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Box Office Update: ‘Bachaana’ sails steadily, crosses 5 cr. mark in 10 days

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Mohib Mirza, Sanam Saeed and Adeel Hashmi starer rom-com Bachaana created quite a buzz with its one liners and refreshing ‘filmi’ look before its release. The lighthearted comedy, scenic locations of Mauritius and the young couple made it an attractive family entertainer.

This is the reason the film saw a solid first weekend on the box office. The film has been sailing steadily since then and enters the second week after minting more than 5 crore in 10 days. A good job! The rest of the first week was relatively slower, nothing to surprise much, but the film gained much needed momentum on the second weekend, which helped it in achieving the milestone.

Here is the breakdown of day to day collections of Bachaana, as shared by box office tracking website Box Office Details:

  • Day 1 (Fri) 0.65 cr
  • Day 2 (Sat): 0. 70 cr
  • Day 3 (Sun): 1.0 cr
  • Day 4 (Mon): 0.22 cr
  • Day 5 (Tue): 0.24 cr
  • Day 6 (Wed): 0.28 cr
  • Day 7 (Thu): 0.25 cr
  • Day 8 (Fri): 0.35 cr
  • Day 9 (Sat): 0.75 cr
  • Day 10 (Sun): 0.65 cr
  • Total: 5.09 crore

#karachiteafestival2016 #SanamSaeed saeed #mohibmirza for #Bachaana promotion #maidhai

A photo posted by Aliya -Bachaana (@sanamsaeed_fp) on

The overall response of the film has been ‘modest’ so far; neither exceptional nor disappointing. The film is expected to continue its journey with the same pace for another week, and its seems little difficult to say right now if it will be able to join the ’10 Crore Club’ or not.

We wish the film achieves this milestone as well, as it truly deserves it.

Bachaana (Review): Great acting, mind blowing direction and melodious tunes save this film with a weak plot

For more box office updates of Bachaana, stay tuned with Galaxy Lollywood.

GL Exclusive: ARY head honcho Jerjees Seja clears the air on the entire ARY Film Awards controversy.

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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The impending ARY Film Awards have been in the news ever since the first announcement regarding the ceremony was made a few weeks back. Be it due to the international venue or the speculations regarding the host, the awards have been a major point of discussion on social media and the buzz surrounding the ceremony has been unprecedented. However, along with all this hype there have been some serious allegations regarding the authenticity of the awards and questions on its credibility.

It all began when production house MD Films announced that they will not be sending Bin Roye for nominations at the awards as they did not want their film to be a part of the award ceremony. What made the story more interesting was the fact that films such as Moor and Manto which have been produced and distributed by Geo Films were sent for consideration.

momina aryGalaxy Lollywood talked to Momina Duraid of MD Productions and got the answers straight from the lady herself. She stated (in an exclusive interview) that she had doubts on the authenticity of the awards as ARY itself was a film production/distribution company and further added that an award ceremony conducted by a related party will always have reliability issues.

Read More : GL Exclusive: Momina Duraid finally breaks silence on the ARY Film Awards-Bin Roye controversy

To get a clearer picture of the entire issue, I decided to talk to CEO of ARY Digital Jerjees Seja and get his side of the story.

Jerjees started off by narrating how ARY Film Awards came into being  three years back when the channel decided that they needed to take an initiative and create a platform where the film talent gets some appreciation.

“The entire reason we started the ARY Film Awards were so that we could encourage the film-makers who were making films. We wanted to promote our talent and wanted them to know that their hard work was being acknowledged. There was hardly any industry when we started out with the awards!”, said a visibly hurt Jerjees.

I asked him my first question which was obviously about the authenticity of the awards and how they planned to address the questions raised by Momina Duraid on them being a film distribution/production company and having their own awards.

“Well firstly I would like to clear that the award are audited by independent bodies. To avoid situations like the one we are in now we make sure take such extra precautionary measures. All the votes are tabulated by bodies which have nothing to do with ARY”, said Jerjees.

