Box Office: Punjab Nahi Jaungi all set to cross 40 crore mark worldwide!

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September 19, 2017

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

In its third week and still going strong! Yes, that is the power of content which clicks with the audiences. Punjab Nahi Jaungi’s third weekend ended on a strong note with cinema’s all over Pakistan reporting excellent occupancies ranging from eighty percent to housefull. And here we thought getting tickets for the film would now be easy!

It is worth mentioning that six new films opened in Pakistani cinemas this week, yet Punjab Nahi Jaungi was the first choice for cinegoers and collected 2.6 crores in its third weekend taking its seventeen day total at the domestic front to 22.35 crores.

Furthermore, the film has been having a dream run at the international front too and total collections from the international market have crossed 16 crores in the first 17 days. This means that the worldwide gross for the film is approximately 38+ crores for the first 17 days with 40 crore mark being hit in a day or two.

Currently, the film is the fourth highest grosser at the local front only behind Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Actor In Law and Waar but from the looks of it, the film is likely to cross them all and emerge the second highest grosser locally, only behind JPNA which had a total local collection of 32 crores.

At the international front, the film is second only to Bin Roye which while despite an okay run at the local front, had collected 19 crores internationally! But Punjab Nahi Jaungi will soon cross this mark and will most likely touch the 50 crore mark worldwide and hence emerge as the highest-grossing Pakistani film ever beating Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’s 45 crore tally ( worldwide gross).

Na Maloom Afraad 2 (Review): Twice the grandeur, half the fun!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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Movie Name: Na Maloom Afraad 2

Release Date: September 1, 2017

Director: Nabeel Qureshi

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

Na Maloom Afraad 2 marks the third outing of director-producer duo Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza who have already delivered in the past with films Na Maloom Afraad and Actor In Law. Na Maloom Afraad, in particular, was a milestone film for Pakistani Cinema and redefined the meaning of a true-blue Pakistani film. Then came the commercial entertainer Actor In Law, made on a larger canvas, miles ahead on the technical front and a blockbuster at the box office. The team is now back with their third film, a follow up to their first film, and unfortunately, this time around they somewhat fail to hit the mark.

With great success comes great responsibility and that is exactly what happened with this film for the expectations from the golden team were just too high! Na Maloom Afraad 1 with its killer script, tight screenplay, spectacular characterization, localized humor and a beautiful picture of Karachi had set the bar too high and the sequel let alone topping it, couldn’t match up to the brilliance of the first film. As a standalone film it is not bad but as a follow up to Na Maloom Afraad it falls flat and there is only one reason; a poor script.

Na Maloom Afraad 2 begins where the first one had ended with the three afraads now loaded and living the life. Farahan ( Fahad Mustafa) and Shakeel ( Javed Sheikh) are running their factory in Karachi while Moon ( Mohsin Abbas Haider) is a successful DJ in South Africa. However, one unfortunate incident and two of the three afraads are back to square one. But not all is lost as comes into the picture Sheikh Baklawa (Nayyar Ejaz) and his golden pot and the rest is for you to see on the silver screen.

Now the film is beautifully shot and director Nabeel Qureshi leaves no stone unturned to showcase his finesse as a director and let’s be honest, he is one of the finest directors we have in this new age of cinema. Add to that the Rana Kamran the cinematographer and every shot oozes brilliance. But while the film looks grand in every sense, and why not for the budget of the film is visibly bigger than the two earlier films the content is weak.

The script of the film is rather weak and unoriginal. It was particularly disappointing because the script has always been a strength of this team and NMA had worked majorly because of the script. The localized humor, the pop culture references which had made the original film stand out were thoroughly missing in the sequel which had its fleeting moments of brilliance but were soon replaced by mediocrity. For a film that is supposedly a comedy, there are hardly a few scenes which make you laugh. Furthermore, the toilet humor which the entire film is centered around was rather disgusting at times. I don’t mind talk of the pot, but digging diamonds from the flush and then cooking food right after, trips down the sewerage, showing us what Javed Sheikh’s poop looks like! Sorry, not my idea of comedy.

