By Momin Ali Munshi
“So the Transformer is hidden underground, but when the protagonists’ daughter cries out, the Transformer jumps out and beats all the bad guys. If memory serves me right wasn’t this the exact scenario when Maula Jatt’s mother shouts Maulaaa! And a super hyper Maula comes running and beats all the goons?” Syed Noor is excited while narrating his analysis to a group of friends while I listen on. He then turns to me and asks “Beta you tell aren’t both the scenes rather similar?” I am actually convinced and move my head up and down to say I agree. Having my approval he goes on and states how we need to respect our cinema and need to own it. He goes on length to tell how passionate he is for the local cinema and how he believes the revival has already started. This is Syed Noor for you energetic, passionate and always ready to talk about local cinema and I am already excited for our interview. He then gets up and we move to a quieter corner and start our conversation.
Here are excerpts from the interesting free flowing conversation:-
You started in the 70’s as an Assistant Director, then made your writing debut in 76 with the “Society Girl” and later moved to direction. It has been four decades for you in the industry, how does it feel?
To be honest I really feel that, what I saw, what I experienced in the 70’s, when I first joined the Film Industry…I believe that the same time is about to come back. The revival is here! There has been some excellent work in the past few years and lot’s more in the pipeline and I would say it’s a really good time for us. “Woh kehtay hain na, main nay khawab dekha” (You know that famous quote I have a dream), well that time is here when we can finally see the dreams we had for the Pakistani Film Industry turn into a reality.
My next question is about the Syed Noor brand. For as long as I can remember the name Syed Noor has been associated with masala films, with entertaining films full of comedy, romance, drama and dance. But now one can notice this sudden shift in you, perhaps a part of your cathartic process or is it because of the success of lots of social drama films that released in recent times like “Bol” “Chambaili” “Khuda Kay Liye”?
I don’t think I have ever “shifted” from, what you call the ‘Syed Noor brand’, to the something else. I have always tried to do something new, something that has not been done before. I am now moving on a new pathway, a decision which was solely based on my own will! I never follow people blindly on the pathway they are walking upon. I am not one to join the bandwagon effect and I try to be the only one on the journey I undertake.
But don’t you think that the pathway of social-drama films is already quite crowded? I mean every other release we see in Lollywood is a social drama film. You had your own niche in the kind of films you were making. People knew that a Syed Noor film meant entertainment. But now…
(Cuts in)See I want to clarify that, yes I will be tackling issues but my films will not be the typical social drama films we are seeing around us. In my up-coming films I plan to tackle important issues like education and others, but not without a mix of entertainment. So my films will be issue based but will definitely have the entertainment value.
But you are now obviously leaning towards a particular kind of cinema so shall we assume that this is the future for Syed Noor?
Yes absolutely!
Sorry for crying out loud but I still haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact reason for your moving away from Masala films?
Well you can say there has been a change in the thinking process….
You mean the audience has evolved?
No, no, I am talking about myself. As I said earlier I don’t take audiences into account, rather just see what I am comfortable with. Quite frankly, I’m getting older and now I want to focus on films which are age appropriate for me. I will still make films for the youth but will make sure that there is no third class element in them.
Okay, moving on, tell me, initially there was Lollywood, the Pakistani Film Industry based in Lahore, but now most of the film related work is being done in Karachi and Lollywood as such no more exists. What do you have to say on this and also do you think there is a place for our veteran Lollywood directors in this new cinema that has emerged?
I think it’s just a propaganda that most of the work is being done in Karachi. Waar, one of the biggest films of all time was made in Lahore, then Zinda Bhaag was also Lahore based, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi was shot in Punjab (Sialkot), so I think lots of projects are happening in Lahore as well. Additionally, I would say that this is the national film industry we are talking about, Pakistan film industry, it shouldn’t be recognized by any particular city. Also I think that this name “Lollywood” is meaningless and I have no clue who came up with it. Now it’s just that it has gained so much popularity that we have to own up to it!
You recently announced four films, “Price of Honor” “Bhai Wanted” “First Love” “O America” which you plan to shoot and release this year. Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn’t “Price of Honor” been in the pipeline for a few years now? What has caused this delay?
Actually I was waiting for the right time to release the film and I believe that the right time is now. Moreover there were issues with the post production of the film. I shot it on 35mm but now cinemas require digital prints, so the film is being converted to digital format. Inshallah it is almost done and the film will soon release in cinemas.
What about “Bhai Wanted”, when did you start work on this film and how long did it take you to write and conceive this project?
I wrote it quite some time back but the film was in a completely other world when I first wrote it. However when the target killing and missing person issue emerged, I decided to incorporate that in it and blended this with what I had already worked on. Then I reworked the screenplay which is now more relevant to the issues we are facing today.
The films Bhai Wanted and Price of Honor are touching upon some really controversial issues. Do you think the audiences are ready for such hard-hitting films?
See the audience is never ready; it’s up to you to make the audiences more comfortable with an issue and hence make them ready! You cannot just make a film saying that the audience has liked this in the past and hence they will like this now as well, they may end up not liking it! You need to make a film which you believe in; and make it with the utmost conviction, at least that’s how I work. As for being controversial, all I will say is that we have seen lots of controversy on the television and all around us. My films will focus on the entertainment quotient and Inshallah the audiences will be entertained by them.
Talking about your film “Bhai Wanted”? What is the update on it? How much of the shooting is left? When do you plan to release it?
The shooting has been going on for the past few months and I just did a 15-day two months back. We did not shoot during Ramazan and the next schedule is to take place in Karachi and I will start the shooting after Eid. As for the release, I’m targeting an early 2015 release for the film.
Did you face any issues and problems while the shooting?