Talking on the issue of them being a channel and having their awards, Jerjees gave the example of the Viacom 18 group in India which owns and operates the entertainment channel Colors, has a film production wing Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and is also involved with quite a few award ceremonies. Interestingly other film companies/banners allow their films to be part of the award ceremonies at Viacom and there is no fuss said Jerjees.

I raised the next issue of the ARY Film Awards taking a break in the year 2015. To this Jerjees said, “So the number of films in 2014 wasn’t enough to justify an award ceremony and moreover there were some other issues like coinciding with the Lux Style Awards so the ceremony was postponed. But we are considering all those films in the jury category this time around.”

Who makes up the jury was my obvious next question. “Well the jury consists of senior individuals from the industry such as actors, film journalists etc and we cant reveal the names. That is how things work worldwide as if we reveal the names the jury can be influenced by their friends from the industry and this is something we don’t want”, shared Jerjees.

Lastly I asked Jerjees does he have anything to say to MD Productions/HUM who has refused to send their film?

“Well, all I will say is that at the end of the day it is the talent that looses. Actors like Mahira Khan, Armeena Rana Khan etc. are the ones who are ultimately loosing a chance to get a nomination or an award. Its not fair for them. Moreover the technicians, writers, musicians loose out too. I think we need to come together, unite and celebrate our talent”, said Jerjees on an ending note.

To be honest before talking to Jerjees I personally had my doubts about the award ceremony and its credibility. But after this conversation with the man behind the award ceremony I realized that all they are trying to do is give Pakistan an award ceremony, something where the talent is appreciated! Putting aside all the arguments we need to realize that in the form of AFA we are finally having an award ceremony that is dedicated solely to cinema!

The grand award ceremony is all set to take place in Duabi on 10 March and Galaxy Lollywood would like to wish ARY Film Awards all the best.

Nabeel Qureshi’s ‘Actor In Law’ to release this Eid-al-Azha

By
Iman Ali Munshi
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Pakistan Film Industry is on the roll, as one film after another is being announced. 2016 is going to be another big year for the local cinema with big releases such as Lahore Sey Aagay, Mah-e-Meer, Janaan, Yalghaar, Two Plus Two, Balu Mahi and many more are in the lineup.

Joining this race comes another movie named Actor In Law, by none other than everyone’s favorite director-producer duo Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza of Na Maloom Afraad fame. Actor in Law is a comedy film with a commentary on the social issues in its core. The lead pair of the film includes the energetic host of Jeeto Pakistan Fahad Mustafa and sizzling Mehwish Hayat, both of whom have earlier shared the screen in an item number in NMA.

The film just got the release date, as revealed by the director Nabeel Qureshi. It is scheduled to release this year on Eid-al-Azha (September).

The veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri is also making his debut in Lollywood with this film. Om Puri had earlier said that he signed the film because of the script being ‘different and unique’. He also shared that the title of the film ‘Actor In Law’ was suggested by him.

#ompuri & #fizzalimeerza on the sets of #actorinlaw #actorinlawreleasingsept2016 #filmwalapictures

A photo posted by Actor in Law – The Film (@actorinlawthefilm) on

While talking about the film the young and talented director Nabeel Qureshi said in a press conference two months ago that, “rather than telling jokes, I enjoy telling stories. And audiences can expect the same with Actor In Law as well since it has a very unique story”.

Rare picture ! Smiles everywhere … @mehwishhayatofficial #presscon #actorinlaw #music #guitar #party

A photo posted by Nabeel Qureshi (@nabqur) on

Fahad Mustafa who will also be seen in a period drama Mah-e-Meer this year expressed that, “our film industry is growing and the world needs to see the various interesting stories that we have to tell”.

According to the leading lady Mehwish Hayat, her character in the film is “different” and something she has “never done before”. Sharing about the film she said that, “it is mindless social comedy, but a no-nonsense film.”

