Category: Feature Length Films

A review on Pakistani Thriller-Drama feature length film, Saawan aka Saawan: Quest for Survival (2016). The Production House is Kalakar Films while its Distributor is Geo Films.

 

 

+ Crew

• Cinematography & Directed by Farhan Alam
• Written & Produced by Mashood Qadri
• Edited by Aseem Sinha
• Production Designed by Shahid Hussain
• Co-Produced by Asma Qadri

 

 

 

+ Note

Saawan is based on a true story of a disabled child, who faced difficulties in the deserts of Pakistan. Its music is composed by Anne Kathrin Dern & Emir Işılay while a special appearance is made by Lt. Gen. S. A. A. Najmi (R).

This film was shot in the Balochistan and Northern region of Pakistan in Quetta district, Ziarat district, Gilgit-Baltistan and Shigar.

Saawan won ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’ at the Social World Film Festival 2017 in Naples, Italy. And in the same year, ‘Best Foreign Language Feature Film’ award at the Madrid International Film Festival and at Alexandria Film Festival. It was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Syed Karam Abbas Hussain as Saawan
2. Arif Bahalim as Father
3. Najiba Faiz as Mother
4. Saleem Mairaj as Child Abductor
5. Muhammad Abbas as Rehmat
6. Imran Aslam as News Reporter
7. Hafeez Ali as N/A
8. Sehrish Qadri as N/A

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Sohail Malik as N/A
2. Shahid Niazmi as N/A
3. Danial Yunus as N/A
4. Mehek Zulfiqar as N/A
5. Syed Muhammad Ali as N/A
6. Liam as Three-leg Dog
7. Tipu Sharif as Army Officer (Cameo)
8. Gen. S. A. A. Najmi (R) as N/A

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

A handicapped 9-year old boy who lives in a valley in the mountains of Balochistan is rejected by his father, intimidated by society, harassed by friends and left alone due to his disability. Strengthened by memories and dreams of the love of his mother, he begins a perilous journey back to his family in the main city.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The production design of this film’s plot of showing ghost town in a deserted, mountainous area of the rural Balochistan, and some of the city areas, have worked well with story’s requirement.

ii – The main cast is lesser known / commercial faces you would find, which has helped this film’s story to be taken more realism and believable.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The writer has highlighted several issues one has to face while residing at Balochistan. This has made the viewers to lose focus from the main issue, Saawan was trying to look on.

ii – I don’t even remember listening to any proper vocal songs or songs good enough to recall.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Saawan lacks the thrill & the excitement of the protagonist’s magical journey towards survival and bravery, despite some convincing performances.

 

 

 

Rate: 1.50 out of 5 stars

 

A review on a Pakistani Romantic feature length film, Janaan (2016). Its Production House is IRK Films while its Distributors are ARY Films and B4U Films.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Azfar Jafri
• Written by Osman Khalid Butt
• Cinematographer is Rana Kamran
• Edited by Mitesh Soni
• Produced by Hareem Farooq, Reham Khan, Munir Hussain & Imran Raza Kazmi

 
+ Note

Janaan is a story of three friends with a Pakhtoon culture. This film reminded me of Bollywood film, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002) and Hollywood film, My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997). Its music is composed by Taha Malik, Ahmed Ali, Armaan Malik and Salim Sulaiman.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Armeena Khan as Meena
2. Bilal Ashraf as Asfandyar Khan
3. Ali Rehman Khan as Daniyal Khan
4. Hania Aamir as Palwasha Samir
5. Nayyar Ejaz as Ikramullah
6. Usman Mukhtar as Samir

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Ajab Gul as Asad Khan
2. Mishi Khan as Shireen Gul
3. Shafqat Khan as Khan Zaada
4. Saad Zia Abbasi as Chotu
5. Sabeena Farooq as Palwasha’s Friend
6. Fahad Ali Panni as N/A
7. Jalal Khan as N/A

 

 

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+ Cameo Appearances

1. Osman Khalid Butt as Musician
2. Hareem Farooq as N/A

 

 

+ Plot

Meena lives abroad but is called back to Swat; Pakistan (home town) by her affluent family to attend Asfandyar’s sister, Palwasha’s wedding. There, her two cousins, Asfandyar and Daniyal are thrilled to have her with them at a time of joy.

 

 

+ High Points

i. It is a fun-loving family entertainment film.

ii. Beautiful work behind its costume design / wardrobe, each and everything is carefully taken care of.

iii. Ali Reham Khan performed a true hilarious perpetual character. Even in most poignant scenes, he gets back to fun loving character in just few moments. Whenever, he made appearance on screen, the audience was pleased in watching his scenes and what next thing he would do to make witty remarks? I was amazed that how well everyone performed including the supporting and minor role actors.

iv. The cinematography is done in such excellent manner that the scenic shots are taken are breathtaking to watch. Pakistan’s natural beauty looked elegant under his watch. The lighting in each scene is sensational! The cinematographer and colorist have gained a true respect from me.

v. The songs were nice and lovable to listen. One or two are in Pashto language. The soundtrack is also very pleasant.

vi. Armeena Khan along with two fellow co-stars Ali and Bilal, all three looked stunning in makeup & hair styling.

vii. The script, dialogues are quite funny and comical.

viii. It seemed that director is a true magician as he held back few tricks up in his sleeves as the film is about to reach to its conclusion.

ix. The art direction was superbly taken care of. All the wooden craft were traditional embroidered upholstery.

