The project is all about purity for Xulfi as he reveals he is interacting with artists who are young and inexperienced but are full of talent. “My goal is to ensure that if there is talent, then I will help and mentor and get that talent to the next level — that’s the most important thing,” he explains, adding that the season will feature covers, originals and a new batch of musicians. “I want to tell all the young and aspiring artists that they don’t need to be discouraged. We need to continue to experiment with our talent and continue to make music.”

Around 1,300 artists auditioned this time as compared to only 98 last season. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Out of 1,253 young artists who auditioned this time compared to only 98 last season, 19 were selected (14 selected last season) from major cities across the country. The jamming sessions have already resulted in the recording of 14 tracks, and continue to provide opportunities to produce all types of music.

“This shows that there are so many people who are really talented but no one makes use of them,” says Usman Sheikh of Lahore-based band Aag, who was requested to participate in this season by Xulfi. “It [Nescafe Basement] has drummers, saxophone players and such amazing singers. These people need to be utilised and this is the first effort to do that.”

Asfar Hussain, who was shortlisted in season one, admits the primary idea behind the project has always been to discover unknown and passionate young musicians, bring them to the forefront and allow them to create music. “I was not part of any band, although I was contemplating over starting one. My career essentially began from here [Nescafe Basement],” says Hussain, who has been studying music at National College of Arts, Lahore. “What you will see here is that all of us are from different backgrounds and have different genre preferences, but we have come together.”

Around 1,300 artists auditioned this time as compared to only 98 last season. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The platform provides musicians with opportunities to get involved in serious projects, Hussain adds. Two of his original compositions were converted into singles last year.

Nescafe Basement has also discovered another young vocalist Rutaba Yaqoob, Software Engineering student at University of Central Punjab, whose talent was only restricted to school competitions. “I have no musical background really. I just performed for fun in my university,” says the 19-year-old. “So the basement has discovered this side to me.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2013.

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“A lot of films have been made in Lahore, so we are hoping to give these spaces different treatment,” says director Ghafoor, explaining how a scene was shot on top of the famed Panorama parking plaza on Mall Road along with other locations in order to provide a different viewpoint of the city. The System will be Ghafoor’s debut in feature films.

The first scene of the movie illustrates the film’s lead actor Shiraz Ghafoor (director’s brother) on the roof of the plaza, conducting a meet-up with the city’s mafia bosses. The huddle has been arranged by a corrupt senior police official played by Shafqat Cheema. “This location is unexposed and from the top of the plaza, you are able to get some top-shots — you get a feeling that you’re sitting on top of Lahore,” Ghafoor explains.

The System is all about changing the norms and clichés of the film industry — it’s what Lollywood stalwarts say will change the stigma around the dying business. The film gained attention as veteran director-cinematographer Syed Faisal Bukhari signed on as director of photography. Two songs have already been filmed in Norway and the team hopes to bring on set the expertise of Bollywood technicians.

Apart from Shiraz and Cheema, the cast also includes Nadeem Baig, Kashaf Ali (female lead) and a relatively less known actor Raees Patan. The latter has been a part of around 15 films but with the slight resurgence in the film industry, he admits his work has doubled. “It’s a nice change,” says Patan, who has normally been associated with regional films. “I think it’s the first time we have had the chance to work with the best technology and different storylines and ideas.”

“The time is of digital films now — we are talking about making films which have global relevance,” says Cheema, who has also been a part of  films like Bol, Chambaili and Main Hoon Shahid Afridi amongst other upcoming projects. “The time for small films is over. It’s now time for new talent to be given space. I think people will like Shiraz as a hero.”

Speaking about his role in the film, Cheema says the film allows him to explore a different type of character — one that is both negative and positive at the same time. “One who can leave his own spirit and get into a character that has been thought out for him — that is the sign of a good artist,” he explains.  “I am playing the role of a Station House Officer [SHO] who has a strong hold on the whole system. And through this control, he changes the system.”

Like his previous performances, Cheema feels the audience will appreciate the kind of role he is playing in The System, too.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.

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“Film music is used to enhance [the script]. It works like a character in a movie,” says Munawar. “Music is always there — it goes out and comes in whenever it’s required. [Through music] you are not seen, but you’re heard.” In Waar, the sound effects and musical score will not be aligned with orthodox sound techniques and dramatic thuds, such as thunder and hysterical drumming, to illustrate climatic scenes.

The film’s director Bilal Lashari, who has won awards in the music category at the Lux Style Awards as well as the MTV Pakistan Music Video Awards, knows his music and has a clear vision of what he expects from Munawar. “Working with Bilal is not an easy task. It’s like committing suicide because he is never satisfied,” Munawar explains. “He will not sleep for two days and stay in the studio if he is working on a single shot. I hope you don’t have to work for him, ever,” he jokes.

“Unlike Bilal, most directors and producers just think that music should be there and that’s all,” he continues, adding that in this project, appropriate sound effects were imperative as they were required in almost every scene. “People in Pakistan don’t realise that music is very important and after watching Waar, they will understand how it plays a huge role,” he adds.

