within the confines of Cote Rote which lasted well past midnight.
As the telefilm continues to hit milestone after milestone, having reached nearly 104 million views at the point of this being written, one marvels at how far the industry has traversed.
Whilst struggles to create content remain persistent, commemorating such achievements, perhaps, becomes all the more pertinent. With the spirit of that very sense of jubilation in mind, here’s hoping that the industry celebrates numerous more, and keeps consistently thriving.