But while the script is weak the performances by the actors and direction by Nabeel kind of make up for it as you are amazed by the talent of these individuals. Fahad Mustafa is a star and he performs his role to a t and I would especially like to acknowledge him for letting everyone shine and not trying to be the center of attention throughout which is common for our leading stars. Mohsin Abbas Haider does well, although unfortunately the comic timing from the first part I missed, but maybe that’s because of inferior content. Javed Sheikh for me was the weakest of the lot because his character was so annoying and all the stammering with nothing funny coming at the end became a bit too much.

Hania Aamir is a star in the making and makes you sit up and take notice. That she is easy on the eyes only helps. Urwa is hardly there but is good with whatever little she has. No wonder she chose to promote Punjab Nahi Jaungi where comparatively she has a much meatier role. The supporting actors Saleem Miraj, Nayyab Ejaz, Marina Khan do a fine job too.It was definitely a treat to see Marina Khan on the silver screen.Sadaf Kanwal had one song but this girl surely set the screen on fire.

The music of the film is good with four tracks where ‘Kaif Suroor’ and ‘Nach Nach’ were personal favorites. I just wish they had a proper lip synch video for the Nach track for they were already dressed, the song was peppy, all they had to do was dance to the song! But well we do see the lot dancing in ‘Hug Lay’ which was definitely a well-shot song.

Verdict: It’s a mindless entertainer which does not match up to the first part but nonetheless makes for a decent watch.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Punjab Nahi Jaungi (Review): The genre-bender is a win for Pakistani Cinema!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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Movie Name: Punjab Nahi Jaungi

Release Date: September 1, 2017

Director: Nadeem Baig

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

Punjab Nahi Jaungi is nothing like you have ever seen before unless you’ve seen a film where you are teary-eyed and laughing at the same time as the climax unfolds! When I first saw the film, and I’ve seen it twice, I was not able to fully comprehend what I had just seen on the silver screen. Why? Because from the outset, the film was pegged as an intense romantic drama but what unveiled on the silver screen was so much more.

From the word go the film elicits laughter be it the characters, the scenes or entire sequences. Now mind you it’s not a drama with some comic moments, or an outright comedy with some serious elements but the share of comedy and drama is about fifty percent each. Almost all the major plot twists, which are high on drama, are supplemented with some comedy.

So is it a romantic comedy given that the story is about Fawad Khagga and his quest for Heer? Not really, because as soon as the romantic comedy could establish itself, boom another arch begins. So then what? Well, from my understanding when I deciphered the characters and analyzed the story, this genre bender quite loosely can be termed as a satirical film.You might be wondering why I am obsessing over the genre of the film and I promise I’ll explain. But first the plot:

The film begins with Fawad Khagga ( Humayun Saeed) returning home to Faisalabad after securing a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Lahore, while his cousin Amal (Mehwish Hayat) is returning home to Karachi after her Masters in Economics from London. Durdana ( Urwa Hocane) is another cousin who lives in Faisalabad and is madly in love with Fawad but Fawad wants to marry Amal, who by the way he hasn’t seen in ages and is in love with after seeing a picture sent by his mother. But Amal is in a relationship with Vasay( Azfar) and turns down the rishta sent by Fawad. And with that begins the journey of Punjab Nahi Jaungi.

Coming back to the genre discussion, there is a crucial scene in the film where Fawad slaps Amal and feels absolutely zero remorse for his actions. He then calls Durdana and asks her what would she do had he slapped her, and here cheeky reply is ‘once more’. The audience in the theatre was divided into two fractions after this exchange with half laughing it out and the other half appalled. ‘They did not just do that’ was a comment I heard coming from the back of the cinema and by the time the film ended there was this constant discussion about it being an entertainer with some regressive themes and I kinda sorta agreed.

