Almost all of us, film enthusiasts, have been looking forward to the 23rd March weekend for the Pakistani cinemas had 3 films lined up to be released; two of them being our very own. Fortunately, all 3 of them cumulatively have brought in some good footfalls to the cinemas. Let’s see how the two Pakistani films; Laal Kabootar and Sherdil fared on the Box Office, on their opening weekend.
Sherdil
As predicted, patriotism did sell itself quite well through Sherdil. Amusingly, 20 percent of the film’s opening weekend business came from the twin cities; Islamabad and Rawalpindi. While it is amusing, it is not surprising for the cities are home to a humungous number of army households. Overall, Sherdil has managed to earn 4.15 crores approximately, on its opening weekend.
According to EPK, here is the film’s daily approximate breakdown:
Although the film has been getting mixed reviews from the film critics, it has been doing very well on the box office which reaffirms our faith in the ‘patriotism sells’ notion, even more.
Laal Kabootar
Laal Kabootar, on the other hand, has been getting rave reviews from the film critics. The film is being praised everywhere on social media. However, the numbers, unfortunately, do not match the reviews the film has been getting.
The film earned around 30 lacs on the day of its release which wasn’t too bad, given it mostly caters to a niche. Even though we predicted that these number might increase in the coming days, the opening weekend ended on the lower end. It is therefore crucial for the film’s performance to do well today (that is Monday) so we are just going to keep our fingers crossed.
The whole country celebrated Pakistan Day with the usual zeal and vigor, the day before yesterday. Major cities were adorned with Pakistani flags and decorative lights while TV channels aired relevant shows, songs and what not.
Amidst all these celebrations, GEO aired a telefilm – Laal – that conveniently won the hearts of Pakistanis. Made under the GEO banner, Laal was aired this Pakistan Day. The drama film is based on the real life of a Pakistan Navy-man and is written by the famous writer, Umera Ahmed.
What Laal is about
Laal is directed by Haseeb Hassan and stars talk of the town, Bilal Abbas Khan, Kubra Khan and the famous Usko Jaake Bol Wasim Aya Hai actor Gohar Rasheed, along with Saleem Mairaj and Iffat Umer.
The film revolves around the story of a little boy who belongs to a fisherman’s house. The boy dreams of becoming a successful man and doesn’t run after money, unlike his brother. It then moves towards the boy wanting to become a Navy man and how he does eventually become one.
What makes Laal a smooth sailing
Laal has a story which is a blend of patriotism, love and social ills of our society. The chemistry between Bilal and Kubra is unlike ever created before. The nok-jhok and the bachpan ka pyar but no izhaar keep the audience in awe, throughout the second half of the film.
What we absolutely loved about the film was the simple story which managed to keep us thrilled through and through. Moreover, catching Bilal as a handsome navy man had all of us going gaga over him. I never knew we could feel that way after his role in Cheekh.
As for, Gohar Rasheed, the actor never fails to do justice to his negative roles. From his dialogue delivery to his acting, everything was on point. Kubra, on the other hand, has always managed to grab roles that are unlike typical desi girls (we don’t believe in stereotypes but you know what we mean, right?) Laal is no exception. Kubra portrays an outspoken girl, in the film, who falls hard for a Navy man, rather unapologetically.
Having enumerated all the good aspects, we just want to fleetingly mention that the film lacked smooth transitions between a few scenes; the scene changes were a little too abrupt. Despite all of that, however, the telefilm was definitely a treat to watch, this Pakistan Day.
This article’s title itself is a testament to the rapidly changing direction of the entertainment industry. Barely a year ago, web-series in Pakistan looked like a thing of a distant future for many. But now not only Pakistani entertainment industry has quickly forayed into the ever-growing field of web-series, all the big players are all ready to step into it as well.
Let’s have a look some of the most promising web-series that will soon hit the digital platforms:
Shameless Proposals
Written by Saji Gul and directed by Hunny Haroon, this Sadia Jabbar production has already released its trailer. The show is based on the premise of arranged marriages; specifically, all the craziness that ensues during these so-called rishta meetings. The show aims to question just why all the burden of compromising and working towards a successful marriage falls on the shoulder of the girl in what seems to be a light, humorous setting.
Badshah Begum
Producer Rafay Rashdi promises a story about a family and its internal struggle for power. Badshah Begum boasts of an excellent cast which includes names such as Imran Ashraf, Iman Ali, and Gohar Rasheed. Contrary to what the title suggests, Badshah Begum will not be a period drama and will be based in the contemporary setting. The show’s shooting, which will be divided over various spells, hasn’t started yet but Rafay confirmed earlier that it will go on floors later this year.