 

 

+ Low Points

i. The story is already used a thousand times over by many films alike. One would be thinking that this film looks similar to this or that film.

ii. The serious lucid issue which was highlighted in the film, the team behind the film didn’t actually work on it to go in detail in able to solve the issue but rather concern in fighting with the antagonist over it.

iii. The film seemed a bit longer than it should be as the story didn’t as such unfolds in being pepped but was stretched till the end. The film could have ended at least 20 minutes before. At times the story seemed compelling whereas in second half it was a bit drag.

iv. There were some dialogues in Pashto language with Roman Urdu subtitles. Before I could read the text, most of the audience already started laughing. I felt like only one who didn’t understand Pashto language.

 

 

+ Overall

Janaan is a delightful surprise for the movie lovers and a plus point for revival of Pakistani cinema.

 

 

Rate: 4.25 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Australian – Pakistani feature length (collaboration) film, Son of a Lion (2007). The Production Houses are Carolyn Johnson Films while its Distributors are ARD Degeto Film and Mara Pictures.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed, Written & Cinematography by Benjamin Gilmour
• Co-Cinematography by Haroon John
• Edited by Alison McSkimming Croft
• Music by Amanda Brown
• Produced by Carolyn Johnson

 

 

 

+ Note

Benjamin Gilmour being an Australian former paramedic, this is his directional debut. Son of a Lion set in Darra Adam Khel, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The film is in Pashto with English subtitles. The writing is been done in teamwork with the people of Kohat & Darra Adam Khel, Pakistan.

Gilmour visited Darra Adam Khel in August 2001, on his way from Australia to Britain, and wanted to make a film that would combat negative Western perceptions of Pashtuns and Muslims following the 11 September attacks. Son of a Lion cost slightly over £2,000 to film. The Australian Film Commission funded its post-production.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Niaz Khan Shinwari as Niaz Afridi
2. Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad Baktiyar as Sher Alam Afridi
3. Baktiyar Ahmed Afridi Agha as Baktiyar Afridi
4. Agha Jaan Anousha Baktiyar as Agha Jaan

 

 

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+ Supportive Cast

1. Fazal Bibi Pite as Grandma
2. Khaista Mir Hayat Afridi as Pite Afridi
3. Anousha Vasif Shinwari as Anousha Baktiyar
4. Hayat Khan Shinwari as Hayat Afridi

 

 

 

+ Plot

Niaz Afridi, a Pashtun boy who wants to go to school instead of carrying on the family business of manufacturing firearms.

 

 

+ High Points

i – Performances by everyone are satisfactory, helps the story to move forward.

ii – The people who are unknown to this kind of environment may find Son of a Lion keen to watch.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The interest level throughout the film was very low. It was like watching everyday story of a simple man. Some people might defend this and say it’s good that it’s simple. I do agree with that but the thing is that it’s so simple that interest level never comes in the entire film.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Son of a Lion is too simple story-based film… do we have anything else to watch?

 

 

Rate: 1.50 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Canadian feature length documentary film, Abu aka Father (2017). It’s Production House and Distributor is Gray Matter Production / Loaded Pictures.

 

 

+ Crew

• Written, DOP, Directed & Produced by Arshad Khan
• Co-Written by Matt Jones
• Co-DOP by Bob Gundu, Franck Le Coroller, Justin Black & Shannon Harris
• Edited by Etienne Gagnon
• Music by Michael Robert Snow

 

 

 

+ Note

Abu is a debut documentary feature length film by Arshad Khan. He has documented his struggles with his sexual identity on a journey to self-finding and acceptance within the family. Using the archives of the family photos and videos, it explores his family’s story, homosexuality and often tense relationship with his father.

Though this documentary is originally shot in English language, there is however a Hindi/Urdu version for South Asian audiences as well. Before Abu, Arshad has made a number of short films including shorts Threadbare (2008), Brownie (2011), Doggoned (2012), Valery’s Suitcase (2016) and Zen (2012).

Deepa Mehta, who happens to be a famous an Indo-Canadian film director & screenwriter, is this documentary’s narrative director. Deepa is best known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire (1996), Earth (1998) and Water (2005). Sylvain Bellemare & Mimi Alard are Abu documentary’s sound designers while Sergeo Kirby co-produced it.

Abu had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2017. Also in the same year, it screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival and the next year at the Kashish International Mumbai Queer Festival in 2018. It has also screened at BFI London Film Festival, LA Film Festival, Fantasia International Film a Festival. This documentary has won 12 awards including for Best Feature, Best Documentary and Jury Awards. Since then it is shown on the Canadian broadcasting network CBC TV as well. Unfortunately, due to its content, Abu is to yet to be shown / released in Pakistan.

Due to sensitivity of the subject, the names of the main cast are intentionally avoided in this review. There are some SPOILERS ahead!