Then when I saw the film for the second time I closely noted all such instances where the film seemed regressive, the motivations of the characters a bit flawed and issues with the story. It was then that I came to the conclusion that a film which very vehemently propagates the idea that women should not be bound to the chaar diwari, empowers women and raises so many important points can not be a regressive no-brainer! I came to the realization that the film is kind of spoofing its own self and trying to raise awareness by making light of the situation.

The reason I spent half of the review talking about this is because discussion everywhere is centered around this slap and the weak story and I cannot help but say out loud that you are missing the point! The writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and director Nadeem Baig are trying to talk about the issues we face in Pakistan, but instead of going all preachy they have used a satirical approach. In a way, they are making fun of themselves to start a discussion, or at least that’s what I feel.

Coming back to the film all parties involved have done tremendously well. On the acting front Humayun’s portrayal of Fawad Khagga, which could have come across as forced or over the top, seems just perfect and definitely will stay with the audiences for quite some time. He does rather well with his goofy character and it was great seeing him out of comfort zone. Mehwish shows once again why she is star and delivers in every frame which has her present. The infamous slap scene with Humayun is one of my favorites from the film as far as Mehwish’s performance is concerned. But the true surprise package was Urwa, who despite a much smaller screen time leaves a huge impact. Yes, she does have some of the best dialogues but it’s how she perfects her desi girl act is what has me lauding the actress.

The supporting actors all put up a great show too. Azfar Rehman makes his film debut and genuinely looks every bit a movie star with his short yet impactful role.Ahmad Ali Butt is funny in his scenes and definitely brightens the frame. Sohail Ahmed and Naveed Shahzad are a class apart and words cannot do justice to the two legends and their dialogue delivery and screen presence. Saba Hamid, Waseem Abbas and everyone else adds value to the film.

Director Nadeem Baig already proved his talent with Jawanui Phir Nahi Ani and only takes things a few notches higher with Punjab Nahi Jaungi. The film is beautifully shot, production values high and makes for a great watch. The only issue I have is with the duration of the film, which was a bit too long and could have been reduced to make the film crisper. Add to that the brilliant characterization and dialogues by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and you have a winner. The fact that a few of the dialogues are already making their way into the pop culture are proof of his brilliance.

The songs of the film are an interesting mix, but what I would like to mention here is the background score which is particularly great. It’s good to see that we are finally giving the background score some importance here in Pakistan. As for the songs, there is a little bit of everything in this album but the duration of the songs both audio and video wise could have been reduced.

Verdict: It is the perfect family entertainer for you to enjoy in cinemas with your family and celebrate how far we have come in this new age of cinema.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Box Office: Na Maloom Afraad 2 scores big numbers in its first 10 days of release!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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September 12, 2017

This Eid-ul-Azha definitely proved to be a joyous occasion for our film industry as two Pakistani films released and both were met with box office success. While Punjab Nahi Jaungi brought in bigger numbers, courtesy its bumper success at the international front, Na Maloom Afraad 2 too did extremely well and brought in huge numbers.

The film has collected approximately 16 crores at the local box office in its first ten days of release and this ten-day collection is third only to Jawani Phir Nahi Ani ( 19 crores) and Punjab Nahi Jaungi (17 crores).

As for the international release, the film wasn’t able to bring in much money and has only been able to add approximately 0.40 crore from the UK release ( numbers taken from Box Office Detail) which takes the ten day total to about 16.4 crores.

It is worth mentioning that the film has already crossed the 14 crore mark, which is what its predecessor Na Maloom Afraad made and given the trending, is quite likely to cross the 24 crore mark, which is what director Nabeel Qureshi’s earlier hit Actor In Law had made at the box office. So here’s congratulating the director on his third hit!

For more updates stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood.