Untitled
Although the specific details about the project, including its title, are not known, whatever we do know about the show has us excited. For starters, it is a collaboration between Mehreen Jabbar and Umera Ahmed, a duo which has given us memorable dramas like Daam and Doraha in the past. Secondly, this project will bring the current hottie of Pakistani dramas, Bilal Abbas, to the digital space. The shooting for the project is underway.
Jan e Jahan
The ever dependable and versatile Ahsan Khan will venture in the digital space alongside Ayeza Khan in the Sana Shahnawaz production called Jan e Jahan. The show will be a family drama and it will explore the complexities of the relationship dynamics within a family.
Apart from these, there are other still unconfirmed projects like Djinn which has Hamza Ali Abbasi and Emily Blunt headlining the project, and Amir Liaquat’s venture into the digital space with his Netflix show, as well. Jami, apart from being embroiled in a recent controversy, is also doing something for Netflix but there have been no details released about as of yet.
So far, the future of the Pakistani web-content, based on these few examples, is looking very bright. Let’s wait and see if these projects manage to deliver quality or are fated to fade into oblivion. We are hoping for the former though!
Almost all of us, film enthusiasts, have been looking forward to the 23rd March weekend for the Pakistani cinemas had 3 films lined up to be released; two of them being our very own. Fortunately, all 3 of them cumulatively have brought in some good footfalls to the cinemas.
23rd March Opening Collections
Sherdil, has risen like a phoenix among all the new releases as it has grossed a total of 1.15 crores on the day of its release. With these collections, it has become the highest opener of 2019 for our local cinema industry beating Gully Boy (which was a mere limited release on Thursday). Sherdil has benefitted highly from the ongoing India-Pakistan hostility as the masses have lapped on to this film. We hope that it continues the momentum, as the weekend collections for Sherdil will most likely be rocking.
Laal Kabootar, the second local release has opened to a normal response i.e. 30 lacs. However, considering the fact that it has no popular name attached to it, the numbers seem fine. The word of mouth for the film has been quite good though so we are hoping for it to sustain for a long time. Moreover, with the number of shows it has, there is a huge chance of big growth over the weekend.
US is the only foreign release of the weekend and it has opened to dismal collections i.e. 5.5 lacs.The film is about to strike the USA box office with solid collections hence we are hoping that it might just pick up in our local markets too.
All the aforementioned movies have a high number of shows. Cherry on top, Humayun Saeed’s Project Ghaziis also set to release next week so if these movies find acceptance among the audience, they can run for a long time. We think this 3-day weekend will prove to be very fateful for both the releases and the real test will start from Monday onwards.
There is a rather thrilling sequence in Sherdil where Varun (Hassan Niazi) maneuvers to chase Haris’s (Mikaal Zulfiqar) JF 17 and just when he is about to shoot down his target, the tables turn against him, making him lose what he aimed for.
(Un) amusingly, you’ll probably find yourself in a somewhat similar perplexing state while watching Sherdil. Just when it convinces you that your hard earned money is ACTUALLY spent on a paisa wasool entertainer (that’d be after the first half), the second half leaves no stones unturned in turning the tables against your high expectations.
What the movie is about
The film revolves around an aspiring fighter pilot who is born to fly, against his father’s wishes, and soon lands at the PAF Academy. There, Haris, finds a jolly but a “Phattu” sikh, a “pendu” Punjabi and “player Isloo boy” as his gang members; the manifestations of almost every kind of cadet that you find at the academy. The aforementioned characters add a comic yet an authentic feel to the cadet life shown in the movie. They are all, however, introduced in a rather haphazard way.
Where it goes wrong
The movie then progresses to their practical lives, with challenges from personal lives. As soon as the movie reaches that point, one starts wishing that it never had progressed to that point for neither the characters nor the movie shows any kind of growth from thereon.
Some predictable sequences and unnecessary songs follow, ultimately leading to a well-shot dog fight, which by that time, is too meager in isolation, to save the film from whatever wrongs it has done to itself. The action sequences, however, with a strong background score somewhat act as saviors and also end up giving one goosebumps.
(Mostly) sloppy writing
The writer (and the producer) pleasantly excels with dialogues and screenplay in the first half, probably because of his own military background that ensured some authentic academy and army/air force life sequences. From the classist mentality where people judge each other on their accent and clothes, the comradeship the cadets develop with each other, to the goosebump-inducing passing out scene; pretty much all of it is spot on.
