What Will Be Pakistan’s Official Entry For The Oscars This Year?

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July 15, 2019

A few days ago, an announcement calling for Oscar submissions from Pakistani filmmakers was released. This is the seventh consecutive year that Pakistan would be sending a film to the Oscars to be considered as a nomination for the ‘International Feature Film Award’. Some of the films that have been submitted for consideration previously have been ‘Cake’, ‘Moor’, ‘Dukhtar’, ‘Mah-e-Mir’, and ‘Zinda Bhaag’.

According to the press release, the committee is looking for films released between the dates 1^st October 2018 and 30^th September 2019. The films must be of a feature movie length produced outside of United States of America, with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and must have seen a proper theatrical release and have gotten at least seven days run at the theatres.

This means all the Pakistani films released between the time period are eligible to be selected by the committee and sent for consideration. First, however, let’s take a look at the films and see whether or not they are worthy to be considered for such a prestigious award.

The likelihood of consideration

Only three films released in the latter months of 2018 namely ‘Pinky Memsaab’, ‘3 Bahadur: Rise of the Warriors’, and ‘Donkey King’. Although there has been no rule specifying whether or not animated features can be considered for the award, it is highly doubtful that ‘3 Bahadur’ or ‘Donkey King’ would make the cut.

A handful of films have been released in 2019 that can be up for consideration as well with names like ‘Laal Kabootar’ and ‘Baaji’ topping the list owing to the critical acclaim the films have gotten.

We emphasize on the critical acclaim here because looking at the previously considered films Pakistan has sent for the Academy’s consideration, there is a pattern.

Films which have had thought provoking and edgy scripts are considered more, instead of films that are aimed towards the masses or, in other words, commercial successes. Films garnering commercial success are not top-priority and, thus, are barely considered for the nomination.

Any guesses?

While it is still early to make a final guess about which of the Pakistani films being released this year would be selected by the committee as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars, we are making an educated guess that it would be either ‘Pinky Memsaab’ or ‘Laal Kabootar’. ‘Baaji’ is also a strong contender but the criticism the film’s last fifteen minutes have gotten has, unfortunately, made the film a weaker contender.

Films like ‘Ready Steady No’ in addition to all Eid-ul-Azha releases fulfil conditions to be eligible for consideration. However, judging by the films’ trailers and the appeal they are going for, it makes us think that they would not be the films the committee would be looking for.

Nevertheless, the Pakistani film officially selected for the Academy’s consideration would be announced in October. And whichever film will make the cut, we hope the industry supports it. Moreover, we hope it’s one that best represents the rapidly evolving state of Pakistani cinema.

Box Office: Good Content Wins As ‘Baaji’ Scores Big Numbers In Week Two

By

Sinwan Maryam Zahid

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July 13, 2019

Two weeks ago, ‘Baaji’ hit cinemas around Pakistan on an ordinary day of the year, with luck on its side. Cultural festivals and holidays surrounding them are oft considered great occasions to release movies since they bring in more people. Weekends like these host big film openings and play to packed houses even if the content is mediocre at best. But seldom do they get to retain their first week numbers in their second week. We can say we have a winner for this year.

‘Baaji’ shows good content can shine

Saqib Malik’s ‘Baaji’ takes the crown this year. The film was highly anticipated and despite its unsatisfying climax, most of social media still appreciated for touching upon a subject such as this. ‘Baaji’ didn’t release over an “Eid weekend” yet it made 90 lacs on its first day of release. That made it the 4th biggest release of the year, close to hitting the 1 crore mark. In fact, there was an important Pakistan cricket match over the same weekend which didn’t seem to hinder views a lot. There only seems to be one probable reason: the content was actually good.

Shameera’s struggle, which can be explained by her one-liner, “you can love me or you can hate me but, you can never replace me” was close to reality. The strong plot opened audiences up to the world of showbiz. One day you’re the showstopper, the other you’re cast aside. Not only was Meera’s acting phenomenal, but from Osman Khalid Butt, Amna Ilyas, Mohsin Abbas to even Ali Kazmi, Nisho and Nayyar Ejaz, everyone did justice to their characters.

