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Box Office Update (10 day Extended Week 1): ‘Actor in Law’ leads the race, ‘Janaan’ a close second and ‘ZKHH’ does decent too

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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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.

This Eid-ul-Azha was rather filmy as we had not one or two but three big budget local films hitting cinemas and fighting for the viewers attention. Among them, the Fahad Mustafa- Mehwish Hayat starer ‘Actor In Law (AIL)’, the Feroze Khan- Sajal Aly starrer ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay (ZKHH)’ and lastly the Armeena Khan-Bilal Ashraf-Ali Rehman starrer ‘Janaan’.

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‘Mah-e-Mir’ selected as Pakistan’s submission for the Oscars

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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The Oscar madness begins as the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has announced “Mah-e-Mir” as their selection to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘Foreign Language Film Award’ category at the 89th Academy Awards. In case you are wondering what were the options well as per the official rules to be eligible for nomination the the motion picture must be first released in the country submitting it no earlier than October 1, 2015 and no later than September 30, 2016. Therefore the options included ‘Ho Mann Jahan’ ‘Bachana’ ‘Maalik’ ‘Hijrat’ ‘Mah-e-Mir’ ‘Aksbandh’ ‘Sawal 700 Crore Dollar Ka’ ‘Ishq Positive’ ‘Revenge Of The Worthless’ ‘Dance Kahani’ ‘Blind Love’ ‘Teri Meri Love Story’ ‘Janaan’ ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ and ‘Actor in Law’

Previously in 2013, the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee selected “Zinda Bhaag” as the first Pakistani film in over fifty years to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘Foreign Language Film Award’ category, followed by “Dukhtar” in 2014 and “Moor” in 2015.

The movie was selected by way of a secret ballot and was the overwhelming film of choice of the Committee members. The committee was chaired by two-time Academy Award and Emmy winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and inculded Iram Parveen Bilal as the charge d’affaires, Zeba Bakhtiar, Adnan Siddiqui, Hasan Zaidi, Sheema Kermani, Sarmad Khoosat, Jamshed Mahmood Raza, Jamil Dehlavi and Adnan Sarwar.

Speaking about the selection of Mah-e-Mir, the members have said:

Sarmad Khoosat:
“Mah-e-Mir is tedious and dark and these aren’t bad qualities for a film to have.”

Jamshed Mahmood Raza’s (Jami):
“After a long time I can say I’ve seen one of the best looking films out of Pakistan’s cinema ‘Mah-e-Mir’.”

Adnan Siddiqui:
“When Manzar Sehbai Sahib’s character comes to meet the poet (Fahad Mustafa), and he talks about his understanding of literature, and Urdu literature in particular, that was the crux, the heart and soul of the movie for me”

Iram Bilal Parveen (Charge D’affaires of Committee):
“I am very pleased to see that we are sending a quality film to the Academy Awards for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the fourth consecutive year. After decades of neglect, it is a matter of great pride that the Pakistani film industry has achieved so much in such brief time and speaks volumes for the inherent artistic talent of our people. I wish the makers of Mah-e-Mir the best of luck in their journey through the shortlisting process and thank them for their contribution to Pakistani cinema.”

‘Mah-e-Mir’, directed by Anjum Shahzad and written by Sarmad Sehbai, is set in contemporary times which chronicles the life of a young anarchist poet while denouncing tradition, goes through the sufferings of love, separation and poverty which drives him into madness, where he discovers the 18th century poet Meer Taqi Meer. In his poetic journey he embodies the intense love, passion and creative madness of the poet. The film features Fahad Mustafa, Iman Ali, Sanam Saeed, Alyy Khan and Manzar Sehbai.

Ajum Shehzad after learning of this news said “I am thrilled by the news. For an ensemble of extremely creative cast and crew this film is a labor of love. Each one of us is proud to be a part of it. I would like to thank the committee for considering our effort worthy of representation and would like to take this opportunity to thank the media, cinema owners and above all the audiences for supporting us”

As per standard practice, films selected by each individual country’s Academy selection committee are submitted to the Academy for screening, shortlisting and voting with official Oscar nominees.  Here’s a brief timeline of how thing will now move.