However, he considerably fails at a number of other fronts; taking the story forward to keep the audiences engaged, writing a romantic sequence, giving a solid reason for a heartbreak, confrontations between (the supposedly) best pilots of two rival nations and them dealing with it subtly, without sounding jingoistic, and many more aspects of storytelling which, honestly, should have been left to a professional writer.
Music and more
The sound design of the film impresses on many occasions. It, however, also disappoints by ripping off Bryan Adams’s “Here I Am” from the movie Spirit. Most of the songs are forgettable except, maybe, the Mehndi song, which by the way is poorly choreographed and picturized, like all the other songs.
Our main cadets look older than their coursemates (we all know why) yet they don’t show a sign of aging when years have passed; something that’s not expected from a director like Azfar Jafri. The makeup and wardrobe departments are two other things where the film lacks yet again. I mean who wears heels in their living room during a tense discussion? Armeena, we are looking at you.
This, combined with the fact that Armeena didn’t do her own dubbing, only added further shallowness to her poorly written (& probably slashed) character.
Had Sherdil not suffered from ‘Checkbox Syndrome’ and ‘we-have to-wrap up-this movie syndrome’, it could have easily made it to the list of well-made films. In an attempt to check all the boxes, it mentions India rather blatantly and insensitively (somewhat similar to how Bollywood has always treated Pakistan on most occasions), gets a hero to save the girl from baddies, adds a club song & then a shadi song followed by sudden reunions that just don’t make sense. Better editing and direction could have saved the film but unfortunately, they never come to help Sherdil.
Not all hope is lost
Amongst the supporting cast, Samina Ahmed and Debutant Ibrahim Alvi (playing Mikaal’s close friend) deserve a mention. Especially the latter, who has both good looks and better acting chops (and also good dancing skills). The young actor should definitely take his acting career seriously. To be honest, at some, places he even outshines Mikaal. Mikaal too, however, looks good on the screen and definitely has a silver screen presence that we weren’t really aware of, before. He does well but as mentioned earlier, the writing fails him. Now that we are talking about the good parts of the movie, the cinematography is impressive too and ensures a visual treat, despite everything.
Despite all its flaws in script direction and editing, the film isn’t a bad attempt at all for it still suffices as a one time watch; a masala entertainer that one can watch on a lazy weekend.
Verdict
The first half alone should satisfy your entertainment cravings, and if you are a “Sherdil” in digesting a few potholes here and there, you may even enjoy the second half too. We give the movie 2.5/5 stars.
Kaisa Hai Naseeban revolves around the concept and rituals of dowry system and marital abuse prevailing in the Pakistani society. The drama is produced by Abdullah Seja under their banner Idreams Entertainment. Starring Muneeb Butt as the manipulative, abusive husband and Ramsha Khan as his wife, the drama focuses on their toxic relationship.
Marium (Ramsha Khan) lives with her parents and sister, Farah (Anamta Qureshi).
Some background
The story revolves around Marium whom her father marries off to her cousin Ahmed whose family lie about being wealthy back in Malaysia. Marium’s father is under the impression that he is securing his daughter’s future by marrying her into a well to do family, but the reality is far from the truth. While Ahmed and his family act as a well mannered and rich family, the charade wears off as soon as they reach Malaysia.
Marium ’s mother in law reveals that their financial situation worsened over the years forcing them to live in a small apartment. Through her conniving attitude, she compels Marium into doing all the household chores eventually also pushing her to accept a job in a restaurant. On the other hand, Ahmed is shown as good for nothing and hot-headed, who leaves no stone unturned to raise his hand at Marium. Anytime Marium decides to leave, Ahmed and his mother make her believe things would change which compels her to stay back.
Marium also has a sister in law Sana (Shehzeen Rahat) who is married to Waheed (Farhan Malhi). Waheed’s suspiciousness of Ahmed’s sweet behavior and Marium’s absence from the house eventually lead him to the truth about the harsh reality of Marium’s marital life. In the process of helping her flee her husband and his family, Waheed bears the brunt of divorce from Sana. While successfully having reached Pakistan, Marium’s problems do not end as Ahmed awaits her arrival at her parents’ house.
Marium does not hold back her woes and despairs as she shares everything with her parents who throw Ahmed out of the house. All of these miseries lead to Marium’s father’s ill health. While Marium tends to her father’s health, she is accompanied by her cousin, also her brother in law Affan, who had been interested in her before being married to her sister. Affan’s closeness to Marium is disliked by his mother who asks him to stay away from Marium as this would lead to problems in his and Farah’s married life.