There has been a spate of movie releases in the past few years, and this highlights the resurgence of the film industry, he says. “It’s a great sign that art is coming back to Pakistan,” he smiles. “All of a sudden, the film industry has started to pick up; people from Karachi, Lahore and other place have started making movies.”

Waar is an action-thriller, so undoubtedly the action scenes need to be up-to-the-mark. Hasil Qureshi, who has been in the sound engineering industry for almost 14 years, was brought aboard to help the team. “We put in a lot of effort in making sure these details come out, and we are expecting that the audience will see that this is going to supercede the standards set by our neighbouring countries,” says Qureshi, adding that a film’s sound represents 30% of the movie in entirety, and it is what ultimately separates a great film from an average film.

“We had a learning curve, but we knew we had to do it,” he continues. “It’s definitely a step up and I think it’s commendable that we found a producer [Hassan Waqar Rana] and director who were brave enough to focus on these details.” For the audience, he feels it will be about being a part of the movie as compared to just watching it.

The movie, which is set for release this fall, has a star-studded cast which includes Shaan, Shamoon Abbasi, Meesha Shafi, Ayesha Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Ali Azmat, along with others.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2013.

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The discussion, titled Seminar on Revival of Pakistani Cinema and Film Industry, shed light on the general perception of cinema in the Pakistani society and the political restraints that it has had to bear in the country. “The decline [of cinema] was constant because in our society, getting involved in films was discouraged,” said Syed Noor. For instance, actor Shah Zaman Khan (Sudhir), known as the first action hero of Pakistani cinema, had to initially hide his profession from his conservative Pathan family, out of the fear that his parents would hurt or disown him. “I always say that you will never see a father encourage his child to join the film industry. This is the standard mindset,” he added.

Noor feels that the stigma attached to the film industry in Pakistan has been aggravated by policies that have dominated the state. The political regimes of the country, he believes, have been an obstacle in the way of the success of Pakistani cinema. He is skeptical of General Ziaul Haq’s term; although Punjabi cinema emerged to the forefront during his time, cinema on the whole underwent a structural demise.

Concurring with Noor, Wajiha Raza Rizvi, the director of the Film Museum Society, traced the decline of cinema back to Zia’s era, during which the industry saw a 50% drop in its releases. In constrast, General Yahya Khan’s tenure witnessed the highest box office collections, with nearly 114 films made in a year.

Producer-director Shehzad Rafique, who considers himself a student of Noor, believes that both democratic and martial law regimes have failed to improve the environment for film-making. “What we really need is a people-friendly government. The dictatorial governments were only concerned with their own agendas; Zia marketed his rule under the banner of Islam, which had a huge social impact on how film was perceived,” he stated.

Adding to the discussion on the demise of the industry, Noor asserted that the absence of financiers resulted in film-makers turning to illegal activities and earning black money. The lack of funds, coupled with dependence on black money, furthered cinema’s deterioration. Noor aspires to see the state employ a more positive role, similar to the one of Iranian government, which founded the Farabi Cinema Foundation. “We could do something like Iran, which has had to face similar issues as far as its film industry is concerned. The Iranian government offered to provide incentives and infrastructure to their film-makers to make good films. And their efforts bore results in the form of their first Oscar win in 2011,” he suggested.

Noor holds that if one is to look at the trajectory of Pakistani cinema, it has definitely come a long way. Earlier, there were no academies, worshops and other learning avenues for film. Today, what can be considered a favourable turn, institutes such as National College of Arts, Beaconhouse National University and now, the Forman Christian College in Lahore, have introduced film departments. In fact, Noor himself runs a film academy.

Commending Noor for his resilience and indomitable will, Rafique said, “I remember when I graduated from university, it was a huge gamble to pursue film-making as a full-time profession. But during that time, I remember that Noor sahab was one person who had enough focus and vision to survive. He has laid the foundation of the work that is being done today.” With recent box office successes such as Waar, things have changed. According to Rafique, it’s no longer about surviving as a film-maker in the industry — it’s about maintaining focus and a concrete vision.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2013.

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“The film is complete entertainment,” says Zaman, who plays the lead in the film. “It’s about a guy who is interested in having a good time and eventually finds out how unpredictable life is. But there isn’t one particular angle to his journey. The lesson is that one should not lose hope.”

The film also stars veteran actor Nadeem Baig, Salma Agha and Mareeha Safdar. The music has been composed by Sahir Ali Bagga and the film will include songs by Ali Azmat, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Imran Aziz and Abida Parveen. Considering the big names, it seems that Mengal managed to put together a great team and Zaman acknowledges that. “It’s a team effort for sure; there was instant chemistry [on the sets],” he says.

Quetta-based director Mengal seems to have been working on the script and pre-production of the film for nearly a decade. The film has already shot its first spell in Quetta and is all set to shoot the second in Europe. It is aiming for a spring release next year, depending on whether the distributors are able to accommodate in terms of dates. However, production is expected to complete by early next year.