January 2017: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories including Best Foreign Language Film.

24th January 2017: The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced.

26th February 2017: The presentation show for the 89th Academy Awards scheduled to take place.

Lets wait and see if Pakistan finally wins itself an Oscar this year or at least a nomination.

 

Iman Ali gets replaced by Mehwish Hayat for Humayun Saeed’s ‘Main Punjab Nahin Jaoongi’!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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One of the most eagerly awaited films ‘Main Punjab Nahin Jaoongi’ has been in the news ever since it was first announced. Be it the fact that it would reunite the actor-director jodi Humayun Saeed and Nadeem Baig who last gave the blockbuster ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ or the presence of Iman Ali as the leading lady, the film had it all going. However we were in for a rude shock when reports started surfacing that Iman Ali had opted to drop out of the film!

We contacted the main man himself Humayun Saeed to know the real story and found out that Iman was never officially a part of the film and they were just in talks. And as for her dropping out, well Humayun revealed that it was a mutual decision taken by both the actors and that he will soon announce another film where he will be sharing space with Iman.

With Iman out of the picture, the obvious second choice seemed to be the talented Mehwish Hayat who is currently riding high on the success of ‘Actor In Law’. Given the response their hit drama serial ‘Dillagi’ has been getting and people loving the Humayun-Mehwish jodi it doesn’t come as a surprise that Humayun wanted to recreate the magic for the silver screen and that’s exactly what Humayun hinted at when we asked him the reason for Mehwish being cast.

With Mehwish as the heroine and a supporting cast which includes Ahmed Ali Butt, Samina Peerzada and Saba Waseem the film is all set to begin its shooting and targeting a late 2017 release.

Box Office Update (6 day Extended Weekend): All films hold well and score big numbers!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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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.

This Eid-ul-Azha was rather filmy as we had not one or two but three big budget local films hitting cinemas and fighting for the viewers attention. Among them, the Fahad Mustafa- Mehwish Hayat starer ‘Actor In Law (AIL)’, the Feroze Khan- Sajal Aly starrer ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay (ZKHH)’ and lastly the Armeena Khan-Bilal Ashraf-Ali Rehman starrer ‘Janaan’.

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Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay (Review): Great music and good acting make up for the clichéd story and absurdities

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Movie Name: Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay

Release Date: Sept 13, 2016

Director: Anjum Shahzad

Review by: Zeeshan Mahmood

Anjum Shahzad is a talented TV director and Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay is his second big screen venture after Mah e Mir. Shahzad doubted that the Pakistani audience was able to understand an intelligent film like Mah e Mir, so he came up with a romantic drama this time to test the intellect of the audience again.

Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay is neither an out-and-out disaster nor a magnum opus of any kind. It is a clichéd story and has a great deal of writing and directorial absurdities but it still makes for a decent and bearable watch thanks to the good performances by its young cast and the hugely popular music.

However, figuring out its one true genre is a daunting task. It aims to be an intense romantic drama but some of the characters and situations are too comic (read absurd) for a serious movie like this. It is also part social commentary and part fairy tale where magical realism comes into play covertly. In short, a lot of things are tried to fit in the film spoiling its charm.

There are two parts of the film story which are gelled together. The major one is related with the upheavals in the lives of Zain Ahmad (Feroze Khan) and Mahira Khan (Sajal Ali) who are married for seven years and have a son. Their rocky marriage reaches the breaking point and they decide for the separation. This follows an emotional journey of once very happy family now tearing apart.

There is no novelty in this part of the story, but that’s not the issue with it. In the wake of writing a highly predictable story, the writer of the film misses out establishing a convincing reason of the dissent between the leading pair. The film starts with super sonic speed as in first scene boy meets girl and in the very next scene (after a party song) the girl is packing her luggage leaving boy’s home. In their quarrels they play the blame game but we get to know no back story to get ourselves convinced of their emotional fallout. We just tend to believe either they are done with each other or they are bunch of mercurial, sentimental and paranoid people. I guess the second option seems more appropriate.