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Abu as Father
2. Arshad Khan as Son
3. Ammi as Mother
4. Baaji as Sister

 

 

 

+ Plot

As a gay man, the film maker, Arshad Khan explores his troubled relationship with his religiously devote, Pakistani Muslim father.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The usage of the video archive, pictures while going back n forth and talking about the past & the present is certainly not an easy task to do. To deal with such a touchy subject in a non-linear narrative, one needs to hire a really good editor to do the job. And this documentary has made their promise come true.

ii – Arshad Khan’s direction may surprise many people as this is his directorial debut for a documentary feature length film. By showing the viewers of his father’s origin to his enlisting in the army to his marriage, having children till Arshad’s life starts to come into focus. We then see how the dark past of his unfolds, which may have changed his liking towards sexuality, discovering, accepting himself in a foreign community and eventually facing his parents on a topic which is still considered a taboo in sub continent countries.

The way it is shown in this documentary, without making it obscene or vulgar have made the viewers to come closer to such a sensitive subject. Those people, who are already facing such similar problems in their lives, may learn how to deal with it. And as for others, who see this issue in bad light… well, now they might give a second thought on them and try to treat them as human beings. Arshad has been able to make that bridge between these two different types of people on their understanding towards this subject.

iii – I believe that not only just his father had three different images that he portrayed of himself but we all do. Such as, his father’s first image was for the people who barely knew him and the outside world. The second image was for his family, close friends and relatives. The ones who were the closest to him and knew him personally. And the third one was just for himself. This image is a conflict with our inner demons where we question ourselves on our acts and thoughts.

The reason behind this is that, not only how his father was reluctant to talk to his son on his sexuality even after coming out in the open, Arshad’s father was by nature was shown to be more reserved and self centered.

Although, he loved all of his children very much but still had some serious communication gap with them especially with Arshad that made them draw away from their father. After having the ‘Dream’, his father was really shaken up by it. He then soon decides what his ultimate goal now is and starts to act on it almost immediately. He even starts to mend things up with those who meant to him a lot, such as his children. It was his inner call that made him to reach out towards them.

iv – There were some of the film references given in the documentary, including some song references that bought out the real beauty of this film. The situations which Arshad had to deal with on different times of his life and at times the real life was played out in a very much typical scene taken from a Bollywood film was a good call, by the director to make this documentary more interesting to watch.

v – The emotional end of having the person staring silently at the open sky. This technique is often used to bring out the dramatic effect mainly in documentaries based on their personal tragic journeys. Good thing is that it works well with this documentary.

vi – There are a number of people behind the camera who gathered and shot different timelines footage. You would fall in love with the vintage videos Arshad has of his family. Besides the video footage shown of Arshad’s family past (recorded in VHS format since his childhood days), the present footage taken to make this documentary possible including where the interviews had been taken, have come out nicely.

vii – The usage of the animation to reenact a scene, dream sequence, is one of the best ways to show his side of the story.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The title of the film is Abu as Arshad’s father is the center person where his son, Arshad’s troubled relationship revolves with. Although, his father’s different turning points are shown in detail from his upbringing to what he did in life for his family, the multiple businesses that he switched on to, his struggles to survive after the migration at a foreign country, turning himself to be a religious devotee and finally towards redemption.

Even after showing all that, I feel as a viewer I still do not know Arshad’s father on a personal level. Such as how exactly he treated his children which made Arshad specially to grow so much apart from his father long before he gets to know of his sexuality? We never get to see his father’s personal interactions with his children in detail but only briefly mentioned at some places.

We know that his father had a short temper and did lots of shouting. And by having long history of past different experiences in his life, have made him a person unlikely to develop close or friendly relationship with his children. However, with all that keeping in mind, he was a father who was unable to express his love to his children in a manner where their mother was able to do it successfully.

I just feel that we (as a viewer) didn’t really get to know of his father the way that we wanted to, as we should have been. Either the director on-purposely skipped to talk on this explicitly or maybe because of the communication gap he had with his father, Arshad too was kept in the dark as well.

 

 

+ Overall

A handful of documentaries that I consider them in ten best list, out of which Abu is certainly one of them.

 

 

Rate: 4.50 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani drama feature length film, Pinky Memsab (2018) aka Pinky Madam. The Production House & Distributor is Eveready Pictures.

 

 

+ Crew

• Written, Directed & Produced by Shazia Ali Khan
• Co-Written by Babar Ali
• Cinematography by Humza Yousaf
• Edited by Suraj Gunjal
• Music by Abbas Ali Khan

 

 

 

+ Note

Pinky Memsab is a film dedicated to those who are/have lived in Dubai to know the true meaning of this story. The life of an unhappy Dubai socialite gets entwined with her impressionable young maid to a point where they are both thrown into crisis. Now, they must break free from their pre-conceived notions and unspoken class barriers to discover who they truly are.