The first look of the film was released last week, and the Hijrat team is happy with the response it has received. Mengal is hopeful the audience will enjoy this feel-good story as well as Butt and Zaman’s chemistry. “This will be something that all audiences will enjoy. The intention is to make this something fun and spontaneous,” says Mengal.

As far as the revival of Pakistani cinema is concerned, it seems there is finally a ray of hope for those with projects like these. “We have a re-birth of sorts taking place. It was over before but now there are so many projects happening. New talent is getting a chance and even we are giving it our best,” says Zaman. “Film has always remained a huge medium that is looked at with seriousness,” he adds.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2013.

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Despite having a popular brand name attached to it, Nescafe Basement had a rather low-key release last year. However, this year the team seems confident about leaving a mark. While small-scale projects like Uth Records have previously tried to enter the Coke Studio league, one can safely say that Nescafe Basement is probably the only forum in direct competition with Coke Studio.

“We are very confident,” says Nescafe’s brand manager Maha Khawaja. “This has always been for the youth and by the youth. We believe young people should have the opportunity to express themselves.”

“Last year was sort of a test year but this time around, we have added a lot of new things,” she adds. The team aims to make it more than just another music show by building local networks, and connecting musicians on a local level.

With growth on their mind, Nescafe Basement will have eight weekly episodes, each showcasing two songs with behind-the-scenes documentaries which will highlight the journey of hidden musical prodigies. Apart from television broadcasts, the show will also have a digital component that includes their website, Facebook page and Twitter.

“We are here to stay. I feel that this is just a scratch on the surface considering the potential of our platform. We want artists to be part of a broader support network and continue as mentors and brand ambassadors,” asserts Khawaja.

Considering that an artist like Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan aka Xulfi, who we loved for his heartfelt and soulful voice back from the days of EP, is leading the mentees, it is not too much to expect something substantial from the platform. And it seems that the participants are also enthusiastic about being part of such a team.

“This has brought us all together as one. We are [very] different from Coke Studio, which has established individuals. We are all new, so our sound will also be new,” says Sameen Kazim, 21-year-old marketing major at Lahore School Economics. She has predominantly done Western vocals and is now flexing her vocal chords to cover Nazia Hassan’s famous Boom Boom.

Shahrukh Aslam, a political science major from Lahore University of Management Sciences, who has not played in any real gig or show, feels Nescafe Basement will have a more abrasive and original sound based purely on growth and experimentation.

“It seems that Coke Studio has become comfortable with a particular formula and has more of something that connects with the middle-aged sensibility. This [Nescafe Basement] is slightly more abrasive and tries to push normal musical labels,” says Aslam.

“Really, I was surprised at first when I saw this year’s marketing budget. I think people are starting to believe that we have potential and this should be done on a bigger level,” he adds.

Though the youth element and freshness is something that everyone is taking pride in, majority of the songs will be covers of classics and popular Pakistani songs with only a few originals. It seems that Nescafe Basement clearly distinguishes itself from Coke Studio for being more youth-appropriate, but only the audience can decide whether this is really the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2013.

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“Back in the day, posters would be made by hand. It’s one of the hardest jobs when it comes to the publicity of a film,” Iqbal reminisces. “Waheed Murad had become very concerned about his age. By the end, as his popularity was shifting away, he became quite conscious of himself. He wanted to look 15 years younger. But Nadeem never had that issue.” Iqbal admits it was his duty to make actors look “as beautiful as possible through these posters”.

Painting film posters was in the genes, it appears. Iqbal’s father Sardar Khan, aka S Khan, was another well-known poster artist who worked in Bombay well before partition. After he migrated to Lahore, he became the pioneer of cinema publicity in Pakistan.

Poster artist Sarfraz Iqbal talks about his craft and passion. PHOTOS: MALIK SHAFIQ/EXPRESS

“He made [painted] posters of all the biggest films in the country — he had sort of a monopoly at the time,” Iqbal says about his father, adding posters back then were the main tool of promotion. S Khan not only inspired his son, but a generation of upcoming painters who worked with leading film-makers later on, as well.

Iqbal admits pursuing this option as a career was always part of the plan for him. By the time he reached the eighth grade, he started to work full-time developing posters for some of the best directors in the country. In 1962, he became the leading artist of Lollywood and by the ‘70s, he was making posters for nearly 50% of all films that were produced.

His first film poster was of a Punjabi film, Khan recalls. “What I did was unlike anything. I would pull out those scenes which had a very important role in the film or a scene that would speak out to the audience,” he explains his reasoning behind painting a specific scene from the movie. Designing hand-made posters, large or medium, is time-consuming and can even take months. Thus, Iqbal spent hours planning, drawing and painting posters on a wooden desk — a special desk he still owns today.

“There was not an hour where I would be free,” the artist confesses. “I would be working late at night but, at that time, there was respect for this craft. And not just for me, there were other artists as well.”

Khan has designed posters for several directors including veterans such as WZ Ahmed and Nazarul Islam but admits that his favourite poster till date — which hangs in a small room in his office — is the one of Mohammad Ali with Shabnam for 1987 Sajjad Gul film Dooriyan.