#mehwishhayat #fahadmustafa #actorinlaw

A photo posted by Mehwish Hayat (@mehwishhayatfc) on

TV actor Alyy Khan, known for serious persona and characters, is also playing an important character in the film. The music of the film is composed by Shani Arshad, who also worked on the music of NMA.

Actor In Law is the production of Filmwala Films and it will be distributed by Urdu1 Films.

Edited by: Zeeshan Mahmood

Box Office Update: ‘Bachaana’ registers the strong first weekend

By
Galaxy Lollywood
-

The rom-com Bachaana created quite a buzz before its release, thanks to the film’s trailer that got viral and heavily done promotions in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The film also got favorable reviews from the critics and movie buffs before it opened to the public on Friday, which increased the hype of the film and improved its prospects at the box office.

Bachaana (Review): Great acting, mind blowing direction and melodious tunes save this film with a weak plot

However, the real test of the film is executed when it gets released and the people buy tickets to watch it with their friends and family. In this regard Bachaana seems to have qualified with good scores, as the film registered a strong first weekend on the domestic box office.

The film opened to a low start but it saw the growth on Saturday and Sunday. It grossed around 2.35 crore in the first weekend, making it decent collections for a film with relatively newer cast and releasing in the cricket season.

The day to day collections of Bachaana, as shared by Box Office Details, are as follows:

  • Friday: 0.65 cr
  • Saturday: 0. 70 cr
  • Sunday: 1.0 cr
  • Total: 2.35
Sanam Saeed is playing an Indian newly wed girl Aalia in Bachaana.
Sanam Saeed is playing an Indian newly wed girl Aalia in Bachaana.

This trend is expected to continue the ongoing week as well and it will be interesting to see where does the film stand before start of the second week.

The film is also lucky not to have a competition with any big Bollywood flick at least for next two more weeks until 18 March when Fawad Khan, Sidharth Malhotra and Aliya Bhutt starer Kapoor and Sons will make its way to the cinema houses in Pakistan (hopefully).

For more box office updates of Bachaana, stay tuned with Galaxy Lollywood.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy makes Pakistan proud by winning the Oscar for the second time

By
Galaxy Lollywood
-

The leap day this year became extraordinarily special for Pakistanis, as the Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy won the Oscar, the world’s most prestigious film award, at Los Angeles for the second time making everyone proud at home. Chinoy won the award for her short documentary The Girl in the River based on the life of a 18-years old survivor of an honor killing attempt.

Winning second Oscar made Sharmeen euphoric, as she started her acceptance speech with “I have another one!”.

She continued, “This is what happens when determined women get together. From Saba, the girl in my film who remarkably survived honor killing and shared her story, to Sheila Nevins, Lisa Heller from HBO and Tina Brown who supported me from day one. To the men who champion women, like Geof Bartz who has edited the film to Asad Faruqi, to my friend Ziad who brought this film to the government, to all the brave men out there like my father and husband who push women to go to school and work and who want a more just society for women!”

Earlier this month the documentary was screened at the PM House, where the prime minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, promised to work on the legislation against the crime of honor killing. “This week the Pakistani PM said he would change the law on honor killing after watching this film – that is the power of film!”, Sharmeen concluded the speech.

She won first Oscar in the same category four years ago for the documentary Saving Face, voicing the victims of acid attacks in Pakistan. She also directed Pakistan’s first animated feature film 3 Bahadur which was very hit among children last year. The sequel of the film will be released towards the end of this year.

With my mum walking the red carpet #Oscars2016

A photo posted by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (@sharmeenobaid) on

Many notable figures congratulated Chinoy for her victory, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

We at Galaxy Lollywood are very happy for the filmmaker, as she achieved what many dream their whole life. She is truly an inspiration and we wish her best for the future endeavors.

Bachaana (Review): Great acting, mind blowing direction and melodious tunes save this film with a weak plot

By
Momin Ali Munshi
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Movie Name: Bachaana

Release Date: February 26, 2016

Director: Nasir Khan

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

One debutant film director, two actors known more for their intense character portrayals than comic timing, a shoe string budget and a shooting time of 30 days. Doesn’t really sound like the most lavish set of ingredients when your’e planning to make a full on romantic comedy thriller set in Mauritius now does it? Well think again, for the entire team of Bachaana spearheaded by director Nasir Khan and producer  Rizwan Saeed have successfully manged to defy reasoning and give us a visual treat that is Bachaana using these very ingredients.