Here’s a list of all box office records that Punjab Nahi Jaungi has broken in the first 10 days!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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September 11, 2017

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

Punjab Nahi Jaungi is having a dream run at the box office and is rewriting history with each passing day. The romantic drama starring Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat and Urwa Hocane released in cinemas worldwide this Eid-ul-Azha and in the first ten days itself has broken quite a few records. Heres a list:

Fastest 30 crores worldwide!
It is the first film to cross the 30 crore mark in ten days and the fourth film to hit the 30 crore mark, other films include Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Waar, and Bin Roye.
Fastest 20 crores worldwide!
-It is the first film to hit the 20 crore mark in its first week!
Biggest overseas collections!
– The film took the UK by storm and raked in record numbers, while also did well at the other key markets. The film has collected approximately 13 cr+ in its first ten days from the international market and that is definitely a record. Bin Roye collected 19 cr from the international market in its entire run, and that record will soon be broken too it seems.

The film is doing extremely well on the local front and has collected about 17 crores in the first ten days. Now the film hasn’t been able to score the biggest opening at the local front where Jawani Phir Nahi Ani is leading as it made about 19 crores in the first ten days, but then hey it was a solo release. But it seems that PNJ will soon catch up and emerge as the biggest success at the local box office too. Heres congratulating the makers on this phenomenal success whereby the film has earned about 30 crores worldwide in the first ten days.

Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for all updates.

Lying Games: Who is actually winning the box office battle at the domestic front?

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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September 4, 2017

Punjab Nahi Jaungi vs Na Maloom Afraad 2- the hottest topic of discussion in all the film circles right now. One question that everyone has on their mind, which film is leading? While on the international front it is Punjab Nahi Jaungi which is clearly dominating with a dream run as the numbers it is recording are crazy good and the film is opening new avenues, the situation isn’t that clear and is a bit of a mess on the local front.

Its a classic case of your word against mine as both the parties involved have a different story to tell, and to be honest we are baffled. While on one side we have Nadeem Baig- Humayun Saeed, who gave us the highest grosser ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ on the other hand we have Nabeel Qureshi -Fizza Meerza-Fahad Mustafa who gave us game changers ‘Na Maloom Afraad 1’ and ‘Actor In Law’.

We talked to Humayun Saeed who was ecstatic as his film ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’ is doing unimaginably well at the international front. Asking him about the local scene he commented ” Mashallah, we have done wonderfully not only at the international box office but our film is leading at the local front and has been received well all over Pakistan.”

We also talked to Fizza Ali Meerza ( producer NMA 2) and she commented ” Na Maloom Afraad 2 is definitely leading in Pakistan. We have more shows, the occupancies are better, and people are loving the film.”

We then decided to talk to a few cinema owners and the unanimous vote was that both films are doing well and running to packed houses. The numbers you ask? Well before we share the box office numbers with you, here are some facts which you need to know:

The showtimes distribution is as such that NMA 2 has 60% shows while PNJ has 40 %
Both films are running to packed houses with Punjab preferring PNJ and Sindh preferring NMA 2
Punjab contributes 60-70% to the box office, while Sindh contributes 30-40%.

Wow, this is more complicated than my Econometrics class.

Here are the official box office numbers we have just received from the makers of both the films ( the numbers got revised 7pm). We cannot vouch for the authenticity as we do not have an official box office tracking system in Pakistan. Here goes:

Punjab Nahi Jaungi

Friday: 0.5 crore
Saturday ( Eid Day 1): 2.2 crore
Sunday (Eid Day 2): 2.8 crore
Total: 5.5 crore

Na Maloom Afraad 2

Friday: 0.6 crore
Saturday ( Eid Day 1): 2 crore
Sunday (Eid Day 2): 3 crore
Total: 5.6 crore

You might go like whats the issue, we have the numbers! But the issue is that both the parties do not agree to the other parties numbers. Nonetheless, we have just laid them out for you with all the supporting facts. Time will tell which film actually emerges as the winner. However one thing is certain, Pakistani Cinema has won! Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for all updates.

Box Office: Punjab Nahi Jaungi just owned the UK Box Office with a crazy opening!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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September 2, 2017

Now, this is some news you all!