“This picture was important to me because I had made Mohammad Ali look negative, and Shabnam positive,” he explains. “It was something different from what had been ever done before.” He admits that working with any director for the first time is always difficult as they have something specific in mind, yet Khan was always focused on his craft and creating a piece that would be great.

His prolific career and portfolio only recently caught the attention of film fanatics who are now trying to preserve his work. Director of Zinda Bhaag Farjad Nabi made a documentary on Khan’s life called The Final Touch, which was screened at the Kara Film Festival in 2006.

“I never thought of keeping a record. I was doing so much, I just never thought of it,” he continues. “Now, we are trying to find many of these posters.” Art professor Durriya Qazi of Karachi University has started to collect his paintings in the hope of preserving them and possibly developing a record.

Even today, Javed Sheikh, Syed Noor, Shehzad Gul and Shehzad Rafique and many of the newer lot, all continue to use Iqbal’s art as a staple in any production they are a part of.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2013.

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Reshma was something of an unlikely legend when it came to classical and folk music in Pakistan. While training and hard work are inherent components of any success, she was blessed with superb natural talent.

Recalling her performance, the famous classical singer Farida Khanum said in Lahore on Sunday, “We got so happy [when we heard Reshma sing], because she had brought in a new passion to the art with a style that was influenced by her background,”

Reshma was born in Bikaner, a small city in the Rajasthan state of India, around the time of Partition. Her father, Haji Mamdad Mushtaq, a cattle and camel trader, had migrated, along with his Banjara tribe, to Karachi. In her childhood, she would frequently travel and camp out where they sang folk songs with zest.

The quality of her voice was honed under this environment. She got her professional break at the age of 12 when Saleem Gilani, a Radio Pakistan producer, heard her sing a song at the festival of Sufi Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan. Gilani invited her to the Karachi radio studio where she got her first song recorded.

When the song, ‘Hai O Rabba nahion lagda dil mera’ came out, it became an instant favourite. Later, she recorded such enthralling songs as ‘Lambi Judai’, ‘Chori Chori’, ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’ which are forever etched in lasting memory.

Her stature grew and she became an internationally renowned singer. She had a greater following in India than in Pakistan.

Reshma was staying at India’s all-time great actor Dilip Kumar’s residence where Bollywood producer Subhash Ghai heard her captivating song. He convinced her to sing for his film ‘Hero’ which made here a household name in 1982.

“She was selfless and had developed a great following in India,” recalls Mustafa Qureshi, a popular Pakistani showman who began his career from Radio Pakistan.

While Reshma enthralled a big crowd at Pakistan’s Independence Day in the United States, she had her first encounter with her disease. Blood started dripping from her nose during her performance and the doctors later diagnosed her with cancer. This did not stop her from performing. She became be a staple for the expatriate communities in US, Canada and Europe.

She was conferred the national awards of Pride of Performance award and Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Now that she is no more, her lilting desert voice will last forever.

Reshma is survived by a son and a daughter: Umair and Khadija.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th,2013.

The concluding session of Day 1, titled ‘Lights, Camera, Action’, brought together the teams of Waar and Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. Vasay Chaudhry, Shamoon Abbasi, Amir Munawar, Bilal and his father Kamran Lashari represented team Waar, while veteran Javed Sheikh attended from the MHSA camp.

Javed Sheikh’s experience and passion for cinema was lapped up by eager onlookers. “I was always optimistic that our youngsters would eventually revive cinema in Pakistan,” he said.

“I dreamed about a day when change in the Pakistani film industry would come. Finally it has,” he added. “There are now 100 film projects in the pipeline,” he continued, much to the delight of the crowd. “Waar grew on the foundation laid by Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. It was the first time I saw a film in Pakistan bag 16 shows in a multiplex.”

Kamran Lashari talked about the hard work his son put into Waar, which has received an overwhelming response at the box office. “He worked for nearly four years without getting a salary. Bilal would tell me, that if he could not make Waar a quality film, he did not deserve any money,” he said. Waar producer Hassan Waqas Rana had hired Bilal, but at the time he wondered where the capital would come from.

“Initially we had thought this would be a smaller film,” said Bilal. “But as we got involved in its making, it just expanded. “I honestly feel that a film’s budget is only one aspect of making a good film, because the greater the budget, the higher the expectations. For me, this project was a means to help me improve as an artist,” he added.

Main Hoon Shahid Afridi script writer Chaudhry said he kept reminding himself of 95% percent of Pakistanis who dream of a better life. “By addressing the class divide in our society, I feel I was able to connect better with a wider audience. I also wanted to bring a fresh outlook to the social struggles within the Pakistani society.”

Audience members couldn’t get enough of these film-makers. Questions thrown at Bilal were mostly about the film’s funding and budget, but the director chose not to disclose figures. Some women went on at length about the responsibility film-makers have, as their work is viewed by millions of people. There was criticism leveled at Bilal for the use of profanity in Waar. However, there were many who appreciated his cinematic venture and expressed a desire for more. One elderly gentleman remarked that while MHSA is about the ‘awaam’, he recalls the refined and educated cricketing legends of the ‘50s.