Hajra Yamin and Khalid Ahmed are well-known theatre artists. Khalid Sb has written, acted and directed many of hit theatre plays at NAPA. Taaliah Mazhar Khan is the film’s costume designer.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Hajra Yamin as Pinky
2. Kiran Malik as Mehr
3. Adnan Jaffar as Hasan

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Sunny Hinduja as Santosh
2. Khalid Ahmed as Qutb
3. Shamim Hilaly as Jahan Ara
4. Mariel Bianca Salazar as Grace
5. Eesha Ishaq as Esha (Cameo)

 

 

 

+ Plot

After divorce, Pinky is accepted as a foreign house maid at Dubai in an elite social class family. Everything seems like a dream-state life until one day her reality is hit by life’s hardships.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – A very well directed film by Shazia Khan. It’s her directorial debut feature length film. It’s a shame that she didn’t directed any other after this film.

ii – Sunny Hinduja who performed as Santosh, a driver with Indian roots gave a fantastic performance. It made me wonder why I have not seen any of his past performances for. In this film, he has most certainly done a great job.

iii – Kiran Malik is also new to me. But that’s because this is her first film as well. Her performance is quite realistic and very intelligently played out. Other Honorable Mentions: Hajra Yamin.

iv – The cinematography is beautifully shot; its lighting control and color correction really lighten ups your mood.

v – The core message of the film is nice as it is regarding life’s hardships especially what you dream to achieve but what you get in real life. This film is dedicated to those people who are working abroad for financial reasons or better lifestyle. And to survive there, they sometimes need to shelf their dreams and need to do what is best for that moment.

vi – From production design to costume designing and makeup & hair styling, all three departments’ work are splendidly done.  Loved the wardrobe of Mehr and Hasan.

vii – The cameos by Khalid Ahmed and Shamim Hilaly, who played the roles of Mehr’s parents were not only surprising but their scenes were the most interesting. Other interesting ones were of Santosh and Pinky scene sharing.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Without a good story, there’s hardly anything to watch here. Your focus would automatically turn towards other things, such as performances, cinematography, songs etc.

ii – Even its ending is disappointing. Too bad, as the trailer had raised many people expectations.

 

 

 

 

+ Overall

Pinky Memsab could not fulfill its promise for something new or exciting.

 

 

Rate: 2.0 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com feature length film, Parey Hut Love (2019) aka Stay Away from Me, Love. The Production House is The Vision Factory Films while its Distributors are ARY Films, Salman Iqbal Films and B4U Motion Pictures.

 

 

+ Crew

• Written & Directed by Asim Raza
• Co-Written by Imran Aslam & Nasir Aslam
• Cinematography by Salman Razzak & Serkan Guller
• Edited by Alam Azeemi
• Music by Azaan Sami Khan

 

 

 

+Note

Parey Hut Love is based on British film, Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). The director’s previous work is Ho Mann Jahaan (2015) starring Sheheryar Munawar, Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mahira Khan.

It is claimed by BTS team that Mahira Khan was originally offered to do role of Saniya. Mahira however makes a cameo appearance in this film. Shehryar Munawar’s real life father, Munawar Alam Siddiqui plays a father role to Shehryar in this film. Its production designer is Saqib Hayat.

 

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Sheheryar Munawar as Sheheryar
2. Maya Ali as Saniya
3. Ahmed Ali Butt as Arshad
4. Zara Noor Abbas as Shabbo
5. Nadeem Baig as Faisal
6. Hina Dilpazeer as Farida
7. Munawar Alam Siddiqui as Aziz

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Frieha Altaf as Feroza
2. Yousuf Bashir Qureshi as Mehmood
3. Rachel Viccaji as Tanaaz
4. Faheem Azam as Rustom
5. Mahira Khan as Zeena
6. Shahbaz Shigri as Hasan
7. Parisheh James as Natasha

 

 

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+ Minor Cast

1. Jimmy Khan as Anwar
2. Fawad Khan as Producer
3. Marina Khan as Director
4. Sonya Jehan as Actress
5. Imran Aslam as Friend
6. Cybil Chowdhry as Sheheryar’s Friend #1
7. Meera as Karishma Chaudhry
8. Saife Hassan as Relative
9. Durdana Butt as Friend’s Relative
10. Ahmed Ali Akbar as Sheheryar’s Friend #2

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

An unlikely romance between a young free-willed, commitment-phobic aspiring actor, Sheheryar, and a beautiful strong-willed expat, Saniya, who meet and fall in love over a series of unplanned encounters at destination weddings.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – ‘A’ graded work behind its cinematography, it made the film visually very stunning. The lighting, color correction, everything related to it is at its best quality.

ii – The production design is very detailed and stands in the rank of award worthy.

iii – Amazing efforts in its costume designing, reflected their social class of elite family background.

iv – Makeup & hair styling did a fantastic job. Every cast member looked elegant on-screen.

v – Zara Noor Abbas is a wonderful and beautiful actress. Her performance looks very natural and believable. I hope that I be able to see her in lead roles in her upcoming projects onwards. Other Honorable Mentions: Mahira Khan and Munawar Alam Siddiqui.

vi – The songs are beautifully shot and nicely choreographed in its dance sequences.

vii – As per everyone expectations, Ahmed Ali Butt, who is yet again a comic relief character made the audience laugh where ever he could.

viii – Two best cameos I liked were of Fawad Khan and Meera. I wish they had bigger roles in the film due to the interesting characters that they were playing.