Does a woman always need a man?
As the drama shows Marium break free from an abusive marriage, it also demonstrates the need of a woman to take a man’s help to do so. Furthermore, it shows how being involved with another woman, only as a helping hand even, destroys the man’s own marriage; two themes I find rather problematic for they do nothing but perpetuate our society’s patriarchial construct that we are trying so hard to move away from (21st century, hello?)
While Marium is shown to be an educated, working woman in the drama, things are always not easy for many women out there as they are scared to leave their homes or be labeled as divorcees. Being divorced is considered a taboo in Pakistani society, even if the man is in the wrong, it is always considered that the woman has not been able to save her marriage. Although, things seem to be progressing as more and more women are learning to stand up for their rights, the patriarchal supremacy needs to mellow down.
What do you think of the drama? Let us know in the comments.
Before Laal Kabootar‘s release, a lot of us were skeptical about how it will be received by the audiences for it banked on a niche; an indie-film based entirely on Karachi and its crime scene. Some of us thought it would just be a Sacred Games rip-off while others were of the view that it might not be relatable for non-Karachiities. Then the film released (today) and surprisingly, took us all by surprise. With its brilliant direction, crisp plot, apt city-centric music, beautiful cinematography, and powerful acting, Laal Kabootar proved most of us wrong (this is one of those instances where we absolutely loved being proved wrong, not gonna lie).
The film revolves primarily around two characters; Adeel Nawaz and Aliya Malik. The latter is in search of her husband’s murderers while the former is indirectly involved in minor criminal activities. Their paths cross when he becomes her taxi driver, for a ride. Following a shootout, the two eventually become a part of, Adeel offers to help Aliya find her husband’s murderers, in exchange for a hefty amount.
Acting
Starting with Ahmed Ali Akbar, the actor played Adeel Nawaz – a small town taxi driver who conspires with his friends to steal from his own passengers because he needs to collect money so he can fulfill his dream of going to Dubai and earning there. Ahmed pulls off the quintessential small-town boy with big dreams rather perfectly. From adopting the dialect to the get-up, Ahmed has done a near-perfect job, barring his first scene on screen which seems just a little forced as far as his dialect is concerned. We can, however, definitely forgive that as he compensates for it rather well in the remainder of the movie.
Mansha Pasha, on the other hand, doesn’t have a lot of scenes in the movie but her character is weaved rather smoothly in the overall narrative. What stands out the most about Mansha’s acting that it’s never overdone. She is just there, being the most natural a character can be. She plays the character of Aliya Malik – a strong woman who does not give up on finding her husband’s murderers despite all the warnings she gets from the supposed killers.
Amidst all of this, there is another character – Mama that’s played by the veteran actor Saleem Mairaj – that stands out. It may sound outlandish in writing but Slaeem Mairaj is our very own Nawaz-ud-din Siddiqui. The guy is underrated to say the least, given his exceptional acting skills and ability to morph himself into his every character.
Cinematography
Moving on to the cinematography and art direction, they are done by Mo Azmi and Syed Mehdi Zaidi respectively. The former has done a brilliant job in capturing Karachi in all its authentic glory. Although I personally feel like there were a little too many (aerial) shots of the city, they still blended well with the narrative. Similarly, the characters were zoomed in on a little much at some occasions and their faces were too close for audiences’ comfort but that’s that. The fact that a film was able to assimilate almost all of the major crime scenes happening in the city (namely corruption, land grabbing, target killing, phone snatching etc.) all in one movie that too only lasted an hour and a half and didn’t drag itself, unlike our usual Pakistani movies, was a feat in itself.
Music and more
As for the music, Taha Malik has, just like everyone else in the movie, has done a brilliant job with his very city-centric music. There are no unnecessary dance numbers, the songs are mostly in the background and add positively to the narrative. They have a very raw, potent feel to them
The film, very aptly, has Laal in it for it revolves around the bloodshed happening in the city. Besides, quite amusingly, the target killer in the film is always seen wearing a red cap; a subtle manifestation of the title of the movie.
Verdict:
We give Laal Kabootar 3.5/5 stars. The film definitely gives the not-so-explored genre of crime thrillers in Pakistan, a remarkable boost, with almost everything well-done.
2018 was a great year for the nascent Pakistani film industry. Cinematic ventures made big bucks at the box office, topics that were never touched upon made it to the silver screen, animated films left quite an impact, and although there were quite a few misses in between, the year was definitely a step in the right direction.