‘Baaji’ has the biggest week 2 of the year

While most films desperately try to send audiences to cinemas, ‘Baaji’ kept pulling in more and more watchers. It is reported that by the end of week 2, ‘Baaji’ has made Rs. 3 crore and held very well since its opening. Despite Spider-Man: Far From Home and Annabelle releasing in the same week, and Wrong No. 2, Chhalawa already playing in cinemas, ‘Baaji’ exceeded all expectations.

With no movies releasing for another week, we can expect ‘Baaji’ to jump from its current Rs. 7.5 crores to Rs. 9 crores by the end of week 3.

Here are Baaji’s estimated box office numbers till now:

Week One: 4.5 crores
Week Two: 3 crores
Total: 7.5 crores

As compared to Chhalawa,

Total at Week 5: Approx. 17 crore

and compared to Wrong No. 2

Total at week 5: Approx. 19 crore plus

What do you think about these numbers?

Three Films All Set To Hit Cinemas This Coming Week

By

Zaryan Khawar

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July 13, 2019

The local cinema industry has been reeling and trying to get through this phase of a new film coming after every two or three weeks. Some movies have done well in the past few months, for example, Eid releases did fairly well. Then there was ‘Baaji’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ which made a considerable amount of money.

As for the coming week, we should gear up for three releases. Two local releases ‘Tum Hi Ho’ and ‘Ready Steady No’ will be shown along with a widely anticipated and big release, ‘The Lion King’ live action remake.

Tum Hi Ho

‘Tum Hi Ho’ stars actors Danish Taimoor, Mathira, and Qurat ul Ain in the lead roles. This film is essentially a love triangle where Taimoor plays love interest of a vamp being played by Mathira, whilst he himself is in love with a librarian played by Qurat ul Ain.

GL Verdict: The film’s first trailer came out 2 years back in 2017, but the film never got released. It was announced even further back in 2015, so it has long been in the works. However, with that being said, now it is finally ready to be shown. The trailer did not look impressive at any time and the film is coming with zero hype. We believe the film will fail to leave any mark at the box office.

Watch the trailer here:

Ready Steady No

‘Ready Steady No’ stars Amna Ilyas, Salman Shahid, Faisal Saif, Zain Afzal, Nargis Rasheed and Ismail Tara. It shows the journey of a couple going through many hurdles and mix-ups while they try and make their nikkah happen.

GL Verdict: Amna Ilyas has just come out of a good box office success with ‘Baaji’ but promotions for ‘Baaji’ were also much better. The film has some notable names which might bring in some good audience but it will all boil down to good content, which we hope the film contains.

Watch the trailer here:

The Lion King

Everyone knows that ‘The Lion King’ has been one of the biggest and most successful animated films ever to hit cinema screens. The music album of the Disney film still holds the record of most sales for an animated film ever with approx. over 7 million copies sold in 1994. ‘The Lion King’ is the perfect revenge saga and we hope Disney does justice to the original.

GL Verdict: ‘The Lion King’ has potential to be the second best opening of the year after ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The film’s dubbed Hindi/Urdu version boasts of ShahRukh Khan’s voice-over which will give the film a major boost all over. The film appeals to all age groups and even languages, so we’re hoping it turns out to be a mega success for all concerned.

Watch the trailer here:

Parting words

The local releases ‘Tum Hi Ho’ and ‘Ready Steady No’ will look to benefit from ‘The Lion King’ and we hope they can too. Fingers crossed for a big weekend next week.