The other part of the story is the satirical commentary on TRP-hungry and ratings-crazy TV industry of Pakistan. The placement of this odd plot line in an intense emotional story if serves nothing else then at least one good purpose of self-introspection of the film. The film criticizes the TV shows for generating ratings from the tears of the weeping women, whereas it itself relies on the same gimmick of exploiting audience emotionally and shedding rivers of tears (glycerine) on the big screen. Its ironic as the film falls short of its own essence.

Anjum Shahzad is a very talented director and it is obvious from his commendable work in Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay as well. The film is beautifully shot and has a reasonably good screenplay. The editing of the film is also crisp and done well. However, the film has certain elements and scenes which one cannot expect from an intelligent and talented director like Shahzad. Shafqat Cheema’s character and the fight scene are two unforgivable disappointments from the director. Probably, he did not want to make a film as intelligent as Mah e Mir this time (sarcasm intended).

Feroze Khan and Sajal Aly are one of the most popular on-screen couples of TV and they debuted at the silver screen together in Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay. They brought their signature small screen chemistry to the big screen but one of them outshone the other in terms of performance and potentials. Sajal Aly who is mostly known for playing characters of weeping women on TV had nothing much different to offer in her first film. On the other hand, Feroze Khan did a better job and exhibited skills of a promising film star. His voice, poise, range, and screen presence all show that he has has a bright future.

In terms of acting the child star stole the show with his adorable performance. He was a treat to watch in the whole film. His chemistry with his on screen parents and especially with Feroze Khan was spectacular. Although he was playing a character too wise for his age, but he made it believable and lovable. Ally Khan, in the role of a ambitious TV producer of a morning show, also acted well.

It goes without saying that the music of Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay is one the best in the recent times. The whole album has a repeat value and it will stick with us for long. All the artists have done a great job of creating a memorable musical experience, which is also integral part of the film and its USP. The songs are aptly integrated with the story of the film. “Ali Ali” and “Totiya Tara” are the two best songs to experience in the movie.

Box Office Update (Day 3): ‘Actor In Law’ observes dip, other two stable

By
Aayan Mirza
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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.

This Eid-ul-Azha was rather filmy as we had not one or two but three big budget local films hitting cinemas and fighting for the viewers attention. Among them, the Fahad Mustafa- Mehwish Hayat starer ‘Actor In Law (AIL)’, the Feroze Khan- Sajal Aly starrer ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay (ZKHH)’ and lastly the Armeena Khan-Bilal Ashraf-Ali Rehman starrer ‘Janaan’.

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Box Office Update (Day 2): ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ has a humongous growth while ‘Actor In Law’ and ‘Janaan’ also grow

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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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. Also the numbers are revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

This is Eid-ul-Azha was rather filmy as we had not one or two but three big budget local films hitting cinemas and fighting for the viewers attention. Among them, the Fahad Mustafa- Mehwish Hayat starrer ‘Actor In Law’, the Feroze Khan- Sajal Aly starrer ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ and lastly the Armeena Khan-Bilal Ashraf-Ali Rehman starrer ‘Janaan’. All three films were well promoted so the box office was bound to take good start and that is exactly what has happened and we saw good box office numbers for day 1.

However it was going to be day 2 which would to some extent reveal the viewers preference as word of mouth would have started to spread and people would have made their choices. But since a huge chunk of audiences stays away from cinemas due to the Eid festivities on day 1, a general growth for all the films was expected!

Yet interestingly, while all films have shown growth, one film has had a particularly large growth in numbers which giving us the idea that a trend is somewhat visible. Nonetheless as the eid celebrations end and normalcy resumes we will get a clearer picture of the box office scene.

For now here are the day wise numbers for the three films where we can see that ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ has almost doubled its first day numbers on day 2 while ‘Actor In Law’ and ‘Janaan’ have also grown.

