The alluring trailers on TV, glittery posters and photos on actual and Facebook wall, and friends’ discussion, all sparked enough excitement. But what really compelled Sabahat to watch the new Pakistani movie was the Afridi factor. “I was thrilled ever since I heard about the movie because I am a huge fan of Shahid Afridi and I never miss a cricket match!” Sabahat explained promptly. And it really was “a proud and happy moment when I came out of the cinema after watching Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. The movie was so interesting that it kept me on the edge of my seat just like Lala’s batting” said a beaming Sabahat.
Based on a theme close to hearts of many Pakistanis – Cricket – Main Hoon Shahid Afridi is one of the few Pakistani movies released in 2013, vying alongside the usual Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters.
Recent times have witnessed a sharp increase in cinema audience and numbers of multiplexes in Pakistan which is deemed as a positive trend linked to upsurge in home-grown productions. All these factors may perhaps lead us toward the much-awaited era of Pakistan’s cinematic renaissance. The year 2013 can perhaps be termed as beginning of the renaissance for Pakistan’s movie industry which will be screening movies of diverse genres such as action, sports, drama, romance, and biography.
Revival of Pakistani Cinema
A glance into recent cinematic past reveals that revival of cinema precisely began in 2007 with the screening of Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye which heightened the hopes of cinema-goers, budding filmmakers, and everyone keen to see stories of local cultures and characters. But it was not until 2011 that a social drama film, Bol, was released that stirred the audiences up. The year 2013 however seems fortunate for the local movie lovers; so far they we have been amused by Siyaah, Chambaili, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, Ishq Khuda, Josh and Zinda Bhaag while awaiting few more movies scheduled to be released later this year including Waar and Kaptaan.
Bol and Khuda Kay Liye were both the creation of Pakistan’s versatile artist – Shoaib Mansoor – celebrated for his charismatic TV serials. No wonder the revival of the cinema comes from the core of Pakistan’s TV industry – be it drama serials, music videos, commercials – since Humayun Saeed (Main Hoon Shahid Afridi) is Pakistani TV’s most desirable man; Amina Sheikh and Mohib Mirza (Josh) both are known TV actors; Shahzad Nawaz (Chambaili), an advertising creative director and Bilal Lashari (Waar) is better known for his iconic music videos like Jal’s Sajni, and Mekal Hassan’s Chal Bulleya.
Movies released in 2013
A look at the movies of the year so far with much more to look forward to:
Main Hoon Shahid Afridi – Pakistan’s first sports-centric movie, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (I Am Shahid Afridi) tells the story of a man who dreams of becoming as great a sportsman as Shahid Afridi. The film explores young man’s journey, struggles and successes that he faces along the way. The much-anticipated movie is expected to top the box office because of the Afridi factor, its big budget of about $1 million and celebrated actors of Pakistani cinema and TV including Humayun Saeed, Nadeem Baig, Javed Shaikh, Shafqat Cheema, Mahnoor Baloch, Ismail Tara, as well as newcomers like Noman Habib, Shahzad Sheikh, Gohar Rasheed, Ainy Jaffri.
Zinda Bhaag – Zinda Bhaag is directed by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, and produced by Mazhar Zaidi has already won four awards at the Mosaic MISAFF festival in Toronto. The movie, starring Naseerudin Shah, revolves around the lives of three young men and their urge to cut through from their daily life struggles.
Ishq Khuda – Punjabi language Pakistani romantic film, Ishq Khuda, is directed by Shehzad Rafique and has Shaan, Meera, Saima, Ahsan Khan, and a Moroccan actress Wiam Ammar Dahmani as its prime characters. Ishq Khuda is a Sufi/love story which depicts a love triangle among Ahsan Khan, Meera and Dahmani while Shaan plays a former criminal turned Sufi preacher.
Josh – Directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, Josh is another Pakistani film released this Eidul Fitr. “Josh” (Against the Grain) had various screenings worldwide and managed to grab attention at film festivals in Melbourne, Mumbai and Calgary. The film tackles with themes such as feudalism, class separation, poverty, individual empowerment, and women’s rights. Josh has a remarkable ensemble of some of the finest Pakistani TV artists including Aamina Sheikh, Mohib Mirza, Khalid Malik, Adnan Shah Tipu, Salim Mairaj, Kaiser Khan Nizamani, Nyla Jafri, Ali Rizvi and Faizan Haqquee.
Chambaili – This political drama about grassroots activism, is perhaps the first film in decades to base its narrative on power and politics in a way that can touch the hearts and minds of those Pakistanis eager to see a change in traditional society. Released in April 2013 around elections time, the film was hailed for its perfect timing as the movie believes in combining the power of both hope and vote to bring a positive change.
Siyaah – Siyaah (‘Pitch black’), released earlier in 2013, was a suspense thriller and described by its producer as: “a classic tale of a modern family haunted by their own disbeliefs”. Directed by Azfar Jafri and written by Osman Khalid Butt, Siyaah is a potpourri inspired by popular horror movies (The Exorcist and The Possession) with a psychological tilt.
Fall Movie Preview 2013
Waar – Waar’s brilliant trailers that imply its relevance to Pakistan’s current scenario have generated quite an excitement already. The English-language film, with its classy look, slick production and digital technology, is reportedly country’s most expensive movie ever. Waar has been termed by The Guardian as “the most anticipated film in the history of Pakistan, based on true events”.
Waar is a tale of counter-terrorism and militancy and “The film is shot in a realistic style, and is at its heart an action movie. The story is actually about a police officer, and is meant to entertain above all else” as stated by film director, Bilal Lashari. Starring Shaan in the lead role, the film includes a star-studded cast: Shamoon Abbasi, Ali Azmat, Ayesha Khan and Meesha Shafi. Bilal Lashari’s debut film, ‘Waar’ is set to premiere, according to reports online, in September 2013 with an international release to follow.
Kaptaan – Kaptaan is a cinematic portrait of one of Pakistan’s most famous figures, Imran Khan. The biographical film explores his life’s journey from the achievements of the Pakistan’s first Cricket World Cup in 1992 to construction of the first cancer hospital and to present day as a political leader.