Building upon this momentum is 2019, which may have started on a rather unpleasant note with Gumm, and slow first few weeks, we do have quite an interesting list of films which will be hitting cinemas with two Laal Kabootar and Sherdil releasing tomorrow.
Here in this piece, we list down these films and also tell you what we expect from them.
Laal Kabootar
The edge of the seat crime thriller stars Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha in leading roles and trust us when we say that this is a film you should definitely not miss. The trailer had us all intrigued for what the story would have in store for us, and having seen the film at the Lahore premiere this one gets our stamp of approval. It releases tomorrow!
Sherdil
Produced in collaboration with the Pakistan Air Force, the movie is a blend of action, patriotism, romance, and even comedy which is all set to entertain the audiences when it releases tomorrow. Mikaal Zulfikar and Armeena Khan are the two leading stars and we are pretty excited to see these two hotties together on the silver screen!
Project Ghazi
On hold since 2017, due to technical issues, the superhero film Project Ghazi is back on track as it releases this 29th March. The action movie stars Humayun Saeed, Sheheryar Munawar and Syra Shehroz in leading roles and if the trailer is anything to go by, the film will definitely pack a punch!
The Legend of Maula Jatt
Maula Jatt 2.0- The Cast
Bilal Lashari’s second outing after 2013’s massive hit Waar is without a doubt the hottest, most eagerly awaited release of the year. Starring Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbassi, and Humaima Malick, the film is scheduled for an Eid-ul-Fitr release. While the trailer is yet to come out, the teaser has piqued the interest of the nation already and it seems history will definitely be re-written this Eid-ul-Fitr.
Wrong Number 2
Following up on the success of his last two films, Yasir Nawaz is going back to his roots and coming up with a sequel to his debut film. The romantic comedy stars Sami Khan and Neelam Muneer and if the makers are to be believed, this is a comedy like no other which will have us all laughing out loud. The film releases Eid-ul-Fitr.
Chhalawa
Putting his comedy franchise KSL series on hold, Wajahat Rauf has jumped to his next film and we are pretty excited to see what he brings to the silver screen this time. Starring Azfar Rehman, Mehwish Hayat, Asad Siddiqui, and Zara Noor Abbas the film is a family-based rom-com, with a lot of emotions. Expecting another laughter roller coaster, which will also come out on Eid-ul-Fitr.
Baaji – The Film
We can definitely say that this movie will be nothing less of a package, laced with entertainment for the star cast includes Osman Khalid Butt, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Ali Kazmi, Amna Ilyas, and our very own Meera Jee. Even though no trailer has been released (just a poster), we are eager for the movie to be out soon. This is one of our top favorites for this year!
Paray Hut Love!
Bringing together the fresh pairing of Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali, the film is definitely one of the more eagerly awaited releases of the year, and with Asim Raza as a director, we are expecting nothing short of a cinematic extravaganza. Also starring in the film is Zara Noor Abbas, in a very interesting role we hear, along with Ahmed Ali Butt. Oh, and did we mention that Mahira Khan also has a special cameo. Can’t wait!
Heer Maan Ja
The makers of Janaan and Parchi are back with yet another entertainer! Starring Hareem Farooq and Ali Rehman Khan in leading roles, the film seems to be another visually resplendent project all set to brighten the screens this Eid-ul-Azha. Also, producer Imran Raza Kazmi was heard saying that this is his best film yet, which further piques our excitement. And Lollywood diva Zara Sheikh has a cameo appearance, need we say more?
Zarrar
Written, directed and also headlined by Shaan, the spy thriller is something which reportedly has never been done before in Pakistan. Starring alongside Shaan, we have Kiran Malik, who impressed us with her performance in Pinky Memsaab, and Adnan Butt is on board as the baddie. Shaan is giving this home production everything he has and we are waiting to see the results. The trailer comes out in March with a tentative Eid-ul-Azha release.
Love You Jatta
The box office king Humayun Saeed is ready to step back into his Punjab Nahi Jaungi shoes as he gears up for another romantic comedy with a desi flavor. The film will be directed by Nadeem Baig, has been written by Vasay Chaudhry and as per the latest updates, it will be releasing sometime later this year and not on Eid-ul-Azha as was originally reported. As for the leading lady, it is yet to be announced.