The Zinda Bhaag team was on the panel of a session titled ‘Pakistani Cinema Today’. The debate at this session centered on how an expanded film industry would take shape, with some suggesting that Pakistan should mimick the Iranian model.

Mazhar Zaidi, Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur of Zinda Bhaag gave a humble yet incisive look at their experience of making a feature film in the context of art, while meeting the commercial requirement of large-scale cinema at the same time. The trio had worked on the idea for several years before getting into production.

“There is space for first-time film-makers to try and experiment with things. When we started to explore the theme, people inevitably told stories to us,” said Nabi. Gaur added that making the film connect with a wider audience was done by making sure that the initiative was collaborative. “We made sure that everyone had a voice and was heard in the process,” she said.

At a separate session titled ‘Prevalent themes in Pakistani Television Dramas’, director Sarmad Khoosat of Manto had an enlightening discussion of sorts with actor Salman Shahid on writer Saadat Hasan Manto. He spoke of his film Manto, which will be a biopic on the life of the famed writer, but said he has been wary of too much studio-style institutionalisation. The session was also attended by Haseena Moin, Sarmad Sehbai and Asghar Nadeem Syed.

The festival concluded with Zeba Bakhtiar, who shed light on the changing idea of stardom for actors. It seemed suitable since she, like Shehnaz Sheikh on the panel, represented the older lot of the film industry. Her production venture Operation 021 is still under production.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2013.

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Butt aims to provide local musicians with the opportunity of making their work more accessible at major international platforms including YouTube and Spotify, which will further help them generate royalties. In an attempt to do so, his company has recently decided to partner with Dream Digital, a European music syndication company and an Indian music enterprise, Culture Machine.

“Partnerships with these companies allow us to syndicate our content on platforms that we cannot connect with on our own. Especially being a Pakistani firm, setting up individual contracts with Spotify, Amazon or YouTube is next to impossible. Through this partnership, we want to focus on producing good content,” says Butt, who is also part of the Shell LiveWIRE International Hall of Fame for entrepreneurs.

Apart from this association, the studio is also working on launching its first online music competition, Pakistan Superstar. The competition will try to utilise the company’s digital and social media apparatus to select top musical talent who will be then chosen to record singles in the company’s Lahore-based studio. Most of the content will be user-generated but will initially be looked into by producers at the studio.

“We don’t want to deviate from our original goal. We want their talent to be recognised through the digital platform and give them the opportunity to record at our studio,” explains Raja Nabeel Banwa, who is heading the project, scheduled for a launch by the end of this month.

The independent project hopes to select 10 people who would be judged by a panel of experts online and the songs will be selected by the label, itself. “Most competitions do have an online component but we only want to do this online. We are ignoring television because we are trying to make a point that it is Pakistan’s first digital music reality show,” asserts Banwa.

The studio is managed by Hassan Omer of SYMT and Nabeel Banwa of Char-Payee. It has been producing music by local artists at subsidised rates in the hopes of generating content that can connect with the global market. The label is now producing seven to nine professionally produced tracks and is hoping to create a wider interest for Pakistani music abroad. The major markets are India, Middle East, Europe and Africa

“When YouTube was banned, Pakistani artistes stopped believing in the possibilities of monetising or selling their content. But I believe we can make our presence felt in the international market,” remarks Butt.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2013.

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Sehbai is adding to this era of revival in Pakistani film and media by making a feature film on his own terms. The film, for which shooting began recently, will cast Fahad Mustafa in the male lead and will also star Iman Ali, Sanam Saeed and Manzar Sehbai, with some surprise cameo appearances. The yet untitled project is being produced by Badar Ikram, a senior executive with a major television channel, and Khurram Rana. Anjum Shahzad will be donning the critical mantle of director for this project.

The upcoming film, which Sehbai wrote five years ago, draws inspiration from an 18th century poet, but is set in the contemporary world. Contractual obligations have meant that the theme and plot of the film have not yet been disclosed by the producers.

“The film will be about contemporary issues and how you deal with your contemporary world, which is neo-colonial, multi-national, and globalised, but there is no firm grounding …. Something is slipping, and something is missing,” Sehbai tells The Express Tribune. “The story is about a crazy, eccentric and creative man, who goes through this, and discovers an 18th century experience, which is related to nature… a symbolic interpretation of an event that is still there. It is then that he experiences the linkages of what creativity actually is.”

“I was trying actually to film something else and shot a couple of scenes, but unfortunately we could not get the right type of cast,” says Sehbai. The film Sehbai originally wanted to make was written almost 30 years ago and was based on a personal experience; while in Islamabad, Sehbai noticed an irregular type of dwelling in the middle of a clean city – a cluster of mud houses which had a rich culture all their own – which inspired him to write the script. It had been commissioned by French film-makers, but the project fell through.