Punjab Nahi Jaungi released in the UK this Thursday on limited screens and got a full fledged release on Friday. The box office numbers have arrived and they are legit crazy. The film has not only performed exceedingly well for a Pakistani film but it has actually outdone Bollywood biggie Baadshaho.

Yes, you read that right. The Humayun Saeed starrer took a thunderous opening at the box office and raked in 81,565 pounds while Baadshaho brought in 32,575 pounds. Other Pakistani film Na Maloom Afraad 2 also released but it was able to bring in only 6910 pounds.

Goes without saying that this is the biggest opening ever for a Pakistani film in the UK. Furthermore, it’s interesting that the film has brought in more money from an international market than its domestic collection.

Heres congratulating the makers and lets see what records the film breaks in the coming days.What a wonderful day for Pakistani cinema 🙂

We cannot vouch for the authenticity of these box office numbers given by independent box office tracking site Box Office Detail. However, until we have some official box-office tracking system in Pakistan this is all we have got. The numbers are also revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

Punjab Nahi Jaungi vs Na Maloom Afraad 2 – A quick comparison of what to expect

By

Zaryan Khawar

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September 2, 2017

The big day has arrived where two of our biggest movies of this year Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Na Maloom Afraad 2 release. Na Maloom Afraad 2 is a sequel to a very successful first part where as Punjab Nahi Jaungi brings back the team of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani which still is our highest grosser. We at Galaxy Lollywod got a chance to watch both the films and first things first, we must say that Pakistan Cinema is flourishing and these two movies are by far the best local films we have brought out in 2017. In this little post, we tell you what both these films have to offer so you know what to expect when you buy that ticket.

Punjab Nahi Jaungi provides wholesome entertainment which will be loved by all kind of audiences especially the families which usually come out on Eid. Na Maloom Afraad 2 is quite entertaining itself but most of the jokes will appeal to the youth, hence this film will click with a certain audience only.

In today’s fast paced life people prefer crisp and tight movies and NMA 2 has this area covered really well as it is just two hours long whereas Punjab Nahi Jaungi spans over two hours and forty minutes.

Khaleel ur Rehman Qamar after a long break is back as a film writer with Punjab Nahi Jaungi which once you see the film will realize is the biggest strength of the film as all the dialogues are such that they will become cult in the near future. Na Maloom Afraad 2, on the other hand, is a breezy entertainer which is enjoyable for its two hour run time but does not carry that soul which makes the film stay with you.

Na Maloom Afraad 2 will definitely see a bigger initial as it has got much higher shows and also a successful first part. Moreover, it is a good entertainer and people won’t come out disappointed. Punjab Nahi Jaungi may suffer in the start but its word of mouth will guarantee a very long run at the box office.

This undoubtedly is the biggest clash for our industry and both the movies are good but it will be interesting to see that whether Khagga’s of Punjab emerge victorious or Na Maloom Afraad’s of Karachi but one thing is certain Pakistan cinema has won!

Chain Aye Na (Review): The unofficial ‘Beqarar’ remake is an okay watch!

By

Momin Ali Munshi

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Movie Name: Chain Aye Na

Release Date: August 11, 2017

Director: Syed Noor

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

Chain Aye Na – So much has been written and said about this film, that going to the cinema hall without any pre conceived notions was almost next to impossible. I personally do not pay heed or even read other reviews until I’m done with mine, but this time around the heated discussion surrounding the film was hard to ignore. Moreover, that I saw the film a week after its release, made it even harder to go to the cinema hall with a blank slate, but nonetheless I went in with a promise to not let others opinions cloud my judgment.

Directed by veteran Syed Noor the film revolves around Rayyan ( Shahroze Sabzwari) who falls head over heels in love with Ruba ( Sarish Khan) when he sees her at a friends wedding. Ruba also sends some mixed signals to the love struck lad before ultimately revealing that she is engaged to Murad ( Adil Murad) with a wedding all set to take place next month. Rayyan, however, is madly in love and embarks on a journey to marry Ruba, with the exact same date of marriage on his mind as of Murad-Ruba.