Sitara
After the success of her animated trilogy 3 Bahadur, Sharmeen is embarking on another animated superhero trilogy titled Sitara. Not much is known about the plot of this series but the first film will hit cinemas Summers 2019
Superstar
The film which revolves around the world of superstars has Bilal Ashraf and Mahira Khan in leading roles and is definitely one of the more exciting releases of the year. Produced by Momina Duraid and directed by Ehteshamuddin, the film is currently in process of shooting and will come out sometime later this year.
Tich Button
Urwa Hocane takes the producer’s seat for this film which stars Feroze Khan, Farhan Saeed, Sonya Hussyn and Iman Ali in leading roles. While not much is known about the film, from the first look the film, it seems like a romantic comedy with the desi tadka. With its interesting ensemble cast, the film is definitely one to look out for.
Durj
Based on a horrifying series of events which took place in Pakistan, the film is a psychological thriller starring Shamoon Abbasi and Sherry Shah. Shamoon, who has also directed the film, plans on releasing the film this year. The teaser came out a few months back and left quite an impact.
Patakh Dey
With an ensemble cast of Ahsan Khan, Kubra Khan,Hania Aamir, Azaan Sami Khan, Shamoon Abbasi and HUM Films producing, we are expecting nothing short of a visual extravaganza. The film is an action comedy with a Punjabi flavor and will mark the acting debut of Azaan Sami Khan too. No concrete details have been released but the film we hear will be a late 2019 release.
Zindagi Tamasha and Untitled Film by Sarmad Khoosat
In a surprising turn of events, Sarmad Khoosat announced that he would be coming out with two feature films, the first of which titled Zindagi Tamasha has wrapped up shooting and is all set to release sometime soon while the other untitled project is yet to go on floors. Zindagi Tamasha is a Punjabi film which stars Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Qureshi, while the cast for the other film is yet to be announced.
Sorry
Faysal Qureshi is back in the movies and will be starring alongside Aamina Sheikh, Zahid Ahmed and Faryal Mehmood in Sorry: The Love Story. Directed by Sohail Javed the plot of the movie revolves around relationships and their dynamics and will hit cinemas sometime later this year.
Ishrat
The talented actor Mohib Mirza will be making his directorial debut this year with his film ‘Ishrat’ which as per Mohib is a hyper action comedy, and given news of his recent injury seems to be full of some high octane action sequences. While the official cast is yet to be announced the film supposedly stars Sanam Saeed, Shamoon Abbasi, and Sara Loren, which seems like an interesting mix.
Kaaf Kangana
The renowned writer Khalil ur Rehman Qamar turns to direction for the film which is a cross border romance featuring Sami Khan, Eshal Fayyaz and Ayesha Omar. The film is being made in collaboration with ISPR and though has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, is one to watch out for because Khalil sahib has never disappointed.
Chaudry
A biopic on the late SSP Chaudhry Aslam who lost his life when a suicide bomb hit his convoy on the Lyari Expressway, the film stars Zohaib Khan, Zara Abid, and Jia Ali. Given the subject of the film, we are hoping the filmmakers are successful in doing justice to the story. The film will hit the cinemas this year.
Senti Aur Mental
After impressing audiences with her acting on television, Yasra Rizvi, is writing and directing her first feature film, Senti Aur Mental. The film is based on a Punjabi wedding, has 9 songs and stars Zain Afzal, Yasra Rizvi and Yousaf Bashir Qureshi.
Altered Skin
Pakistan-shot Zombie film Altered Skin is directed by Adnan Ahmed and features Juggan Kazim, Nimra Bucha, Ali Kazim and Salman Shahid. The movie revolves around a deadly pathogen that spreads uncontrollably among the population of Karachi. The film is set to release some time this year.
Ready Steady No
Model-turned-actor Amna Ilyas is about to hit the silver screen like a storm with her upcoming movie – Ready Steady No. The movie is based on the life of a young couple desperate to get married. It is supposed to be a comedy film and we are hoping for it to give our non-existent comedy culture the boost that it needs.
Rehbara
Rehbara is supposed to be yet another romantic comedy with Ayesha Omar and Ahsan Khan as its leads. This will be Ahsan Khan’s first debut film as a director. Alongside this couple, Miss Pakistan, USA 2015 – Sarish Khan – will also be starring in Rehbara.
Aashiq
Playwright Ali Moeen and his old friend Asad Mumtaz presented the first look of their film, Aashiq, in February and it created quite a buzz. It showed a kid, holding his school bag and an empty pencil box, surrounded by darkness. The cast includes Saboor Aly, Hamza Firdous, Saleem Mairaj, Adnan Shah Tipu and Syed Mohammad Ali.