‘Kaaf Kangana’ Is Officially Out Of The Eid-ul-Azha Race

By

Maisooma Batool

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July 13, 2019

We may not know how many twists and turns the film’s actual script has but the drama surrounding the release of ‘Kaaf Kangana’ is surely never ending. We had last reported about some hush-hush rumors circulating within the industry that the release date of ‘Kaaf Kangana’ has been delayed. Although Khalil ur Rahman Qamar had shot down those rumors and reiterated that the film was ready to be released on Eid-ul-Azha as planned, a recent post by Humayun Saeed says otherwise.

In an Instagram post shared by Humayun Saeed late last night, the release date for ‘Kaaf Kangana’ has been announced as 25th October. We called up Humayun Saeed to get more details about this surprising announcement, considering it came from him instead of anyone directly attached with the film.

“Khalil Sahab is a dear friend and he had asked me to put up the post announcing Kaaf Kangana’s new release date. The film has been delayed to avoid the big clash on Eid-ul-Azha as Khalil Sahab did not want that. The decision is taken as a step that is best for the industry”, said Humayun Saeed on-record.

This is certainly a wise move as a cluttered Eid-ul-Azha does negatively effect all the films involved. Nonetheless, this does come as a shock considering how adamant Khalil ur Rahman Qamar had been on releasing his film over Eid.

When we spoke to him about the why he had chosen Eid-ul-Azha as the release date for his film, especially when two films had already locked the Eid as their release date months in advance, Khalil ur Rahman Qamar said that his films always came on Eid-ul-Azha. He further added that it was tradition for him hence he had to do the same this time around as well. He had also suggested other films to move their release dates if there was such a big concern about the clash being a bad thing for industry.

Well, the situation seems to have changed now and all we can say is dair aye durust aye. Whatever the reason behind ‘Kaaf Kangana’ bowing out of the Eid-ul-Azha race is, we wish the film all the best for its new release date and eagerly wait for it to grace our screens on 25th of October.

‘Heer Maan Ja’ Trailer Convinces Us To Watch It On The Big Screen This Eid!

By

Hassan Hassan

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July 12, 2019

IRK films, the makers behind acclaimed cinematic offerings like ‘Siyah’, ‘Janaan’ and ‘Parchi’, have just dropped the trailer of their fourth production titled, ‘Heer Maan Ja’.

The beautifully-cut trailer looks fun

By the looks of it, ‘Heer Maan Ja’ promises to be a complete family entertainer with a recipe that employs the right amount of comedy, romance, action and drama.

Starring Ali Rehman Khan, Hareem Farooq and Faizan Sheikh in the prominent roles alongside a big supporting cast, it seems like ‘Heer Maan Ja’ is all set to make other big competitors feel nervous.

The story

The trailer shows Kabeer (Ali Rehman) as an ambitious and hardworking man who has to deal with Heer (Hareem) when they cross each other’s paths unintentionally. Unlike Kabeer, Heer is a rebellious, sassy and spontaneous girl who elopes on her wedding night leaving her suitor Wajdaan (Faizan Sheikh) baffled with an urge to avenge his honour.

What ensues is a cat and mouse run, with multiple characters thrown in, ultimately culminating in an action packed wedding climax. In between we see beautifully shot romantic scenes in the locales of Islamabad with a few car chases and action sequences here and there. All this is packaged with signature IRK comedy of course.

The couple’s chemistry

The most interesting aspect of the trailer remains the dazzling chemistry of the lead pair. The film will surely be exploring how the two look great together. This will get the audience’s attention when released.

Both the actors shine in each and every frame of the trailer and their chemistry is adorable whenever they appear together in it. Equally impressive is Faizan Sheikh, who is playing the antagonist. His look is very fierce and the talented actor seems to own his character impressively.

The trailer features two dance numbers, namely a shadi number where we see Lollywood’s yesteryear star Zara Sheikh shaking a leg with Ali Rehman. The other is a catchy number that includes Hareem, Ali and Faizan in some dark outfits, most likely an end credit song.

Unlike its earlier teaser, the makers intelligently have kept the cameos at bay this time, focusing on the main trio. An exception to this is Aamina Sheikh’s cameo presence where she shines in a seductive gangster avatar adding more to the intrigue factor of the film. Her character is also featured in what looks like the climax of the film.