 

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – Just like in the famous Bollywood’s classic film, Deewaar (1975) where the character of Amitabh Bachan as Vijay is having an argument with his brother, Ravi (played by Shashi Kapoor) on the valuable things that he has, believing that his brother doesn’t have anything to compare with.

 

Vijay: Mere paas property hai, gari hai, bank balance hai… tumaray paas kya hai?

Ravi: Mere paas ‘Maa’ hai

 

Similarly, in this film:

 

Paray Hut Love: Mere paas big budget producer hai, director hai, cinematographer hai… tumaray paas kya hai?

Critics: Mere paas ‘Audience’ hai

 

On a serious note, this film too suffers from weak script which is usually the backbone to any film’s success. If you really believe that you can make a good film out of bad script, well, think again.

ii – Parey Hut Love is so ‘Interesting’ film that I snooze off twice in the first half and once in the second half. And whenever I woke up, there was a song going on. This film strongly reminded me of Shehryar’s first film, Ho Mann Jahaan where one of the lead stars also has made her appearance. And irony is that I slept (don’t know for how long) while watching Ho Mann Jahaan as well.

iii – After watching this film, I would rather say that Shehryar Munawar is a ‘Jinx’ to any film he signs for. If you see his filmography, you would find them highly unwatchable. Such as, Ho Mann Jahaan (2015), Project Ghazi (2017) and 7 Din Mohabbatein (2018). Although, his acting is okay and he is good looking but… all his movies suck badly.

iv – The question is why would you think that audience be interested to see a long list of special thanks given to the different sponsors and participants (who made your film possible) be given a separate slide to look at? Only ones who would be interested in it would be the ones got involved in your project. International market usually does that in the closing credits.

v – I have two words for Coca Cola’s brand endorsement in this film… ‘Fitay Muu’!

vi – It was hard to take Hina Dilpazeer’s character seriously. Even in ‘Emotional’ scenes, she kept cracking jokes. No, that was not beauty of it.

vii – So many cameos and yet most of them were given barely any screen time or importance to the kind of role they should play.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Parey Hut Love is a top notch, big budget forgettable film of the year.

 

 

Rate: 2.25 out of 5 stars

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com feature length film, Heer Maan Ja (2019). The Production House is IRK Films and Arif Lakhani Films while its Distributors are Geo Films and Distribution Club.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Azfar Jafri
• Written by Owais Korai Baloch
• Director of Photography by Rana Kamran
• Edited by Mitesh Soni
• Produced by Imran Raza Kazmi, Hareem Farooq & Arif Lakhani

 

 

 

+Note

Heer Maan Ja is around two people who are extremely enthusiastic about life and their future together. There is a hidden message regarding honor killings in this film.

This is the third time where Hareem Farooq has worked in a film produced by her. The music is composed by Ahmed Ali. Previous two films where Ali Rehman has worked with Hareem Farooq are Allahyar (2018) and Parchi (2018).

Heer Maan Ja is the fourth film from IRK Films directed by Azfar Jafri.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Ali Rehman Khan as Kabeer
2. Hareem Farooq as Heer
3. Faizan Shaikh as Wajdaan
4. Mojiz Hassan as Jerry
5. Shamayale Khattak as Ramzan/Ramzy
6. Aamina Sheikh as Saba
7. Abid Ali as Heer’s Father
8. Anjum Habibi as Wajdaan’s Father
9. Ali Kazmi as Heer’s Friend

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Samina Nighat as Heer’s Mother
2. Munazzah Arif as Wajdaan’s Mother
3. Saleem Mairaj as Gangster
4. Mikaal Zulfiqar as Doctor
5. N/A as Kabeer’s Co-worker
6. Shaz Ali Khan as Kabeer’s Friend
7. Zara Sheikh as Dance Girl (Cameo)
8. Ahmed Ali Akbar as N/A

 

 

 

 

+ Plot

Heer and Kabeer part ways following a misunderstanding and a tragedy. Years later, there is an encounter which leads to a roller coaster ride of a journey while Heer is in danger.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Rare to say this but this film does manage to connect emotionally between their lead characters and the audience. Not often do you see that in a Pakistani film. Either they overdo it or ignore it altogether which is always a bad sign for any genre film.

ii – The writing may not have lived up to one’s expectations but good direction by Azfar Jafri have made this film quite watchable and funny.

iii – Faizan Shaikh as Wajdaan, the film’s antagonist has played his part really well. Previous performances I have watched of his was in Parchi (2018) and Maalik (2016). In both films, he did a good job as an actor. Here too, he gives a splendid performance who looked a real threat to the protagonist to deal with.

iv – Mojiz Hassan’s performance as Jerry, surprised many with his comic performance. Before entering the film industry, he has performed in a number of theatre plays including of Anwar Maqsood’s. We welcome Mojiz to be part of our media industry and looking forward to his upcoming projects. Other Honorable Mentions: Ali Rehman Khan.

v – The direction of photography as well as its lighting made the film visually interesting. Rana Kamran is one of the best cinematographers to do that.