Now the story is interesting, nothing new as such, for we’ve seen dozens of films about unrequited love, obsession and what not. Also as I later discovered, a Pakistani film from the 80’s titled Beqarar starring Babra Sharif and Faisal Rehman had the exact same premise. Whats even more interesting is that Noor sahab used one of the tracks from the original film ‘Meri Wafa Meray Waday’ and placed it in Chain Aye Na in the exact same context as the original. Quite a gutsy move I say given that this film was not an official remake of the original. Bonus Trivia, the film Beqarar was also unofficially remade by Bollywood as a film called ‘Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin’ starring Aamir Khan and Madhuri Dixit. ( Not sure as to who wrote the original film)

While the story was not weak, the way it was treated was rather superficial and shallow. Characters were completely one dimensional and lacked any depth which was compulsory for an intense love story like this. I mean if you are to root for the lover boy you need to feel something for him right? But the writing fails to elicit any such response. All I could think of was had this film been made by the Yash Chopra banner or Dharma Productions it would have been a completely different affair. There would have been intense sequences with powerful dialogues being exchanged and the entire film would have had a different feel. Something like Darr ( YRF) or Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ( Dharma) for instance.

Yes, Syed Noor is a living legend who has served the industry for more than four decades and has many hits to his credit. He is an industry veteran who has seen the industry go through a lot and I respect him for that. But unfortunately, he has not been able to keep up with the changing times which results in shabby direction and makes a joke out of an otherwise decent film. The introductory shot of Ruba, for instance, is so badly lit that all you see is a dark face full of shadows. There are out of focus scenes, weird framing at times and lots of reminders that something is wrong. Furthermore, there are many more instances, entire scenes for that matter which seem out of place and rather outdated giving you an 80’s vibe. All this takes away from the film and the film ends up being its own spoof.

Acting wise everyone does well and debutants Shahroz and Sarish both impress with their performances. I was particularly surprised by Sarish as this was her first acting gig and she does a great job. It’s unfortunate that due to bad writing and direction her performance could not get that extra push. Shahroz is a natural and the lover boy role fits like a glove. Again I would blame bad direction for certain scenes where the acting came as a bit over the top. Adil Murad as the villain does great too, he looks the part, acts the part and is definitely a great addition to the acting scene.I just wish some of his dialogues were better written, for these dialogues made his rather impactful character seem cartoonish. Other supporting actors all do well in their roles too.

The music of the film is decent where some songs do stick with you while others are forgettable. My favorites were ‘Nazar Se Nazar’ and ‘Meri Wafa Meray Waday’ and coincidentally both these songs are remakes of old songs. It was definitely a treat to hear Waris Baig but his song seemed a bit old school and didn’t gel with the film. Son Ammar Baig who has the exact same voice as of father had some better songs like title track ‘Chain Aye Na’ and others but to be honest the production quality of the songs, at least on the silver screen was rather inferior and better mixing was required.

On the whole, the film makes for an okay watch. Nothing horribly bad as other reviews suggest, but not a masterpiece either.

Tete-a-tete with Humayun Saaed, the vintage romantic hero of ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’

By

Zaryan Khawar

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August 28, 2017

Humayun Saeed, the man who started the commercial cinema wave for Pakistani cinema back in 2013 with ‘Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’ and delivered the biggest hit with ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ is now ready with his third production ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’.

This film marks the return of the supremely loved combination of Humayun Saeed with Mehwish Hayat and Nadeem Beyg as the director along with Urwa Hocane, Azfar Rehman and Ahmed Ali Butt. This movie brings back the old school romance with Humayun being presented in a never before seen avatar of a Paindu guy which can be seen in the trailer.

Humayun has been in the news and on screen quite much this year with ‘Yalghaar’, then the controversy of ‘Project Ghazi’ and now his own production ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’. We caught up with the actor to talk about his latest release and the other things he has been in the news for.

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