Alif Aur Noon
The famous adaptation of Alif Noon is happening this year and nothing more can make 2019 any better, than this. The legendary duo of Allan and Nanha are going to be played by Shehzad Roy and Faisal Qureshi, respectively. Faisal is also debuting as a director on big screen with this feature film. We are sure this film will be among the most awaited ones this year!
Syra and Shahroz film
It has been forever since Syra and Shahroz fans have seen them together on the screen. Turns out they might be featuring together, in a film. Syra uploaded a picture on her Instagram with Shahroz, from the set of the said movie. No information about the movie has been disclosed but we are hoping to see them together on silver screen this year. Fingers crossed, as usual!
Delhi Gate
Nadeem Cheema’s new venture Delhi Gate will feature names like models Sana Sarfraz, Roma Mihcael and Saud. The supporting cast is also full of big names such as Javed Sheikh, Nadeem, Nayyar Ijaz, Shafqat Cheema and Rashid Mehmood. The film went on floors towards the end of January lets see what they have in store for us.
The Trial
Starring Mikaal Zulfiqar and Sadia Khan, the film – an ISPR production – is a love story between a Pakistani boy and a Bengali girl. Ayesha Omar is also supposed to be a part of the film. According to her, her track in the film is very “serious, political, and revolves around a very dark theme.” She said that her track in the film is completely separated from that of Mikaal and Sadia’s.
Chaa Ja Re
While the first teaser of this film prominently featured Aditi Singh grooving to the beats of a peppy dance number, the film we hear is based on a social issue and talks about sports and education. As for the cast, it stars Javed Sheikh and Nadeem Baig along with a bunch of new actors.
Talaash
The film is being made by debut director Zeeshan Khan, and is said to be a commercial film with a love triangle with a few social issues in its sub-layers. The lead actors Faria Hassan, Ahmed Zaib and Noaman Sami will also make their film debut, through Talaash.
Thori Setting Thora Pyar
Starring newbies Malik Aqeel and Saeeda Imtiaz, this is a youth based film which will tell the story of a few college friends.
Kataksha
Suspense film Kataksha stars Saleem Mairaj with a bunch of new actors; Kiran Tabeer, Nimra Shahid etc. The first look has been released with film coming out later this year.
Middle Class
Not much is known about this film other than the fact that Sadia Jabbar is producing it in collaboration with HKC Entertainment and the story is about the dreams and desires of the Pakistani middle-class.
The untitled Shaan-Reema film
A while ago, Shaan and Reema shot an Everyday TVC and shared pictures together on their Instagram. The two together have been the most romantic couple of their times and have been missed on the silver screen. Shaan shared that this TVC led them to an idea to work together again in a movie which will be out in 2020. All old-school Lollywood fans, this one’s for you!
Nabeel Qureshi’s next
The director of the NaMaloom Afraad sequels – Actor in Law and Load Wedding – Nabeel, promised another film while talking to Galaxy Lollywood, some time back. We are expecting nothing less than a blockbuster from him, for 2019.
Loafer
Humayun Saeed is all ready to be part of the said movie, written by the (in)famous Khalil ur Rehman Qamar. Loafer is supposed to be a movie full of romance and comedy. The last film with this writer-producer combo was a hit. Let’s see what this one brings to the box office.
Lufangay
Not much detail is out there but reportedly Sami Khan and Sonya Hussyn will star in this film that is written and directed by Abdul Khaliq Khan.
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 3
Humayun has hinted at various platforms that a third installment of the franchise is in the works.
Benazir biopic
While there is no concrete information on this, it is expected that Mehwish Hayat will star in this biopic if and when it gets made.
March is supposed to be the month of three Pakistani film releases. A fact that might come as a surprise to some people considering how only the teams behind Laal Kabootar and Sherdil have been active throughout the whole month, in promoting their movies. Whereas the team behind Project Ghazi has done little to nothing to get the attention of the audience. We are not sure how that works.
Let’s have a look at all the promotions, or complete lack of, that Project Ghazi has done in preparation of its release.
The first buzz
After a rather unfortunate postponement of the movie’s release back in 2017, Project Ghazi entered the ground again with its final trailer. The release date for the movie mentioned in the trailer was 22nd of March 2019, and it looked like the industry was on the way to face yet another cluster of releases on a holiday, with three films gracing the screens.
However, at the beginning of March, the makers of Project Ghazi released the statement that they had pushed the release of their film from 22nd of March to 29th of March. The announcement, which happened through the movie’s official Facebook page, stated that the movie was being postponed, “in support of Pakistani cinema.”