vi – The comic relief characters such as Jerry & Ramzy played by Mojiz Hassan & Shamayale Khattak respectively bought much of the film laughter.

vii – Noteworthy cameos played by Mikaal Zulfiqar and Aamina Sheikh. They made their presence felt and brief comic performance to remember them by.

viii – Good work behind its makeup & hair styling department. The main characters especially were able to glamour on-screen.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – There were times where the film was at 5^th gear of comedy and other times where the film is so much violent. What’s that all about? Try to keep it balance. I was not really sure whether I was watching rom-com or drama-action film. I know that some international films do this genre swap formula. But not every time it works. There are some ‘Hits’ and ‘Misses’ in the international market as well. Stick to the basics, first. Get that right a number of times till you know it well and then do experiments with your films.

ii – Hareem Farooq looks old enough to play these kinds of roles. Hey, I’m not saying that she needs to come in mother’s role. Well, she… doesn’t quite fit in this… love sweet heart roles. Its just, some people start to look older quicker on-screen, that’s all.

iii – This is the first time where I did not enjoy Ali Kazmi’s performance. Here he plays a ‘Tootla’ character which definitely didn’t come out well. He was trying hard to sound funny. And what’s with his Woody Wood Pecker’s hairdo that he always has? You pick any TV serial or film of his, this is the exact same hair style that he has. Change it for God’s sake! Don’t good actors change their hairdo or have a complete makeover when they are doing a different role?

iv – There is definitely some good comedy in the film… but then there’s childish comedy also.

v – After letting the audience know of Kabeer’s terminal illness, it is barely touched upon throughout the film. As if, it didn’t matter anymore. Similarly, with such a family tragedy at hand, Heer decides to wear glowing sneakers to run away from her marriage. Interesting…

vi – Was it not better to see young actors playing the flashback scenes during their college/university days of Kabeer & Heer being together? Instead of making the two lead stars to look ‘Younger’, it would have been a better option to show two young actors playing their lead roles only in flashback. Then the camera & visuals intervene and make the Ali Rehman & Hareem Farooq standing in their places to show the present time. It’s purely director’s call on this. What he has already shown does works also.

vii – So much appreciation given to the film’s sponsors and team. Rather than showing everyone in 2 – 3 slides, every sponsoring partner was getting a separate thanks. Oh, I can assure you that this is really annoying.

viii – When the special thanks slide was given to the McDonalds in the start, it immediately occurred to me to their ruinous product placements that they usually do in every film they get their hands on. Rather than being disastrous, the film tried best to keep them away from the main frame. But still, product placement by McDonalds or any major company most often ends up real’ bad for any film in Pakistan.

ix – The song with Zara Sheikh is a forgettable one.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Unlike many rom-com films released this year, Heer Maan Ja surprisingly has a heart to connect to.

 

 

Rate: 3.0 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani Rom-Com feature length film, Superstar (2019). The Production House is Hum TV while its Distributors are Hum Films.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin
• Written & Music by Azaan Sami Khan
• Sound Mixing by Rhitwik Raj Pathak
• Visual Effects by Syed Mujtaba Ali
• Produced by Momina & Duraid Films

 

 

 

+ Note

Superstar is the story of two characters from different worlds as they journey to find the true meaning of the word ‘Superstar’. Mahira Khan showed great interest to work in this film and wanted its production to start just after her film, Bin Roye (2015).

Gazain Abbas is one NAPA’s theatre actors who performed along Mahira in her on-stage scenes.

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Mahira Khan as Noori
2. Bilal Ashraf as Sameer Khan
3. Alizeh Shah as Chutki
4. Nadeem Baig as Agha Jaan
5. Ali Kazmi as Shaan
6. Asma Abbas as Choti Ammi
7. Jawed Sheikh as Zulfiqar Khan
8. Marina Khan as Laila Khan
9. Saife Hassan as Zahid Malik

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Waqar Hussain as Bobby
2. Kubra Khan as Actress #1 (Cameo)
3. Hania Aamir as Actress #2 (Cameo)
4. Osman Khalid Butt as Actor (Cameo)
5. Mani as Director #1 (Cameo)
6. Syra Shehroz as Actress (Cameo)
7. Fahim Burney as Director
8. Adnan Shah Tipu as Casting Director

 

 

 

+ Plot

Noor, a budding actress who wants to make it big in the film industry meets Sameer who is a celebrity with stardom. Together they learn the price of success and that sometimes to shine, you need the darkness.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Once again, Mahira Khan’s performance has touched to the public’s high expectations. She is certainly a gem for our film industry and we are very proud to have her as our industry’s one of the brightest stars.

ii – I always found Bilal Ashraf to be a good actor and have praised on his performances. He is charming, good looking …yet I would say that his best role is yet to come. In this film, he plays the role of Sameer Khan, a big, famous, handsome star who surprisingly falls in love with a common, beautiful girl. I don’t believe that this film did justice with the kind of role written for him. I see him as an actor who has much more potential in him to do on-screen. I guess we just have to wait and see which film role turns out to be a memorable one for Bilal to stand on top. Other Honorable Mentions: Nadeem Baig, Alizeh Shah and Ali Kazmi.