Actor In Law

  1. Day 1 ( Tues 13 Sept): 1.60 cr
  2. Day 2 ( Wed 14 Sept): 2.35 cr
    Total: 3.95 cr

Janaan

  1. Day 1 ( Tues 13 Sept): 1.04 cr
  2. Day 2 ( Wed 14 Sept): 1.45 cr
    Total : 2.49 cr

Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay

  1. Day 1 ( Tues 13 Sept): 0.40 cr
  2. Day 2 ( Wed 14 Sept): 0.75 cr
    Total: 1.15 cr

(The numbers were  updated on 16 September 6pm)

Janaan (Review): The mix chaat makes for an entertaining watch

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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Movie Name: Janaan

Release Date: Sept 13, 2016

Director: Azfar Jafri

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

As soon as the end credits began rolling the mass hysteria, which is common at film premieres, took over the entire hall. Hooting and clapping for the film, swarming fans trying to get a selfie with the actors and a general excitement where everyone’s asking each other the same question ‘So did you like the film’?

Thinking objectively at these times is quite a daunting task but thankfully nobody really wants an honest reply. The makers just want reassurance that what they have made is worthwhile whereas other guests just use this question to make small talk. And mind you, most of what people say to each other at this point is a lie! Funnily, despite knowing this as a fact, I was quite perplexed at the Janaan premiere for everyone around me could not stop raving of the brilliance they had seen unfolding on the silver screen and I was just wondering did they see the same film which I did?

Not that Janaan is a bad film, on the contrary it is a fairly well made film and almost  a masterpiece if you consider the recent trash that has been churned out by our local film-makers! But somewhere I felt that the overloaded script and poor screenplay took away greatly from a film that was otherwise beautifully shot and had good performances from the actors. The need to add everything in it, hence the title reference to a mix chaat, just dampened the appeal for me. Having said that I must mention that on the whole the film is a laudable effort by the makers and makes for an entertaining watch.

The film opens in Canada where we meet Meena ( Armeena Khan) who is coming back to her hometown Swat after a good seven years, or was it eleven years, anyhow the point being shes coming back after a long time. Back home she has her two ridiculously good looking cousins Asfandhyar ( Bilal Ashraf) and Daniyal ( Ali Rehman) who instantly take a liking towards Meena and well that is the basic premise. Add a desi wedding, some Pushtoon-ness, an evil Nayyer Ejaz and voila thats Janaan for you.

To be honest the basic premise is nothing exciting but it is the local treatment which gives the film a very distinct Pakistani touch and hits the right note. From the use of language and displaying various traditions to the feel the film succeeds in creating it is all one hundred percent Pakistani. ‘Janaan’ is one of the few films to have come out of Pakistan in recent times which can actually be considered our own in the sense that there is no borrowed lingo or constant references to something that is not us! Therefore kudos to the team for reminding us of who we are and what our culture is. Although the director does take some creative liberty in painting a somewhat unrealistic picture of Swat but nonetheless we approve!

Furthermore the director  Azfar Jafri is good with the shots, and thankfully knows how to operate a camera ( Im looking at you makers of Teri Meri Love Story). Swat looks beautiful which should be credited to the cinematographer Rana Kamran who along with the director gives some breathtaking views which make for a cinematic treat. However most of the shots are over exposed and the cast does look washed out , but I would prefer this any day over films which dont even get their color grading done ( again looking at you Teri Meri Love Story).

But while it was a visual treat the same cannot be said for the content. The story is weak and screenplay is just bad! Yes, there is no other way of saying it. Scenes dont really flow into each other and well the film is all over the place when you talk about coherency. I cant delve into much details without giving away a few spoilers but Ill just say that the makers took the idea of making a complete package tad bit too seriously and couldn’t really do justice to the issues they wanted to tackle. Also I personally did not enjoy the ending and felt that an alternative ending would have been more impactful.  But one thing the writer, Osman Khalid Butt, definitely got right was the comedy bit as the dialogues are genuinely funny and succeed in eliciting laughter from the audiences. The one-liners are just too good!