With ‘Heer Maan Ja’ seemingly being different than ‘Superstar’, ‘Parey Hut Luv’ and ‘Kaaf Kangna’, Pakistani cinema fans will definitely be spoilt for choice when all the films hit cinemas. For now Heer has definitely managed to convince us to watch the film in cinemas.

Directed by Azfar Jafri and produced by Imran Raza Kazmi, Arif Lakhani and Hareem Farooq, ‘Heer Maan Ja’ releases on Eid ul Azha across the country.

Watch the trailer here:

https://youtu.be/Xje9eJfMzSs

Hina Altaf Calls Muneeb Butt A Bad Actor, Aiman Khan Jumps To The Rescue

By

Atiqa Ali

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July 12, 2019

Everybody has opinions regarding everything they see on the internet nowadays. But at times, the luxury of offering an opinion is one that our superstars cannot afford. Another certain incident has caught our eye regarding VJ-turned-actress, Hina Altaf, and power couple Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt.

What happened

A video of Hina Altaf is making the internet’s rounds where the actress was sitting for an interview. In To Be Honest, a show hosted by Tabish, he asked Hina, “Aisa kon sa actor hai jis ko acting nahi ati per bharram pooray deta hai, pooray sau rupay kay?”. Hina instantly said, “Muneeb Butt”.

Here’s a video of what was said:

The host then proceeded to Google Muneeb Butt ‘kyun ke mujhey nahi pata kon hai’.
Hina identified Muneeb with #AineebKiShaadi, the trending Instagram hashtag for his and Aiman’s wedding, to which the host suddenly had a revelation, “ohhh 50 crore ki shaadi” to which Hina stated she hadn’t been invited. The host further added, “50 crore ki shaadi wala, jin ki wife ne shaadi ke doosray din mehndi se likha jahaiz khori band karo”.

This video was later shared by Aiman and Minal Khan on their Facebook profiles with the captions conveying their dismay and calling both, the host and guest, uneducated. They also spoke about how people should not make fun of their colleagues and not hate so much.

What we think

In our opinion, Hina did not do anything wrong by taking Muneeb’s name as she was asked a question and responded with honesty. It is well within her rights to like or dislike someone’s acting and to express her opinion on it. Hence, there was nothing uneducated about the video snippet.

We do acknowledge that the next part where the host pretended not to know Muneeb, as well as bringing his and Aimen’s wedding, a personal matter, into the whole thing was a bit much.

As for the reaction from the twins, people are bound to feel bad when someone speaks ill of their family but maybe a bit more tolerance towards such things would help? After all, your craft can not be loved by everyone. There have to be a few naysayers and you can not pick battles with everyone that doesn’t agree with you.

What do you guys think about it?

Fresh: Iqra Aziz And Yasir Hussain To Now Star Together In A Drama Serial

By

Sinwan Maryam Zahid

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July 11, 2019

After what is being termed the proposal of the year, Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain are #trending. Less than a week ago, at the Lux Style Awards, Yasir popped the question and Iqra said “YES!”

Ever since then, the country has been divided into a social media debate over the morality of a public proposal with barely any consensus reached. However, for those excited about the jodi, there is even more exciting news: yes, they’re going to star together in a drama serial.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzm8ZwLB23n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

For ARY Digital’s ‘Jhooti’, we initially reported that Iqra Aziz and Ahmad Ali Butt will be playing husband and wife. The drama ‘Jhooti’, as the name suggests, will be around Iqra’s character who is a compulsive liar, and the impact her lies will have on her and the people around her.

But as the title of this article suggests, there is another act entering the fold. Yasir Hussain will, too, be gracing the screen in ‘Jhooti’. We have found out that Yasir will have a more significant role as compared to Ahmad Ali Butt’s. Ahmad, who is busy with ‘Parey Hut Love’ promotions for his role opposite Zara Noor Abbas, will be seen in initial episodes of ‘Jhooti’ and can be considered as a supporting role.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_XR9iAuPi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The real deal, however, are going to be Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain. While the couple have a relationship off-screen, it will be interesting to see them on television. The two haven’t acted opposite each other in the past.