iii – The first half is much better watch than the other half. I guess more interesting scenes would be the reason; although more towards fantasy.

iv – Beautiful cinematography and lighting. One’s mood does turns off quickly if the film’s visual is weak. But this film makes sure that doesn’t happen. Praiseworthy effort behind the camera, good job!

v – As far as makeup & hair styling is concerned, I believe that they did a great work. The lead stars especially were stunning on-screen.

vi – A good chemistry to watch of Bilal Ashraf and Mahira Khan. Both are likeable stars and its good to see that they were able to bring audience attention towards their love story.

vii – One or two songs are good, especially the last one where Bilal as Sameer Khan sings on-stage. The dance choreography regarding Mahira’s songs is nicely put.

viii – Good work behind its costume designing. Mahira’s and Alizeh’s wardrobe made them look even prettier.

ix – The film’s humor level is hilarious regarding scene sharing of Alizeh and Bilal. Then there are minor funny scenes later on.

x – The production design works well with story line, more suitable with the main and sub plots.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – This film confirms us, that we really need good writers. Almost every film this year which had high expectations, have failed mainly due to weak story line or writing issues. Why do producers invest in those films which has a frail script? Any experienced producer would straight away say ‘No’ to it. Honestly, who wants to lose his money? Superstar’s writing has same issues which is btw the major flaw for its failure. This movie could have been a good inspiration of A Star Is Born (2018) but was not.

ii – Wow! I had almost zero interest in this film. Primarily because do you really believe that a next-door girl is selected in an ad with a big star who btw falls in love with the same girl. And then after some time, she becomes a superstar without any struggles shown but only mentioned with a swift of 3 years gone by. Just 3 years? And no struggles or rejection shown? You can’t possibly fall in love with such characters. I mean, let people feel their pain, their struggle… let them know how it does it feel to lose them or for their loss. If you don’t do that then don’t expect people to care of what’s happening in the film. Hey, I know that I won’t.

iii – Most of the cameos are useless, not properly utilized. The role of Saife Hassan is totally wasted.

 

 

 

 

+ Overall

Ehteshamuddin’s Superstar promises the audience too much but leaves them in utter disappointment.

 

 

Rate: 2.50 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani Thriller feature length film, Josh: Independence through Unity (2013). The Production Houses are Parveen Shah Productions & Twenty Nine Dash One Productions while its Distributor is ARY Films.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed, Story, Screenplay & Produced by Iram Parveen Bilal
• Cinematography by Nausheen Dadabhoy
• Co-Screenplay by Farah Usman
• Edited by Jochen Kunstler
• Co-Produced by Saad Bin Mujeeb & Kelly Thomas

 

 

 

+ Note

Josh world premiered at the Mumbai International Film Festival in October 2012. The film released in Pakistan on 12 August 2013. The Music is composed by Shahi Hasan & Andrew T. Mackay. The themes being tackled are class separation, feudalism, poverty, individual empowerment, and women’s rights.

This film received the 2012 Women in Film Finishing Grant, the 2013 Silent River Film Festival Best First Feature and Best Actress, the 2013 Filmfest Hamburg, Best Political Film Nomination. It also won the Best Screenplay Jury Prize and the Best Feature Film Audience Prize at the Washington, D.C. South Asian Film Festival 2014.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast

1. Aamina Sheikh as Fatima
2. Mohib Mirza as Uzair
3. Naveen Waqar as Ayla
4. Khalid Malik as Adil
5. Adnan Shah as Gulsher
6. Khalid Ahmed as Khawaja
7. Saleem Mairaj as Master Khalid
8. Ali Rizvi as Ahmed
9. Kiaser Khan Nizamani as Khan
10. Nyla Jaffri as Nusrat Bi
11. Parveen Akbar as Parveen
12. Faizan Haqquee as Zeeshan

 

 

 

+ Plot

It is about Fatima, a dedicated school teacher, who is living a high cosmopolitan life in Karachi until one day her life shatters when her nanny Nusrat-bhi inexplicably disappears. Fatima then takes on the challenge to seek the dangerous truth in Nusrat’s feudal village.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – Aamina Sheikh’s performance is very fascinating. She exceeded the expectations of the audience due her convincing performance.

ii – Mohib Mirza has a small supporting role in the film which came time to time. It’s known to everyone that Mohib is a wonderful actor and here too made a place in the film to remember him by with.

iii – Adnan Shah played a second-in-command bodyguard and a right-hand man to Kiaser Khan Nizamani. He is a great actor who never disappoints his fans and audience alike. Take my word for it that this is a very good film with great performances by everyone. Other Honorable Mentions: Saleem Mairaj, Nyla Jaffri and rest of the cast.

iv – Excellent direction by Iram Parveen Bilal. I am shocked to why I never heard of this director before or any praises from anyone on this film before? I remember when it was newly released in Pakistan but ran only few days at the cinema. This is a gem of our Pakistani film industry that should not be left forgotten.

v – The cinematography is very truthfully shot of our rural and urban areas.

vi – The story & screenplay are written so well that it helped the film to be very interesting to watch.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The film’s time length is short whereas the viewers wanted to see more of it.