Story ( Spoiler Free)

Set in Mauritius, Bachaana narrates the story of an Indian girl Aalia (Sanam Saeed) who meets a Pakistani cab driver Vicky (Mohib Mirza) under dreadful circumstances and from that point onward the entire film revolves around the journey of these two characters and how they escape the bad guys.

I’ll be the first one to say that the story is not something ground breaking (and if memory serves me right, I have used this very line for half the Pakistani films that released last year). We don’t have great writers in Pakistan period! But that must not take away from the dialogues which Saad Azhar has penned. While the plot may not be that impressive the one liners sure are. The comedy looks very natural and does not come across as forced all thanks to the dialogues and the effortless acting by the two leads. Even the ‘ladki ladki hoti hay’ line is said in a completely different context in the film as opposed to the trailers and the way it has been said in the film is not weird or absurd at all.

Acting

Bachaana is the perfect example as to what two good actors can do for a film. It would not be wrong to say that one of the major reasons why the film works so well is its because of the effortless acting that Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed have put for display. For such a character driven film it was extremely important to cast the right people and well Nasir Khan has just done that.

There is always this debate surrounding what the definition of a good actor is. Intense acting and good acting are two different things! If an actor is successfully able to convince the viewer that the character he/she is playing is actually real, I say that is good acting. If an actor is able to get the viewer invested in the story because the viewer feels for the character, I say that is good acting. And that is actually what happens in Bachaana.

Sanam Saeed as the full of life, cheerful Indian girl is too good. Having seen her television shows where she has generally played serious characters I never expected her to do so well with a comic role. She fit the role like a glove. Similarly, Mohib Mirza also is known more for the off beat films and for him to have an impeccable comic timing was surprising.

Moreover the chemistry the two share is another plus point for the film. It seems very natural and does not com across as forced.

Direction

Nasir Khan’s debut as a director could not have been better. In his very first film he has showcased why he is a force to be reckoned with and why all producers of Pakistan should sit up and take notice. He knows how to use the camera to get great cinematic shots which justify the 500 rupees ticket one pays to watch a film as opposed to watching a show on tv. There has always been this complain that Pakistani films look like television shows being played on the silver screen, but believe me when I say this that Bachanaa is a film!

Its worth mentioning that almost all of the film is a chase and to have so many chase sequences could have put the audience off. But Nasir makes sure that the way he films each chase is different so that the audience does not feel a sense of déjà vu. Moreover, the comic relief in the form of the one-liners was a good addition to the romantic thriller which otherwise could have been a bit boring. Kudos to Nasir Khan and we expect great things from you now Nasir!

Music

The music is composed by Ali Sher and consists of three numbers ‘Yaari’, ‘Labda’ and ‘Bachaana’. The composer has shown his versatility with the music as all the three songs have their own feel and flavor. However, while the music is interesting the video’s of the three songs sadly aren’t. The songs have not been shot as such and play in the background which kind of takes away from the full effect. Had Mohib and Sanam grooved to the title track ‘Bachaana’ or at least had lip synced to the entire scenario would have been different. Nonetheless, the music is surely a great addition to this film and Ali Sher deserves a pat on the back for providing such soulful numbers.

Premiere of Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed starer ‘Bachaana’ held in Lahore

By
Galaxy Lollywood
-

The premiere of rom-com film Bachaana held at Super Cinema, Vogue Tower in Lahore on Tuesday night and it was attended by the notable names of the film industry and other walks of the life.

The film premieres have become tiring business, especially in Lahore, for a while now, where the venue is swarmed with the guests and the red carpet is thronged with the cameras and fans, suffocating the entire place. In addition to it, there is usually no proper sitting plan and people keep moving from one place to another in the search of a seat (this may also end up with having no seat available for you).

Fortunately, such dismal scene was not repeated at Bachaana premiere, thanks to the organizers Lotus (PR company) and Super Cinema. The sitting plan was pre-defined and the red carpet was exclusive to the media (at least they left enough space for the stars to walk and breathe). The tight ‘security plan’, however, gave little chance to the stars to interact with the people at the event.

The premiere was not as such a star studded affair, but it was still sufficiently star powered. It was attended by the lead cast of the film, Sanam Saeed, Mohib Mirza and Adeel Hashmi, accompanied with the director Nasir Khan and the writer Saad Azhar. Beside them the other known names of the entertainment industry also graced the event, including Aamina Sheikh, Ahmad Ali Butt, Junaid Khan, Sarmad Khoosat, Ayesha Sana, Munib Nawaz, Cybil Chaudary, Rabia Butt and the musicians Ali Sher, Goher Mumtaz and Jimmy Khan.

Here are some of the Galaxy Lollywood’s exclusive pictures from the night. The review of the film will be shared very soon.

The stars of the night: Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed.

The real life couple: Mohib Mirza and Aamina Sheikh.

The adorable trio.


The hunks: Agha Ali Khan, Jimmy Khan and Ahmad Ali Butt (okay, not a hunk).


The bright lady, Ayesha Sana. (It would be unfair not to mention that the lady took all the ‘Bright Karein’ puns thrown at her with open heart and did not bridle at any such reference. Huge applause for her.)

#AyeshaSana at the #Bachaana premiere lahore. #MohibMirza #SanamSaeed #lahore #premiere

A photo posted by @galaxylollywood on

Nadia Afghan and Adeel Hashmi.

The heartthrob Junaid Khan.

Khorem Gultasab, General Manager, Super Cinema with the singer Goher Mumtaz.

Madiha Qaiser and Cybil Chaudary.

Last but not least, Galaxy Lollywood team (from left to right: Zeeshan Mahmood, Iman Faryad and Momin Ali Munshi).

The film opens Friday, Feb 26 all across the Pakistan.

Lahore Se Aagey: The first look of Karachi Se Lahore spin off is out!

By
Iman Ali Munshi
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After last year’s super-hit release ‘Karachi Se Lahore’, the director Wajahat Rauf is all set to make a spin off film ‘Lahore Se Aagey’ and its first look was just released today. As evident from the first look, the film will focus on the character of Moti, played by our very own Yasir Hussain. But that’s not all as adding to the comic element is the new female lead Saba Qamar who is known for her comic timing. We feel that being a romantic-comedy the film could not have had a better cast than the super talented Yasir Hussain and comedy queen  Saba Qamar.

The movie is set right after the events of Karachi Se Lahore and will serve as a sequel too. Wajahat Rauf had earlier stated that Yasir Hussain’s character was the most loved one from the first part so he decided to focus the sequel on this character. However, while the story revolves around Moti and his journey from Lahore to the northern areas it will also feature Saba Qamar (playing a Lahore based musician).

The cast also includes Behroze Sabzwari and Rubina Ashraf in supporting roles while the cast from the first part might be seen in cameos. The film is being written by Yasir Hussain so you can surely expect the jokes to keep rolling. Furthermore we can also expect some great music from the film as Shiraz Uppal will be composing the music. The shooting of the film starts from 23rd march and the film is scheduled to release by the end of 2016.

#lahoreseaagy #karachiselahore #part2 #readytogo #comingsoon

A photo posted by yasir hussain (@yasir.hussain131) on

Galaxy Lollywood exclusively talked to Yasir Hussain and the funny man in a candid conversation said, ”Firstly let me say that this is a much better film as compared to the first part and secondly  the first thing that I said is 100 percent true.”