After what’s being said about her character, we’re interested to see how well she plays the part. Let’s see what drama the ‘Suno Chanda’ star brings to the table. It will also be interesting to see what role Yasir has to play in the drama. Will it be that Iqra lies to Ahmad about her love, Yasir, and goes behind Ahmad’s back? Only to be sent home packing? We can only guess for now.

‘Jhooti’ has been written by Syed Wasi Shah who wrote ‘Bhool’ and is under direction of Ramish Rizvi who also directed ‘Barfi Laddu’. We’ve been told that shooting just started so audiences can expect it sometime end of this year or beginning next year.

Why Are Pakistani Dramas Such Massive Successes In India?

By

Hajira Waheed

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July 11, 2019

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Galaxy Lollywood.

In the recent years we have seen a lot of cross-culture exchange when we think about Pakistani dramas airing in India. They have become so popular in that a new television channel, ZEE Zindagi, was created solely to telecast hit Pakistani shows. It was through these Pakistani dramas that our brilliant actors were introduced to India.

Be it Fawad Khan’s boyish charm or Ahsan Khan’s impeccable acting skills, the channel telecast it all. Dramas like Humsafar, Aun Zara, Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Meray Qatil Meray Dildar got immense love and recognition from across the border. Actors like Paresh Rawal, Kajol and Javed Jaffrey have previously praised ZEE Zindagi and its shows.

But here’s the big question? Kyu? Jab itni well-established industry hai India ki tou why did Pakistani dramas receive such appreciation? Akhir sautan ko itni immediate acceptance kyu? So I browsed through interviews, entertainment magazines and the internet for an answer. Here’s what I found:

Pakistani dramas are more realistic in nature

They depict stories that hit home. They are raw and close to reality unlike Indian dramas where if an actor doesn’t come back after dying ‘tou kuch adhoora adhoora saa lagta hai’. Like how many times did Mihir survive death in the hit show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi? I think, a solid four times.

The zooming in and zooming out

You’ve probably also noted how Indian cameramen get a little too excited when it comes to revealing plot twists. The zooming in and out of the lens to impose a shock factor is annoying and doesn’t do much to help the audience except for give them headaches. In Pakistani dramas they build up tension towards a big reveal through the strong story line, but the zooming in and zooming out is only kept for the climax.

Less episodes

Indian shows usually have 3000+ episodes. If they’re not cancelled, people just like to keep dragging them on and on. Honestly though, who can keep up with this much drama? As a result, the story becomes weak and monotonous. Pakistani dramas on the other hand are short and sweet. They usually span over a month or two and you get a story which is clear and not dragged.

No super villains or super heroes

In Indian dramas there is no middle ground. Either a character is extremely naive, gullible or extremely spiteful and devious, which is far from reality. Pakistani dramas illustrate complex characters, much closer to reality, which audiences can relate to. Neither are the protagonists diabetic-ally sweet nor are the antagonists extremely evil. That helps keep up the mystique and it’s all about relatability.

Pakistani shows are around social issues

The story line of Indian dramas is so redundant that after the first fifty episode or so you cant seem to figure out ke ho kia raha hai? Pakistani dramas, on the other hand, have some theme. Usually a social issue, if you may. The creators make sure that the audience takes back something after they are done with the show. Meanwhile, across the border, Prerna has to choose between Anurag and Mr Bajaj just for the sake of it!

Amazing OSTs

Pakistani shows have amazing OSTs (original sound tracks) and a lot of thought is put into making them, whereas Indian shows don’t bother putting in any such effort. Bollywood k gaanay chala dete hain beech mai bus. Pakistani dramas’ OSTs are so catchy that once you listen to them you kind of want to see the show too. Wo humsafar tha magar uss say/ Humnavai naa thi kaa koi competion hai bhalla?