Coming to the acting bit its Ali Rehman who steals the show as  ‘Islamabad ka shoda’ Daniyal. One can argue that he had the most scope to perform compared to the other two but whatever you say this boy can act. He handles comedy with the same ease as he does the emotional scenes. Bilal Ashraf leaves a lasting impact with his hero act in the film and finally we have someone with a screen presence. Yes, the emotional scenes aren’t his strongest suit but hey its his debut film and yes its an actual debut into the acting world unlike the tv to film transitions. So kudos to Bilal for a strong first performance which we are sure will only improve with time. Armeena as Meena makes one realize how she has come a long way from the ‘Bin Roye’ days. She is now more comfortable in her skin and that shows in the acting, which despite coming across as forced at times , is a great improvement from her earlier film. So way to go Armeena.

As for the supporting cast everyone puts their best foot forward. Debutant’s  Hania and Usman are two faces to look out for and they will go a long way. Hania as the chirpy Palwasha is just too good. They was she has handled her scenes, despite not being a trained actor is just commendable. Usman may not have many scenes but he does well in whatever little capacity. As for the veterans all do justice to their characters and show why they are forces to be reckoned with. Be it the sinister Ikramullah played by Nayyer Ejaz , the punjabi aunty played by Mishi Khan or Ajab Gul as the head of the household all are just too good. Although I do feel that Mishi Khan could have had a meatier role.

Lastly, the music of the film is not that great  and leaves much to be desired. Given that it was romantic comedy with three hot leads the music could have definitely upped the game. But sadly other than the soulful ‘Janaan’ and melodious ‘Reid-i-Gul’ the album has nothing to offer. The wedding song ‘Shor Sharaba’ is a huge miss both in terms of the audio and the picturization.

Box Office Update: ‘Actor In Law’ leads the race while ‘Janaan’ and ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ score big too!

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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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. Also the numbers are revised at times and hence you may observe fluctuations.

This is Eid-ul-Azha was rather filmy as we had not one or two but three big budget local films hitting cinemas and fighting for the viewers attention. Among them were the Fahad Mustafa- Mehwish Hayat starrer ‘Actor In Law’, the Feroze Khan- Sajal Aly starrer ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ and lastly the Armeena Khan-Bilal Ashraf-Ali Rehman starrer ‘Janaan’. All three films were well promoted so the box office was bound to take good start and that is exactly what has happened.

-Leading the race is ‘Actor In Law’ which has raked in 1.65 crore being the second highest Pakistani opener , secondary only to the blockbuster ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ which opened with 2.07 crore. But it’s worth mentioning that AIL was clashing with two other films while JPNA was a solo release. So kudos to the Nabeel Qureshi directorial for these amazing  numbers.

-‘Janaan’ has opened up with 1.04 crore which is also a strong opening as only two film this year, Ho Mann Jahaan and Bachana, have managed a 1 crore opening day.

-As for ‘Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay’ the  official numbers are not out yet but an educated guess would be that the film has made somewhere around 0.75 crore considering the number of shows and the average occupancies.

So the total tally of the three films is about 3.4+ crore which shows how much our cinema has grown in the last year. Interestingly the number will grow on day 2 as growth is expected at the box office.Lets see how the films score on day 2! Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for all updates.

Update: The revised numbers, obtained from box office tracking site Box Office Detail, are as follows:-
Actor In Law 1.6 crore
Janaan  1.04 crore
Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay 0.40 crore

 

 

Actor In Law (Review): A definite case winner in this court

By
Aayan Mirza
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Movie Name: Actor In Law

Release Date: Sept 13, 2016

Director: Nabeel Qureshi

Review by: Aayan Mirza

Actor In Law (AIL) was a winsome experience at multiple levels. The film not only entertains you as per its own prowess, but also reminds you of how far we have come in terms of film-making in such tight period and resources. Surely there are many more miles to go, but the road travelled hasn’t been any short either, and that’s only counting it since the Khuda Kay Liye (KKL) days.

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