“This happens to me quite often,” he explains. “The film that is currently being made, I wrote five years ago, and it’s being made now. A lot of my plays are like that. A play I had written in 1982 was performed in 2003. It happens because I am not the sort of person that goes with what is happening and joins the bandwagon,” says Sehbai.

“I [write for] my own pleasure; I like to do things that inspire me and I don’t care whether they are done or performed. I just write them, if something comes [to me] then I do it.”

Producer Ikram says working with Sehbai is a privilege, since he is uncompromising when it comes to his craft. Ikram says that the two have developed a close relationship and considers him a teacher and a mentor.

“Sarmad sahab normally works solo, and he has a very specific style of working, which is unique to his personality. In this film he has collaborated with many other creative individuals,” says Ikram.

“This is not a film that plays to the galleries. The whole team has made a conscious choice to make the film in a manner which will be enjoyed for its content and appreciated for its narrative. It’s a project of passion and those who understand will know that it’s an effort for a greater goal.”

Ikram also discloses that the team does have another project planned, but it will be at least one year before it is ready to shoot. An official press release regarding the details of the film will be released next week, along with some first look images.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2013.

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Essentially a zombie-comedy, the film’s title song by Natasha Ejaz released this week. “I have known Natasha [for a long time] so I showed her the footage. I asked her if she wanted to try something different, maybe sing a rap song with some techno music in the background,” he says. Mukhtar envisioned the soundtrack to be fun and perky, and so the techno-track was born. The video, which shows two zombies freestyling to techno rap, appears similar to Tom Cruise’s dance sequence in Tropic Thunder.

Even though the song was completely different from what she has done before, Ejaz, too, is positive about Mukhtar’s creativity. “If you have heard my music before, it’s a huge leap. I am not really a rapper and have not played techno, but when I looked at the story, it was comedic and I can relate to that,” says Ejaz, adding that the song is about a girl who falls in love with a zombie. “We already have a lot of hard-hitting films being made but then there is this, which is fun and sort of detached from reality,” she adds. She has collaborated with composer Shaheer Shahid for the song and it took them three months to complete it.

Waking Dead has already been making waves for its peculiar genre. It has been submitted for international film festivals including the Dubai International Film Festival, Gulf Film Festival and Abu Dhabi Film Festival. But the idea for the movie came rather accidentally and with minimum planning.

Mukhtar was holidaying in Dubai last year when he found out that make-up artist Nouf al Jhadhami was in town. He then wondered whether he could tap into Jhadhami’s talent to make a zombie film. “Normally, in Pakistan we don’t find talented prosthetic make-up artists. So I thought I would work on something and edit it when I go home. Even then, we were doing this for free and there was no budget,” asserts Mukhtar. Like his little-known, independent film Black Coffee, which he had made essentially for himself but later released online, this film was also not intended to be big by any means.

However, as the work progressed the project began to grow. Within three-days, he had hours of footage and found a decent cast which starred UAE-based actors Nitin Mirani, Nadia Williams and Nidhi Jha. Working with limited shooting space, due to legal requirements, he utilised the basement garage of a PR agency and his sister’s apartment in Dubai. “When you are in Dubai, you need permission to shoot anywhere so it limited my options, but we worked through it,” says Mukhtar. He began work on the edit only two months ago. With a score by the talented Abbas Ali Khan, the dialogues are in both English and Urdu.

Meanwhile, Mukhtar has also signed on to direct Anwar Maqsood’s script, Mein Tou Dekhun Ga, which he says is very different from his popular plays on August 14. “The story is about child beggars on the street so it will be completely different. Right now we are in the initial phase so we don’t have an idea of the location, where it will be shot,” says Mukhtar. “There is also another project, which is in the pre-production phase. We are hoping that will be done for 2016, and will have a big budget,” he adds.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2013.

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Hearing Nusrat is not just music, it is an act of worship. There seems to be a consensus amongst those who heard the maestro as he breathed life into notes. Defying the conventional genres that melodies are usually neatly stacked into, he would transcend to a level of rhythmic devotion that was lost on ordinary minds. Immersed in the spiritual, he never lost grip over any note or any tremor, his tehreek, mutki, phanday — nothing short of perfect. As the music washed over your senses and your pulse vibrated to the beat, you ached to fade into his mystical abyss, fully aware that what you were experiencing was not ordinary.

This was the magic of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

At Bidi Studio, Paris for a recording in 1993. 

Pakistan did not have a Bocelli or Pavarotti at the time, neither did we have our own version of the Beatles or Led Zepplin, but it did not matter because we had Nusrat. Born in Faisalabad, he inherited a 600-year-old tradition of qawwali from his forefathers and went on to become the Shahanshah-e-Qawwali or the The King of Kings of Qawwali. But his genius was not just limited to qawwali. His collaborations with renowned musicians like Peter Gabriel and Eddie Vedder saw a marriage of the electric guitar and the tabla, producing some of the richest fusions of the time.

With group members rehearsing at Bidi Studio, Paris. 

