Following Jami’s accusations of rape, the CEO of Dawn Media Group, Hameed Haroon, filed a defamation suit against Jami. The lawsuit demanded Jami to issue an unconditional apology on all social media platforms that he had used to accuse Hameed Haroon and monetary compensation against the allegations. However, Jami point blankly refused to apologize and stated that he had to do a lot more for victims of sexual harassment and abuse.

News then went ripe, that Jami had fled the country to avoid the legal proceedings of the case and that he had deserted all victims he promised support. Also, Jami’s absence from social media also proved as a testament against him.

The Truth

After a long silence, the ace film director has now finally decided to address all accusations being hurled at him and tackle each and every claim that is coming his way.

Talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Jami shared that he had momentarily disabled his Facebook for reasons of his own. “I had deactivated my Facebook for some time because my family and friends stated that I should, but now I’ve realized I need to be vocal about everything,” said Jami.

“I would like to take this opportunity to tell people that I’m in Pakistan for the past nine months and I have been regularly attending my hearings and fighting my case. Alone,” added Jami stating that people who had brought him in this situation had bowed out themselves and apologized to those they had accused.

The Backdrop

In 2019, Jami came out in the open with rape accusations against Hameed Haroon, CEO of Dawn Media Group. He stated that he only chose to make his ordeal public after the #MeToo movement in the country started to be discredited following the suicide of a university professor facing a rape allegation. After going public, the Operation 021 filmmaker mentioned in several tweets that the journalist community was protecting “its own,” but that he was not going to give up the fight to bring the alleged culprit to the book.

Sharing his ordeal, Jami mentioned that he had shared the details among his friends about the alleged incident and the perpetrator he held responsible, however, no one stood by his side. “On my buddies from the TV commercial industry — not a single one privately or overtly came out in support. The Gang, the guy gang all vanished. Make-up artists, the directors, the producers, wardrobe icons no one. Only a few who believe in truth came out like Maheen Khan and Mehreen Jabbar,” he lamented.

Describing his pain, the Moor director stated, “(After the rape) my life was finished. I had been married for just two years. My work was affected. I’d get into fights. I’d start to scream…My brain doesn’t seem to function. It takes so much energy to focus on a film. I can’t focus. It takes me years to finish a film. People make a film in four months. Moor took five years. O21 took three years. Jugnu, a Sindhi film, has already taken two and a half years.”

What’s Next?

Now, talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Jami shared that he is and will keep fighting. “I am being told to apologize but since I have a lot of other victims backing me up, I have realized this isn’t my case alone and I have to keep fighting. I’m currently fighting three cases all alone, and I intend to stand strong. I will not spare anyone,” says Jami adding that he had been fighting a case against his childhood friend of 13 years and that while others had apologized and called off their case, he would never do so. “I have repeatedly told them to put me in jail if they want to but I will not call off my case or apologize,” stated the Moor directed.

Shedding insight on what he had been up to, Jami stated, “I’m in Pakistan and I’ve been working on an extensive project in Pakistan only for the past 14 months.

For more than a year, movie theatres in Pakistan have remain closed. Not only new releases but new productions were also bummed as the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic upended the film industry entirely. However, since the coronavirus threat is subsiding gradually, things seem to be coming back to normal. Soon enough we’ll have cinemas reopening, although at reduced capacity for now.

The dynamics for the film and entertainment industry have drastically changed within the past one and a half year since the first case of coronavirus erupted. The audience have had a major shift towards viewing films on online platforms which will definitely make a dent in the revenues once cinemas open in the country.

Will The Audience Go Back To The Theatres After Direct To Home Releases?

A lot of experts are largely of the opinion that people will have become so accustomed to streaming films online, that cinema business will suffer with a big margin. Since the pandemic certainly changed the dynamics for movie watchers, with majority becoming accustomed to streaming films online, it seems the changes are poised to last for a long time. With streaming services becoming majorly popular around the world and foreign distributors deciding to stick to day and date releases, which means a movie releasing in theaters and on streaming platforms at the same time, cinemas in Pakistan would need something extraordinary, perhaps a spectacle, that isn’t easily accessible anywhere else to lure people to the theatres.

If this becomes the norm, it would exclude a large majority of the film-viewing population. And even if we do not have same day and date releases, the shrinking theatrical window, will cut out the potential box office collections, a massive source of revenue generation for the theatres, especially revenues generated from screening Hollywood films. Also, as Indian films are banned from releasing in Pakistan, cinemas owners will perhaps have to rely majorly on Pakistani content, to be able to lure the audience to theatres.

Is Pakistani Content Alone Enough To Contribute A Major Chunk Of Earnings?

It seems that Pakistani filmmakers will have to start paying attention to what the audience has been screaming forever: quality content; something that is powerful enough to grab interest and generate ticket sales. Also, in a post pandemic world, where people are still scared for their lives, the film industry will certainly have to focus on something spectacular, to earn revenue by pulling people to cinemas, where only Pakistani content will be the major attraction. Although Hollywood production giants have allowed a short lived theatrical window to film producers, cinemas in Pakistan, will not be able to regulate the low flow of public that majorly visits these modernized cinemas, without some major crowd pulling, entertaining Urdu content.