Considering how the industry doesn’t have a steady flow of releases throughout the year, the decision sounded not only wise but was also welcomed. A movie willingly choosing to step away from a lucrative national holiday in favor of two other movies releasing on the same day? It is not a news one gets to hear too often.
Only posters to show for it
More than a half month after the announcement, Project Ghazi has yet to make any headlines which would garner positive buzz in anticipation of its release. Apart from new character posters being released for the film’s three main leads; Sheheryar Munawar, Humayun Saeed, and Syra Shahroz, the actors or the team behind the film haven’t done anything to promote the movie.
At the time of publishing this article, the film will be just a week away from its release. And yet, the actors of the film have talked more about the other two March releases via their shoutouts than their own movie. This does not bode well.
Too late for redemption?
Maybe not all is lost. We hear that the film’s promotions have been planned to start from Sunday. But between Sunday and the D-Day, there would be just five days remaining. Nowadays, TV dramas start their promotions weeks in advance. Films, by nature, always need more time in promotion. Will just five days be enough for a movie – that already looks like its been getting the step-child treatment from its makers – to leave its mark at the box office? Only time will tell.
Today’s cinematic age is all about promotions di game. While it’s true that going overboard promotions can potentially impact a movie negatively but no-promotions have never done any movie any favor. Project Ghazi is treading on very dangerous grounds with the kind of radio silence it has been exhibiting in the promotions game. We can only hope that they have some plan up their sleeves.
Women, in general, and Pakistani women, in particular, have lately been coming out against their sexual harassers, rather fearlessly. Things seem to be improving and even though, we still have a long way to go as a nation, it looks like we are finally on the right track when it comes to giving women a space to voice their grievances. Amidst all of us, there is one name from the industry that has always blatantly called it out for its support of sexual harassers. We are talking about none other than Jamshed Jami – the director and activist of Moor’s fame.
Jami’s track record
Jami has been very consistent in his denouncement of sexual harassment in the industry. Recently, Eman Suleman called out the industry for its support of sexual harassers and Jami supported her through and through.
Jami, in a series of posts on his Facebook, announced that they will not rent any of their cameras to any sexual predators. He also mentioned that they will boycott any and all post-production work to sexual predators in the industry.
However, things have taken a weird turn after the filmmaker and director, Sohail Javed has decided to take Jami to court over sexual harassment allegations. The former says that the latter has falsely accused him of sexual harassment just because Jami decided to read a letter out loud that didn’t even mention any names. Chor ki darhi main tinka much?
The story behind the letter
The said incident of sexual assault took place at Lahooti Melo in 2016 – an event organized by the Sindh’s culture and tourism department in Jamshoro. The victim (the name has been kept secret for her safety), later on, wrote a letter to one of the event organizers – Saif Samejo. It is reported that Jami forced Samejo to divulge the truth behind the letter so the latter handed the letter to Jami. The letter, written by a 19 year-old, artist was then read out loud by Jami at the same event in 2018 that shocked the audience, to say the least.
The letter reveals how she met the famous director who then took her to his apartment and later on, raped her. The victim then went on to share the trauma following the assault and how she coped with her.
“I left the country and it took me two years to overcome it,” she wrote. “There are other young girls too and they feel as helpless and hopeless as I did when I went through this abuse. And he hasn’t stopped. He continues. Many others like him feel even more powerful because survivors like me are quiet. I could not stay quiet anymore.”
“The people whom it concerns, by now, must have figured his name out by the details I provided above. It is upon them to show their integrity, exclude sexual predators like him from their social circles and discourage this behaviour by not subscribing to their art again, or go they can back to work on their current moral grounds which continues to take and damage countless young lives. Many people in the industry know and still, continue to work with him. I wonder if our society is mature enough to hold them all accountable for this disease their favourite celebrities and people in power, allow to spread? I am not sure,” she added.
When contacted by the aforementioned newspaper, the organizers of the Lahooti Melo said, “We do not know why the specific person has done this against Jami and what makes that person think that it was for him”.
As for Jami, he says the truth will eventually be revealed during the proceeding of the case, “I have full faith in the justice system and I believe the truth shall prevail.” We still don’t know why Sohail Javed would get himself in this shitstorm, given the letter didn’t even mention any names.
As this Pakistani tweep said and we quote:
By taking Jami to court for defamation, Sohail Javed basically did what the rest of us couldn't: he named himself as the culprit of that anonymous Lahooti Melo letter.https://t.co/sXKga83s7v