Unsurpassed in his musical range, his knack for improvisation and the sheer intensity of his chords made him one of the most significant voices from the region. While millions revered the musician, few knew Nusrat — the man. Dr Pierre-Alain Baud, a researcher, academic and author of his biography Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the messenger of Qawwali, spent several years in Nusrat’s company. In an interview during his recent visit to Lahore, he recounts his experiences with the melodic enigma.

1. What was your first exposure to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwali music?

The first concert I attended took place in Paris in 1985 at Theatre de la Ville. It was organised by Soudabeh Kia, a French-Iranian lady. She was the first person to introduce Nusrat to non-resident Pakistani audiences, the same year as Peter Gabriel.

Featured in the 1997 issue of TIME magazine. 

In 1985, Nusrat was still completely unknown in France, apart from some Sufi or South-Asian music aficionados. A major part of the audience that evening was Pakistani or Indian and the response was just like in Pakistan; people standing up from their seats and going down (Theatre de la Ville hall is very steep) to the stage to offer ‘vel’ (donations) or requesting him to sing such or such an item; a couple of sensitive listeners went into a trance.

2. And your response?

Oh, it was an astonishing discovery, widening my knowledge of Sufi music in a huge way. And Nusrat was such a presence. He had the Beloved floating in the air…

A-ma-zing, really a-ma-zing!

3. What can you tell us about your first meeting with Nusrat?

After this 1985 shock (as a mere lay listener among a 1,000 people), I heard him again live in 1988 or maybe was 1989. I had been listening again and again to his recordings. But the encounter moment came in autumn 1991. I met him when I was en route to attend his concert at an old French monastery. It was an autumn morning. We were at the Railway station in Tours, France. He was there, the ‘Singing Buddha’ from the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, waiting for the connection that would take him and his musicians to Fontevraud Abbey for his last concerts of the year in France. We, members of the enthralled audience who had already seen him perform thrice in Paris the week before, were going to the Abbey too, to witness the incredible freedom of his voice once again.

A group performance at Chergourg, France in 1993.

The shock this meeting produced was scorching. Uncertain, trembling words started a conversation, which slowly grew into a dense dialogue in the shade of the priory. Generous exchanges [were] interrupted by unexpected vocal demonstrations, stunning silences [and a] fiery look…Years later, having accompanied him on numerous international tours, I remained a spectator stunned by his vertiginous voice: I do not fully understand the mystery of his song, but an intimate resonance intrigues and unnerved me as soon as he sat down, cross-legged on the stage and hurled out his mad love song to the Divine.

4, This meeting at Fontevraud was the beginning of your association with Nusrat?

Yes. After the few days we spent together at Fontevraud, he invited me to follow him on his tour to Italy, and then to meet him at his home in Pakistan. From that point of time, I accompanied him for over five years, on a number of his international tours, in the capacity of an assistant of his major promoter. For the past 30 years, [Kia}on behalf of Paris municipal Theatre de la Ville, has been promoting numerous Pakistani artists worldwide.

Performance at Lok Virsa, Islamabad. 

I went with him to a number of European countries, Brazil, Tunisia, and was with him in New York. I followed him to dozens of places in Pakistan and went wherever he was going. He has been a great institution for me [with] respect to the Pakistani
society.

5. Say more about Nusrat the man.

He had innumerable facets: enigmatic and innocent, colossal and peaceful, inspired and ordinary, all parts of the same person who inflamed myriads of spectators in Lahore, Paris, Florence, Tokyo or New York, crossing linguistic and cultural, generational and social barriers with the greatest of ease. To further elaborate, I will quote myself from a fragment of the portrait I sketched about him in my biography foreword:

NFAK with his troupe.

“Singing Buddha in Tokyo, Quintessence of the human voice in Tunis, The Voice of Paradise in Los Angeles, The Spirit of Islam in London, Pavarotti of the East in Paris, Shahenshah-e-Qawwali in Lahore . Over the space of about 15 years, this chosen singer, one of God’s madmen, one of God’s sweetest, shot to planetary fame. And then he disappeared, too early…leaving a thousand footprints behind.

A man of superlatives: weight (impressive), octaves (six, supposedly), albums (125 at the beginning of the 1990s according to the Guinness book of records, maybe twice that many by now), videos that can be consulted on the Internet site YouTube (over 2,000, certain of which have been viewed a million times in a single year), concerts (by the thousands), Google references (hundreds of thousands), cassettes and CDs ( by the millions).

PHOTO: REUTERS

And yet a man of deep simplicity. His all-consuming mission was to spread a message — the kind and beautiful words of the Sufi poets, mystics, permeated by an Islam reflecting love and union.

A man outside of time, bewitching us with the madness of his declarations of love addressed to the Divine. A man truly of his times too, open to all kinds of experiments, all kinds of fusion. Rooted and universal. Committed and free.”

6. Who were the people around Nusrat?

Well, in Pakistan, basically his close family members, though I would say, at the same focal level, his qawwali party men, which included his younger brother, Farrukh, and for a long time his cousin-brother, Mujahid Mubarak, as well as his bother-in-law and other cousins.