So to sum up all the chitter chatter, Pakistani dramas are widely popular in India as well because they are relatable, deliver a social message, are close to reality and just more believable. Kudos to our drama Industry for working so hard and making us proud everywhere!

The Music of Parey Hut Love is Delightful and Promises Grand Visuals

By

Maisooma Batool

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July 10, 2019

“The music of Parey Hut Love is very filmy,” is what Asim Raza had claimed when we had last spoken to him about the special song the film’s team had shot after the film’s trailer had been released. Well, today the film’s entire soundtrack got released online on various music streaming platforms and we are very happy to report that all of Asim’s claims about the music album are true. Composed by the young hit-maker of the Pakistani film industry, Azaan Sami Khan, the music of Parey Hut Love is indeed grand, filmy, and also has a track originally composed by one of the most well-known faces of Pakistani music.

The album consists of six tracks in total. Ik Pal sung by Hadiqa Kiyani and Harshdeep Kaur, Haye Dil has Jimmy Khan lending his voice, Behka Na is a duet song by Ali Tariq and Harshdeep Kaur, Balma Bhagora has Aima Baig singing the main verses with Sheheryar Munawar and Ahmed Ali Butt filling in for the rap parts, More Saiyaan is crooned in the beautiful voice of Zeb Bangash, and finally the album ends with a classic Sufi number Zihal-e-Miskin sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

https://youtu.be/xROgWMiKXqI

Upbeat Dance Numbers

The music video for Ik Pal has already been released by the team and the response for it has been fairly positive. It is a typical mehendi number that is take on an old Punjabi folk song Jind Mahi. The mix of the familiar tune and words with fresh music and lyrics is a perfect way of kick-starting the album as not only does it perfectly capture the grandness of the film, but also captivates the listeners with its infectious melody.

Next up is what we predict is going to be the party bop of the season. Haye Dil is yet another high-energy song with very fun lyrics and an easily hummable melody. A glimpse of the song was shown in the trailer so we know that it is a song picturized on Sheheryar’s character as he laments about his bechara dil that is hell bent on falling in love despite all his best efforts to stop it. Jimmy Khan’s irresistible vocals pull the listeners in and make Haye Dil an anthem of every person who is afraid of falling in love but can’t help falling in love either.

Shades of Love

Following it up is the soulful love ballad Behka Na which changes the mood of the album from upbeat to relaxed. The song employs the use of piano, flute, and violin to set the stage which celebrates the magic of love. The lyrics, which are penned by Asim Raza, talk about the love that sneaks on you unannounced and engulfs you in it to take you on a beautiful journey. The music video for the song perfectly captures that mood as we the characters of Sheheryar and Maya sneaking away from the crowd to enjoy a night out. The song and its video are all about the romance and, avoiding the parey hut in the title, celebrate the soul of the film – love.

https://youtu.be/7n752iGBw28

If Behka Na is all about the magic of love, the next track Balma Bhagoda is all about sad reality of it. But the song is far from sad; an upbeat dance number, Balma Bhagoda is, as we had reported earlier, a fun jibe at Sheheryar’s commitment phobia in the film. The song speaks about famous folk tales of Sassi-Punnu, Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, and draws a comparison of how women have to suffer in love be it in any age. The rap verses by Sheheryar Munawar and Ahmed Ali Butt give the song a very contemporary feel and with lines like “one-way pe gaadi ko moda, nigoda balma bhagoda” give the song a very commercial, massy feel.

Classical and Sufi

Morey Saiyaan showcases the diversity of the album by being a through and through classical song. This song is featured on Mahira Khan in the film and a glimpse of it was featured in the trailer where we can see her doing a traditional mujra in a grand setting. Using traditional instruments like sarangi, tabla, dholak, and sitar, the song immediately transforms you to the golden age of Lollywood and Zeb Bangash’s voice provides the perfect guide to revisit that fantasy land.

The album ends with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwali Zihal-e-Miskin, which is a famous sufi poetry by Amir Khusro. There are many musical interpretations of this poety but this song is based on the composition of the Pakistani legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This isn’t the first time Asim Raza has used a sufi poetry as part of his film’s soundtrack; his first film Ho Mann Jahan also had one such track. But while Ghar Naari was all about the celebration of love that came home, Zihal-e-Miskin is about a lover being sorrowful at his beloved’s separation.

Verdict

Parey Hut Love offers a flavorful soundtrack that has all its bases covered. From catchy dance numbers to familiar folk and sufi songs, there is something for everyone here. The soundtrack of the film is delightful that promises a grand visual treat for the big screen.

If I Could, I Would Change These Things About Lollywood Films

By

Hammad Akbar

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July 10, 2019

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Galaxy Lollywood.

If there is one thing that is evident from the success of ‘Baaji’, one of the more recently-released Lollywood films, it is that Pakistani audiences are finally embracing complex stories. The movie not only managed to enchant the critics, but also ended up being a hit among the audiences. The fact that as of yesterday the film was at 6.6 crores, despite being niche and not releasing on a festival weekend, it shows people are interested.

While the success of a drama like ‘Baaji’ is indeed an achievement for the Lollywood industry, we still need to work on a lot of things. It is a known fact that most of the Pakistani movies released in the recent years have revolved around two storylines: marriages and the armed forces. The term ‘Pakistani cinema revival’ is thrown around every now and then but the truth is, our cinema will only evolve if we look beyond the two aforementioned topics.

So here are a few things that I would change about Lollywood films:

Different genres

No doubt that the Pakistani audience has a spot for romantic comedies, but filmmakers need to understand that in order to tap the wider audience, they need to try out different genres in Lollywood films. Some people might say that they’re restrained due to budget issues, but a good crime thriller doesn’t need billions of rupees. ‘Laal Kabootar’ is proof of that.

Lose the stereotypes

If Pakistani culture was really as our movies show it to be, then everyone belonging to Punjab would be loud and uneducated, and every Pathan would have killed at least one person in his life. We are showing our culture to the world in our movies. If we don’t lose the stereotypes first, how else do we expect others to have a positive opinion about us?

Strong female characters

It is 2019 and women in our movies are still doing what they have been doing for the last century: serve as a secondary character so that the male character can come and save them, or in other words, a damsel in distress. Last year, we saw incredible female characters in Zara and Zareen from ‘Cake’, and Zenith Irfan from ‘The Motorcycle Girl’. All the three women were heroes of their own stories and did not rely on a man to come and save them.

Say no to item numbers

This point may be controversial for some people, but it needs to be said. If we are talking about women empowerment, then we need to lose item numbers from our movies. There is nothing empowering about a woman dancing in front of hundreds of men – all while wearing skimpy clothes. They serve no purpose to the story.

Cheap jokes

Humor is something Pakistani industry has always struggled with, especially when making movies. Relying on sexual innuendos and double meaning jokes has been a hobby of a lot of our filmmakers. Clean humor for the whole family is very rare to see in our movies.

Diverse male characters

Male characters taking a backseat and giving female characters the spotlight might be something that a lot of our male characters might not be happy about, but there is nothing wrong with playing a sensitive, supporting yet equally important character. Adnan Malik in ‘Cake’ is proof of that. Although it is a story about two sisters, played by Amina Shaikh and Sanam Saeed, Adnan Malik’s character is very crucial to the story and we get to see how in the climax of the movie.

Bollywood-inspired movies

Our movies have started to look more and more like Bollywood movies. Art transcends boundaries, yes, but every movie industry is known for its distinct qualities and so far our film industry is affiliated with Bollywood. The grand sets, colorful clothes and lavish weddings are the elements of a Bollywood movie but they can be seen in a lot of Lollywood movies these days.

Do you also share the same thoughts?