 

 

 

+ Overall

Powerful film, thanks to landmark performances by the entire cast, Josh is a drama thriller film where its superb direction and screenplay would definitely boast up our Pakistani film industry to its new heights.

 

 

Rate: 4.25 out of 5 stars

 

A review on Pakistani Double Feature length Animated films, 3 Bahadur (2015) and 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam (2016). The Production Houses are Waadi Animations, SOC Films & ARY Films Productions while its Distributor is ARY Films.

 

 

+ Crew

• Directed & Produced by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
• Cinematography & Written by Kamran Khan
• Edited by Husain Qaizar
• Music by John Angier
• Co-Produced by Salman Iqbal and Jerjees Seja

 

 

+Note

3 Bahadur is set in a fictional town called Roshan Basti (Town of light). Equipped with courage and super powers, they battle against the odds and stand up to injustice to restore peace and harmony in their once thriving community and live a very happy life. Hollywood actor, Jude Law voiced as Mangu in US.

Two times Academy award winner documentary film-maker, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has directed and produced both of these films. It became the highest-grossing animated film and 7th highest-grossing film of Pakistan at the local box office which grossed ₨6.63 crore (US$630,000) after 50 days of successful run in cinemas.

This time in 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam Saadi’s Mother is voiced by Sarwat Gilani and Teeli voiced by Ali Gul Pir. Zeba Shahnaz has first time voiced in an animated movie. Besides Sarwat, Fahad Mustafa, Ahmed Ali Butt and Salman Shahid also lend their voices in this sequel.

The sequel grossed over ₨6.75 crore in total.

 

 

 

+ Main Cast (of 3 Bahadur)

1. Zuhab Khan as Saadi
2. Muneeba Yaseen as Amna
3. Hanzala Shahid as Kamil
4. Nadir Siddiqui as Baba Balaam
5. Behroze Sabzwari as Deenu Chacha
6. Aly Khan as Young Mangu
7. Khalid Ahmed as old Mangu
8. Farhan Qureshi as Saadi’s father

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Abu Rashid Khan as Kamil’s father
2. Kulsoom Aftab Ahmed as Saadi’s mother
3. Mustafa Changazi as Tony
4. Badar Qureshi as Sannata
5. Wasif Arshad as Teeli
6. Bassam Shazali as Pateeli/Chapta
7. Hammad Siddiqui as Gutka/Shikra
8. Joel Frenzer as Gabru

 

 

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+ Main Cast (of 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam)

1. Zuhab Khan as Saadi
2. Arisha Razi as Amna
3. Hanzala Shahid as Kamil
4. Fahad Mustafa as Imran
5. Fahim Khan as Baba Balaam
6. Behroze Sabzwari as Deenu
7. Ahmad Ali Butt as Gola

 

 

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+ Supporting Cast

1. Sarwat Gilani as Saadi’s Mother
2. Zeba Shahnaz as Parrot
3. Ali Gul Pir as Teeli / Lolly
4. Hammad Siddiq as Ghutka / Shikra
5. Bassam Shazli as Pateeli / Chatpa
6. Qadim Sahm as Sr. Animator
7. Mustafa Changazi as Tony

 

 

 

+ Plot (of 3 Bahadur)

Three extraordinary children rise from the most unlikely of places to save their town from the evil that plagues it.

 

 

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+ Plot (of 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam)

Three extraordinary children return with a task of defeating Baba Balaam who is rising again.

 

 

 

+ High Points

i – The level of animation produced by Pakistani animated industry, this is a good job done.

ii – The direction by Oscar winner, Sharmeen Obaid is cleverly presented.

iii – The cinematography shots are nicely executed.

iv – Good, talented work on voice acting by entire cast.

v – Effective work on its film editing.

 

 

 

+ Low Points

i – The target audience is strictly for children. As for the adults / families, they most likely would not find it enjoyable.

ii – The plot is as mentioned before, childish… too simple for superhero kids’ film.

iii – Except for few, most of the characters are under developed.

iv – The songs were hardly memorable.

v – The entire film is too predictable including its end.

vi – There was no reason to change the existing actors who lend their voices in previous installment such as Kulsoom Aftab voiced for Saadi’s Mom. This time Sarwat Gilani was introduced for the same character. Similarly few characters’ voice actors were changed with well-known celebrities. It is only due to star power they were changed, otherwise a very satisfying performance was already given previously.

Clearly, Kulsoom is far better actress than Sarwat. I would give my lifetime money’s worth on her but here in our film industry, star popularity what really counts and is given more importance than to who can better perform. If we do not promote these (under rated) talented performers towards the limelight, then our film industry would always be left behind than to all other performing foreign film industries. There would never be truly any revival of our film industry and talented stars that still need a strong push out in the market to make name for themselves.

 

 

+ Overall

3 Bahadur & its sequel, 3 Bahadur – The Revenge of Baba Balaam are smart, funny and have dazzling special effects for the kids. Though, still has a long way to go to impress the family audience.

 

 

Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars