Movie Name: Halla Gulla

Release Date: September 25, 2015

Director: Kamran Akbar Khan

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

Can good actors save a terrible movie? That was the only question on my mind when I walked out of the cinema hall after having seen the film ‘Halla Gulla’. It may not have a star studded cast like the other Eid release ‘Jawani Phir Nahi’ but it did have some great actors which include veterans like Javaid Sheikh, Ismail Tara and even the newer lot includes promising actors like Asim Mehmood and Sidra Batool who have already made their presence felt. Moreover the film seemed to have good music, the production values seemed fine too and on paper it seemed as if everything was in the films favor. So what exactly went wrong?

Here I would like to use a paragraph from my ‘Dekh Magar Pyaar Say’ review which perfectly answer this question:-

‘Before a film starts, the opening credits play on screen which give the average cine goer an idea of who is behind the film and what to expect from it. There is a reason why in these credits, the director’s name is the last one to be shown before the film begins. The director is the captain of the ship and has a certain vision when it comes to the film and it is because of this that a film is usually referred to as a director’s film.’

While Asad-Ul-Haq took this job to a different level in his film ‘Dekh Magar Pyaar Say’, Kamran Akbar Khan does something similar too. I have no clue as to what our director did before coming into cinema but I’m fairly certain that this is his first time dealing with direction. Even a rudimentary level of knowledge of cinema is enough to avoid the blunders you see in the film. Let me give you a very basic example. There is a scene in the film where one of the actors is talking to the other and her jhumkha drops and falls onto her hands.Instead of re-shooting the scene the director goes with it. The make up concealing is visible and dont even get me started on the 90’s shots with the camera zooming in and zooming out. The screenplay, whoever did it, is super bad and there is no flow in the film. The editing has its flaws too as some sequences are stretched without reason and you wonder why!

Story

All the director bashing is not fair as Raheela Mushtaq Shah, the writer, has not done a wonderful job either.I promise I tried to write a brief synopsis for you all but sorry my English failed me as I could not produce coherent sentences that could describe what the story was. Basically its a mixture of a dozen films and this comedy of errors has a script which would make Newton question his sanity . New characters are introduced at the drop of a hat and what makes this even more annoying is that there is no character development as such. So you don’t really feel for anyone as you don’t really know anyone.

Acting

The only good thing about the film is that it has given us some young talent. Asim Mehmood and Muneeb Butt are two young actors who will surely go places. They are both good looking men and are hero material for sure. Muneeb may seem to be overacting in the film but it was a comedy film and exaggeration is always welcomed. Moreover  I have a feeling that it was what the director wanted him to do. I say this because everyone in the film is so loud that you cannot help but wonder what the directors vision was. But it would not be wrong to say that these gentlemen have surely arrived! Can’t wait to see more of  Muneeb and Asim on the silver screen.

As for the leading ladies well the less said the better. Sidra Batool is the only actor amongst the lot and knows what she is doing. Wont label her as the next big thing for cinema but she does look good on screen. Ismail Tara and Jawed Sheikh obviously know their comedy and no wonder they have the best scenes in the film. Whenever they make an appearance on the screen a heave dose of laughter follows. Although their roles could have been meatier but they were fun nonetheless.

I must add that the casting of the film could have been better. Muneeb Mutt being married to two women did not look believable at all. Also, when I was at the Lahore premiere of the film I was perplexed when I saw lots of theater artists ( the Nargis, Deedar theater) and wondered what were they doing at a film event. To my shock when the film began  I realized that all these ladies had dance numbers in the film. Im sorry but these songs were outright disgusting, vulgar and suited for the local stage’s where they would surely elicit a few ‘seethis’.

Music

The music of the film has some really peppy numbers and it would not be wrong to say that the music is the saving grace of the film. However the way the songs are picturized is another story all together. The songs might not appeal to everyone but that doesn’t mean they are bad. The ‘Thumka’ song is surely my favorite and had it been shot on someone else it would have done wonders. The ‘Halla Gulla’ song also adds to the film and of course the ‘Saroor De’ song is the highlight. The ‘Zero Meter’ song and the ‘Kamla’ song seem a bit off but on the whole this album is a decent one.

Movie Name: Jawani Phir Nahi Ani

Release Date: September 25, 2015

Director: Nadeem Baig

Review by: Momin Ali Munshi

They say actions speak louder than words and this statement could not be any truer for the dynamic Humayun Saeed who, in the form of ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’, has given the film industry something to celebrate. While others only spoke of making films, he in a span of three years, has churned two films already. His maiden production, ‘Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’, which released two years back, gave the local audiences a taste of commercial cinema which was and to some extent is missing from the film scene. The film did get some tongues wagging but at the end of the day the audiences approved of the film and this was motivation enough for the dashing hero to move on.

He vowed to make another film which would be better and grander than MHSA, and keeping true to his promise he started working on something which we all now know as ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’. It would not be wrong to say that he has given us this film which I believe will re-write all the rules of the game and will be used as a benchmark when it comes to defining good masala films.

But before moving to the film, I would like to address those naysayers who will challenge this film by comparing it to the likes of ‘Moor’ and will make bewildering claims. All I would like to say is that you cannot make such comparisons as these films  belong to two completely different genres. It’s like complaining why doesn’t my pasta taste more like my daal chawal? It’s outrageous. As for the debate regarding what a ‘good film’ is and what ‘deserves’ to be a hit, well lets leave that to the audiences. If you ask me, I strongly believe that we need a healthy mix of commercial and art cinema as only then will our industry get its deserved recognition and will grow. Making films which win us critical acclaim is great, but only making such films won’t do us much good too. So for every Moor or Manto we need a Jawani Phir Nahi Ani.

Coming back to the film, here we go.

Synopsis

The first half tells the story of three married friends Saif (Hamza Ali Abbasi), BB (Ahmed Ali Butt) and Sheikh (Vasay Chowdhry) who all have dominating wives and unhealthy marriages. Comes into the picture Sherry (Humayun Saeed), a divorce lawyer, who plans a boys only trip to Bangkok which is meant to bring back some fun in the lives of the three henpecked husbands. Sherry falls in love with  Marina (Mehwish Hayat), daughter of Bichchhi Don (Ismail Tara) .The second half tells the story of  Zoya (Sohai Ali Abro) who is the daughter of billionaire Mehboob Khan (Javed Sheikh) and is about to get married to Sherry. What happens next, well go see for yourself in cinemas.

Acting

Comedy is one of the hardest genres to perform as it requires a certain comic timing which is not an easy task. Moreover, when there is an ensemble cast, there is additional pressure as the comedy should not come across as forced and that there should be chemistry between the actors.

Jawani has a cast which includes some of the biggest names of the industry and they all make the material written by Vasay Chadhry crackle and make this comedy film a treat to watch. The four leading men are at ease and this reflects on the screen as the chemistry between them is effortless. The leading ladies may not have much to do but they are all great in their parts. All in all everyone put their best foot forward in this film.

Humayun Saaed as the main lead of the film looks super dapper and does justice to the role of the ‘hero’. All those people who wanted him to retire need to have a look at him doing his thing in this film before giving in their judgements. However, there is one thing Humayun absolutely cannot do, and that’s dancing. Sorry Humayun, but you can’t dance to save your life, but other than that we surely have a new hero in town.

The other men all do a great job in supporting roles. Vasay and Ahmed deserve a special mention as they perfect the comedic act and guarantee a dose of laughter whenever they make an appearance. Hamza Ali Abassi seems a bit uneasy and does strictly okay. He has nothing to add to the film except for his good looks and the ‘jawani’ part as sadly all the other men don’t exactly count as jawaans!

From the ladies, I would like to start by mentioning Sohai Ali Abro who has the meatiest role and she plays this with utmost conviction. Moreover, she surely has the ‘addayain’ of a heroine and add her dancing skills into the picture and you have the next big thing for cinema. The other ladies which are there as props do their roles well but Sarwat Gillani as the pathan wife surely stands out and deserves a special mention.

Javaid Sheikh and Ismail Tara have interesting roles and both these men showcase their comic timing which is perfection. Bushra Ansari may be doing the ‘Saima Chowdry’ act but is outright hilarious and it’s hugely because of her that the second half looked more appealing.

Direction /Story

Nadeem Baig has arrived and this film will surely make all the industry insiders sit up and take notice. It won’t be wrong to say that ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ is one of the few films to have come out this year that actually looks like a film. The shots are all cinematic and you do not feel like you are watching a television show on the silver screen, so kudos Mr. Baig.

The story seems to be lifted from here there and everywhere and seems like an old vine in a new bottle. But Vasay Chaudhry makes sure that he puts a desi spin on the story by giving it dialogues which are all very relevant and relatable. There are several pop culture references which are very Pakistani and it’s these references that make the film all the more enjoyable. Moreover, the film has spoofs and what not that take it to the next level of comedy.

However, I do have some complains too. After having seen the film I understand what Hamza Ali Abbassi’s stand on the film was all about. The first half of the film has some unneeded scenes which steer the direction of the film towards adult zone. These scenes might elicit a few laughs from the youth but on the whole kind of put off the family audiences.

Also some of the backstories and logics used are outright hilarious and seem to be used just to wrap things up. There are some questions left unanswered specially regarding Humayun Saeed’s character. But these issues seem minor when you compare them to the ups of the film.

Music 

There may be some very blatant branding in the songs but that does not take away all the fun that the music of ‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ has to offer. Furthermore, it’s the picturisation of the songs which make them even more exciting. The ‘Jalwa’ song may have four men who can’t move a leg, but the gorgeous Sohai Ali Abro in her picture perfect lehenga and dance moves more than makes up for it. The ‘Khul Jaye Botal’ and ‘Dance The Party’ songs might not be perfect party anthems but they are good additions to the album. Similarly, ‘Je Mundya’ and ‘Tarang’ with the elaborate sets and the chic costumes make for a visual treat.