Now don’t we just love Yasir and his chilled out demeanor ? Well here’s wishing the team of Lahore Se Aagey all the very best. For more updates stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood

Behind the scene pics from the set of ‘Balu Mahi’, feat. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

By
Galaxy Lollywood
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Update: Earlier version of this article contained a picture of Osman Khalid Butt and Ainy Jafri from the set of the film. We had gotten the permission from the marketing team of the film through Wahab Shah to share it, but, they requested us to take it down after we had published the post.

It’s shooting season for the film industry, as several movies are in production these days. One of them, which is also among our list of eagerly awaited movies, is Haissam Hussain’s directorial debut Balu Mahi. The shooting of the film has just started and we got hold of the BTS pictures of one of the songs of the film which was shot for six consecutive nights at Hiran Minar near Lahore.

The song is a Qawwali sung by the maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who will also be featured in the video, and composed by Sahir Ali Bagga. The video is choreographed by Wahab Shah, who won the GALA for Best Choreographer this year.

Check out: The complete list of winners of Galaxy Lollywood Awards 2016

The team of 'Balu Mahi', including RFAK and the choreographer Wahab Shah. Photo: Wahab Shah.
The team of ‘Balu Mahi’, including RFAK and Wahab Shah. Photo: Wahab Shah.

We spoke with the choreographer and asked him about the song. “It was a grand song, featuring two lead characters Balu (Osman Khalid Butt) and Mahi (Ainy Jaffri) of the film. And it takes a major transition in the film”, Wahab Shah told Galaxy Lollywood.

He also shared the experience of shooting the song, “It was a six night hectic shoot, with over 300 extras performing in it. Shooting with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was a fantastic experience beside managing the huge cast, which was challenging and fun at the same time. Its going to be my biggest song so far and I am very happy about it.”

RFAK, Yusuf Salahuddin and Sadia Jabbar.
RFAK, Yusuf Salahuddin and Sadia Jabbar.

The cast of the film includes Osman Khalid Butt, Ainy Jafrri and Sadaf Kanwal. The film will be the debut of Butt, who created a niche on TV with his strong performance in serials like Aunn Zara and Dyar e Dil. He also wrote the script of horror film Siyya and Reham Khan’s production Janaan.

Read more: Supermodel Sadaf Kanwal all set for her film debut with ‘Balu Mahi’

Wahab will direct another song for the film, which will be a dream sequence. He has also directed GALA winning song ‘Tutti Fruiti’ (Karachi Se Lahore) and ‘Ballay Bally’ (Bin Roye).

Sadia Jabbar is the producer and Yusuf Salahuddin is the executive producer of the film. The film is expected to release later this year.

You would have to wait to have a look of Balu and Mahi, but before that just admire the beautiful location of the song in the pictures below.

Hiran Minar - Balu Mahi

Hiran Minar - Balu MahiBest of luck team Balu Mahi.

Supermodel Sadaf Kanwal all set for her film debut with ‘Balu Mahi’

By
Iman Ali Munshi
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The upcoming rom-com Balu Mahi is being directed by Haissam Hussain of TV serial Dastaan fame and produced by Sadia Jabbar known for her serial Mera Naam Yousaf Hai. The shooting of the film started earlier this year and it is expected to release in 2016.

The lead cast of the film includes heartthrob Osman Khalid Butt and gorgeous Ainy Jaffri. The film had recently an addition in the cast, as the news came about the supermodel Sadaf Kanwal joining the team.

Read more: Haissam Hussain signs Osman Khalid Butt and Ainy Jaffri in ‘Balu Mahi’

Sadaf posted a picture of reading the film script on Instagram last month, confirming the news that she is on board for the project. It is really amazing to see a new face joining the film industry.

Workshops & script reading! Something big coming your way? #BM? #ComingSoon

A photo posted by Sadaf Kanwal (@sadafkanwal) on

Sadaf will surely bring something refreshing and new to the big screen, as we know her as a known face on billboards of almost every big brand. We love her and her cute looks. She rules the ramps and the fashion industry and now she is all set for creating her magic in the film industry.

The news of the film has already taken the fans by storm, and we are sure that this will be one movie worth waiting for. All the best wishes to team Balu Mahi.

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