What To Expect?

Of course, since film enthusiasts have this certain emotional connection with movies, they will definitely head back to cinemas once it is deemed safe to do so. The wholesome experience of going with friends or family to a big dark room with a big screen and the aroma of crackling popcorns is too powerful to die. However, business is bound to suffer once the initial excitement of cinemas reopening dies down amongst the public.

The bottom-line: Cinemas will have to be much more adventurous in the content they offer, upgrade their offerings, food, beverage and otherwise, and make seating more comfortable. Add to that tickets being affordable in Pakistan as well because otherwise those who can receive their Netflix, Amazon Prime, or HBO Max subscriptions for less than Rs. 1500 for a month, luring them to the theatres will definitely be close to impossible.

We as the Pakistani film audience have been deprived of a good film for quite a long time. Ever since the pandemic hit, the cinemas closed and productions halted, there hasn’t been a new release. However, with news that cinemas will be opening by the 9th of July, we’re more than eager to hit the theaters and indulge ourselves in a good movie. And it seems we will not have to wait much longer.

About a year ago it was announced that Imran Ashraf and Amar Khan were working on their big-screen debut, Dum Mastam. However, production was halted as soon as the pandemic hit. With things getting back to normal, it seems Dum Mastam is all set to release very soon as the audience got their very first glimpse of the film and its lead characters at the Hum Style Awards. The poster of Dum Mastam was unveiled by Imran Ashraf and Amar Khan together and looks very vibrant indeed.

The Poster

Written by Amar Khan and directed by Ehteshamuddin, Dum Mastam has been produced by Adnan Siddiqui and Akhtar Hasnain under Cereal Entertainment. The film marks the debut of Imran Ashraf and Amar Khan on the big screen.

Dum Mastam appears to be offering a mix of both entertainment and strong content to its viewers. Although it is too early to form an opinion about the film, the poster of the film is rather impressive and has definitely captured our interest. From the poster, it certainly appears so that Dum Mastam will be carrying a very full of ‘masala’ flavor for its audience.

Cinemas Need Strong Films To Pull Audience Back

For the audience that is eagerly waiting to go back to cinemas as soon as they reopen, we will definitely need some good releases to make sure the wait was worth it. Whether or not Indian films will be allowed to screen in Pakistan, remains a big question. Considering that the cinemas have had to remain closed for almost a year and a half, it would be a sane decision to allow as much screening of films in Pakistan as possible to attract a large audience and set the wheel rolling for income. Political tensions, however, still make it unlikely for Bollywood films to be allowed a release in Pakistan and so, it seems, cinemas will have to make do with a handful of Pakistani films lined up for releases alongside major Hollywood films, that have already had a digital release or are waiting to be screened as soon as the theatres get back to business.

The digital world has proven to be far more engaging and realistic in terms of content. If you’re done with watching melodramatic stuff on television, then a good web series is surely your cup of tea. I can go on by writing hundreds of words about the pros of the digital world, but let’s come to the point straight away. Shamoon Abbasi is all set to stun the audience with his power-packed performance in his upcoming web series Karachi Division. 

The makers dropped the trailer of the edgy, action, crime saga, and by all means, it is bloody intense. Karachi Division narrates the rivalry between two criminal gangs who seek complete control over the city. They are ready to surpass every limit even if it requires bringing the entire city and its people to the loggerheads. 

The trailer got us intrigued, so we at Galaxy Lollywood gave Abbasi a call for details.

 “Karachi Division sheds light on how the city has been deeply influenced by the political parties over the past few decades and got divided into sections. If we closely monitor the facts, it is clearly evident that the foreign powers had been appointed not just to destroy Karachi’s economical status but security policies as well. Resultantly, it ended up damaging the city’s well-being.”  

Shamoon wanted to present the scenario of Karachi in some sort of narrative. “I watch a lot of foreign content and wonder why do they always blame Pakistan for being a terrorist country without knowing the facts? What is the country going through and who is actually making it a dangerous place? This question needed to be answered; hence, I created Karachi Division.” 

Abbasi spoke about the challenges he faced while executing Karachi Division: “Making an action series in Pakistan is a big challenge. Since we are not trained in this particular genre; I had to put my heart and soul to train all my actors to give them a complete understanding of the process that should come across authentic on screen too. We have wasted so much of our great talent in drawing rooms and bedrooms stories; so now doing action sequences has become a challenge for most of the actors.” (Smiles) 

About the question on managing the dynamics while working with a huge cast, he said: “My projects are never about I, me and myself; they are about defining the narrative and sending the core message to the audience. I write my stories in a particular way that every actor is important and contributes to the story. This is the reason why my entire cast is confident and secure and never has any issues in portraying their parts. In a nutshell, they enjoy being part of my projects.”  

The OTT platform is picked up by the entire world to showcase their talent especially when the Coronavirus Outbreak’s impact looms large on cinema. “I am optimistic and want all the filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians to start considering the OTT platforms of Pakistan in the future.”

Wrapping up our conversation we asked Shamoon the million-dollar question i.e. when is Karachi Division releasing? “It’s coming out in July on STARZPLAY; the date is yet to be finalized. Also, we have planned five more seasons; but at first, we want to engage the audience. Subsequently, we will begin shooting for season two later this year.” 

It seems like drama lovers are in for quite a treat the following month on Hum TV as the channel gears up to bring major star studded dramas for its viewers.

Reputed for having created the finest content in drama for ages, Hum TV’s next productions titled Lapata and Parizaad also hint at being highly exciting and very intense tales.

Ayeza Khan & Sarah Khan Are Quite The Temptresses In Teasers Of Lapata

Ayeza Khan’s and Sarah Khan’s names don’t need any introduction. Both happen to be the finest actresses the Pakistani television industry has produced. Proficient in their craft and quite the professionals, both Ayeza Khan and Sarah Khan have impressed the audiences numerous times with their stupendous performances, albeit individually. However now, things are going to take an excellent turn, as both Sarah and Ayeza will be seen together, sharing screens in Hum TV’s Lapata.

Teasers of Lapata have already started doing rounds on the channel and from what we have seen, Lapata certainly comes across as a very interesting drama with a high entertainment quotient. In one teaser, we see Ayeza Khan as Geeti, who will definitely give you some Mahira Khan vibes from Superstar as we see her focusing more on videos and getting married rather than her studies. Ayeza Khan as usual is absolutely brilliant but having seen her in a somewhat similar getup for Chupke Chupke, we just wish, Geeti turns out to be different than Meenu.

Another teaser shows Sarah Khan and Ali Rehman Khan together as a couple. Although the captions read Lapata as an incomplete love story, the screen is absolutely set on fire with Sarah and Ali’s chemistry. Not only does Sarah Khan looks stunning she nails her expressions and dialogues as a true temptress.

Featuring a star studded cast of Ayeza Khan, Sarah Khan, Ali Rehman Khan, Gohar Rasheed and Asma Abbas, Lapata is a Momina Duraid production for Hum TV. The drama has been written and directed by Khizer Idrees and is slated to go on air in July.

Parizaad Hints At An Intense Tale

After the very engaging teasers of Lapata have done their rounds on the channel, we now have snippets of Parizaad, hinting at an intense tale of love, deceit and struggle.

Parizaad is based on Hashim Nadeem’s novel of the same name and stars Ahmed Ali Akbar, Saboor Aly, and Ushna Shah in pivotal roles.

The first teaser of Parizaad is all about Ahmed Ali Akbar’s character who by far is neither your boy next door nor a successful businessman dressed in a suit and tie. Playing a very unique role of a mere welder Ahmed Ali Akbar’s character comes across as very intense. At the same time, we have Saboor Aly who again surprises viewers as a rougish tomboy who has a knack for boxing.

Saboor Aly has a knack for playing versatile characters and getting into their skins. This character too looks different than what Saboor has done before and leaves her audience wanting more from the teasers.

The second teaser hints at a budding romance between Ahmed Ali Akbar and Ushna Shah. Although his life depicts him as someone far from romance, it seems Akbar’s character will be Ushna Shah’s love interest and well versed in poetry as well.

While Amar Khan’s character in Qayamat was much loved, Muneeb Butt’s character in his currently on air drama serial Mujhay Vida Kar is being appreciated a lot. Together, Amar and Muneeb were great in Choti Choti Baatain and now, since the two are coming together for ARY Digital’s Baddua, we’re sure, they’ll wreck a havoc on the screen with their sizzling chemistry.

The upcoming drama Baddua, is an iDreams Production, produced by Abdullah Seja, for ARY Digital. The drama is being directed by Syed Ramish Rizvi, of Jhooti fame and is based on a script by Samina Ijaz.

Talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Muneeb Butt shared that he would be playing a very different character than what he has done before. “This is a very loud character, something that I’ve never done before. Its a playboy who is very naughty and very mischievous.” The story has been written by Samina Ijaz, who has Yaariyan and Kaisa Hai Naseeban, to her credit and the way she has portrayed Muneeb’s characters in her previous drama, we’re sure Butt will be delivering a powerful performance in Baddua as well.

About working with Amar, Muneeb shared, “This is my second time working with Amar and the scenes that the writer has written for us are absolutely powerful. In fact Amar is a powerhouse performer herself and her character is a very strong one. Our scenes are so interesting, I’m sure the audience will definitely love them.”

Alongside Amar and Muneeb, Baddua will also feature powerful supporting caste including Mehmood Aslam, Saba Faisal, Rubina Ashraf, Adullah Ejaz and Komal Rizvi. Baddua will go on the floors this week and we’re certain this will turn out to be one amazing drama with a powerful cast. Here’s wishing Muneeb Butt, very best of luck for Baddua and his future endeavors.