By the grace of God all the shooting has been going smoothly and we have not faced any such issue or problem. The Karachi shoot may pose some problems but till now the shoot we did in Kashmir went really well.
Do you have any special plans for the release of this film?
One thing is for sure, I plan to promote this film like anything because promotion and marketing are extremely crucial in today’s world. Unless the people know about a film they will not come and see it. Hopefully people will see it as different and entertaining as I have planned it to be.
But how do you plan to make films on the issues of “Honor Killing” “Missing Persons” “Target Killing” and yet keep them entertaining? Will they be something on the lines of Faisal Bukhari’s “Bhai Log”?
I didn’t get a chance to watch “Bhai Log”, but I can say this with confidence that my film “Bhai Wanted”” is something completely new and the concept is different. Once you the see the film in cinemas you will know it for yourself.
The cast is mostly new for this film. You consciously decided to sign in new-comers?
Yes, but there are lots of seniors in supporting roles as well. The film has Nadeem Baig, Kavi, and Irfan Khoosat among others. The thing is I have always believed in giving new –comers a chance to showcase their talent. Lots of the stars we see today have all been introduced by me! Even my other film “Price of Honor” has a cast comprising debutants.
Making a film in Pakistan is not an easy job and one of the major issues is of financing a project i.e. of finding a producer. Most of the big Pakistani films in the past have had an even bigger hand supporting them in terms of finance. US Aid, the Army, Pepsi Co and other companies have been the financial backers for so many movies. Do you plan to collaborate with any company to invest in your up-coming films?
Actually I have always produced most of films myself so I have never had a hard time with the financial aspects of making a film. If there is a need for me to go to them in the future, well then I’ll obviously talk to them, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Actually most of the new film-makers often complain about not having many investors.
Absolutely true! There are hardly any investors in Pakistan. Hell I have never been invested in and I have been making films for decades now! I invest in all of my films myself and even al my up-coming projects have me as the producer.
Moving on, as you would have also observed, lots of familiar faces of television are crossing over into films. Almost all the films which released last year had prominent television faces. Do you think that television has raided over films?
No absolutely not! This has actually been a two- way process for the longest time. People from television cross over to films and likewise film stars have also moved to television. I think it’s a healthy process considering both the industries are Pakistani and the talent is staying within our country.
I am being a bit blunt now but here goes. I remember in the 90’s and the early 2000’s there was a clear distinction between film and TV stars. Shaan, Moammar Rana were film actors. They had better pays, more star value as compared to the television actors and they were the real deal. But now, except Shaan, almost all our traditional Lollywood actors are no more to be seen. Moreover, the TV stars are moving to films and are now the real stars! Any comments?
No I completely disagree. As you pointed Shaan is still a mega star. Likewise Momi (Momar Rana) is still a huge star and also the new-comers coming will be super stars one day. At the end of the day, it’s all about your acting skills. TV and film don’t make a person more or less important.
But Moammar Rana is barely seen anywhere.
“Filmain kahan ban rahin hain jo Momi nazar ayay” (There are barely any films so how can you expect to see Moammar Rana). Then I would say even Shaan was barely seen in films anymore. It’s just that “Waar” proved to be a blockbuster that Shaan is now everywhere.
Most of the new Pakistani films have been made on smaller budgets by independent film-makers. As an industry veteran what is your take on these films?
Firstly I think most of these films lacked the professionalism. See, film is a unique medium then so are all the techniques of it. While watching these films I felt as if I am watching a television drama and not a film! These new kids should go to the veterans for guidance and should get people who know film, who have done film, to assist them with their projects. They have lots to learn in terms of screenplay and other things. If you run a drama on a big screen, that does not mean you made a film!
How can one differentiate a film from a television drama while shooting it?
Making of a film is quite different if you compare it to television dramas. It’s a movie that you are making. The camera is different, the shooting style is different. In television you mostly use static shots and there is lots of close-work. Moreover a television project can be stretched whereas a film cannot. A film needs to have a certain pace!
This year two Pakistani Films “The System” and “Tamanna” released. Your take on these two films?
I found both of the films to have a lot of weaknesses. To start with, both the films did not have a decent script. Then I feel the directors of both these film did not have a good command over their skills. Professionally both the films were rather weak.
As you said earlier that revival is almost here. Lots of promising new projects are in the pipeline. According to you what does the future hold for our Pakistani Film Industry? Also what kinds of films do you think should be made?
Inshallah it will be a really good time for us and people will start preferring Pakistani films over their international counterparts. As for the kind, well I will stick to my opinion that films should be entertaining. People go to cinemas to be entertained. There should be focus on good script, good direction and also the quality music. Lastly, there should be a combination of veterans and new-comers. The new film-makers should see the international cinema and see how it is progressing. We should try and follow it or else we will be left behind.
In the past we had this hit film formula in the face of the “Gujjar” films. Do you think there will be a formula for Pakistani films in the future as well?
I am quite against the idea of having a formula in film-making. If you have to make the same kind of films over and over again then what is the need in having a director, or a writer for that matter? There is no creativity left in the process and the essence of filmmaking is lost.
Shall we expect another Chooriyan or another Majjan from you?
Now I will make better films. Currently we need to focus on survival and need to stand on our own feet. Once that is done, once Pakistani cinema gets its strength then there shall be lots of experimentation, lots of new investors and Inshallah then I will make a romantic Punjabi film too.
At very end, tell us what is the future for Syed Noor? Any last words?
Firstly I’m glad to see that youngsters like you yourself are taking a keen interest in Pakistani films and that makes me really proud and happy. It’s people like you who will have to take the industry forward. As for my future, well it is definitely to produce lots of young film-makers whom I super-wise while they make the films. That is my ultimate dream.