In his lodge before a performance, in Cherbourg, 1993. 

In fact, he was spending much time with his party, always rolling from one concert venue to another, from a recording to a class, spending a huge amount of time travelling. He had hectic tour schedules.

7. I heard Nurat ate maybe 25 parathas for breakfast. Is that true? What was his favourite dish?

As far as I know, no! He was definitely a good eater (as we say in French). He appreciated eating but not [upto] this point. I am not sure [what his favourite dish was] but the most common one he was eating was roti and meat, the basic menu of Punjabi middle class men, no?

During different performances across Pakistan, 1993.

8. I heard Nusrat live in Central Park, New York, in the late 1990s. The impact of hearing his qawwali live is unforgettable. But when I hear Nusrat on CD it does not carry the same inspiration?

In the old days, the LP’s and records carried the full range of the singer’s voice — from the lowest to the highest pitch. Now CDs use stabilisers and other devices (for recording) and only capture the middle range of highs and lows. So you don’t get the full drama, power and passion of the vocalist.

As a bridegroom. 

9. Did your time spent with Nusrat change you in any way?

Definitely. He has been a major go-between, between my French European contemporary identity and my larger Sufi/spiritual/mystic individual soul, projected towards the Universal, the One.

At Rishi Kapoor’s wedding ceremony, Mumbai. 

“Well, I think what stands out when you look at Nusrat is his devotion to Sufism. Qawwali as an art-form has a long history, and was used as a tool to bring people towards Islam. His family had a 400-year-old history, with the art.

I think for me what stands out is that he was the first real star to have come out of South Asia who was truly international. Madonna and Pavarroti wanted to record albums with him, Mick Jagger had come to Lahore to listen to him and there was a massive following across the globe.

He performed as a traditional qawwal for many years initially but could not attain the status of his father and uncle. It was really, Imran Khan who was then raising funds for his hospital, that changed things. Performing at those fundraisers, he met great musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder and his reputation as an artist became global. This is his real impact, in such a short span he was the most popular Pakistani and the biggest celebrity to make an impact from South Asia.”

Socialite/Philanthropist – YOUSUF SALLI

“An underrated aspect about Nusrat saheb, is his ability as composer which most people tend to forget. On a broader level, modern music needed Nusrat, not the other way around. He was a complete package and had very different vocals, which appealed to a lot of people who collaborated with him.

He was a very good teacher and understood how to impart that knowledge to others. I come from a family of composers and instrumentalist myself, but Nusrat’s work as composer was very natural. Most composers have to think of a beat while composing the melody but for him this was inherent. I know RD Burman has used a lot of his work and AR Rahman is heavily influenced by him too.”

Musician – Sahir Ali Bagga

 

“I spent about 10 years attached to him and met him regularly even before that. His entire day was consumed by music — it was all he really needed. I recall many nights when we would end up singing or making compositions till dawn. I think what I loved about him was his work as composer.

When I had first started parody it was because of the increasing vulgarity in local theatre. I had always looked at parody as a way of paying tribute to our artists and stars. In Nusrat’s case, I remember the first time I performed in front of him, he was in a giggling fit. He ended up becoming one of my biggest supporters. 

As someone who spent a lot of time with him, I can tell you he had very innocent and pure personality. I don’t think I have ever seen him lose his temper or get angry. But one thing was constant, he loved music and played 24 hours
a day.”

Comedian – HASSAN ABBAS

 

“Unlike many musicians or individuals who consider music as something that is part-time, Nusrat was the complete artist, from top to bottom. His index finger would move in a rhythmic motion even when he was asleep. That was his genius, he was always lost in composition and music consumed his life.

He was a very straight-forward and kind individual who generously shared his craft and never paid heed to the commercial side of his career. In fact, I recall his manager at AlHamra asking him to take more of an interest because many people would make money from his music without giving his share. It was also known that he had composed a  few songs for Bollywood  and received something like Rs18 as payment.

But he was never bitter. Music was part of his blood and all that mattered.”

Academic/Writer – AQEEL RUBY 

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 17^th, 2013.

David is not sure what exactly happened to Lahore’s once vibrant alternative theatre scene, which saw directors like Shah Sharabeel put on massive theatre productions the likes of Bombay Dreams and Moulin Rouge; raising the bar for English theatre and bringing in respect for actors and directors alike.

“There has been a shift  — many young theatre people are focused on Urdu productions. For me, I have always been more comfortable with English, but the trends and emphasis have changed,” says David.

The fundamental issues that plagued the prolific period of early 2000-2009 appear to have festered. Speaking to The Express Tribune in an old interview, Sharabeel had lamented that no one considered theatre as a full-time profession, and the government would ultimately have to patronise it to ensure it sustained itself. This phenomenon might be one of the main factors responsible for the current situation of theatre in Lahore, but it certainly doesn’t appear to be the only one.

Vasay Chaudhry’s career started out in the developing theatre scene of the late 90s, a time during which he wrote and directed plays such as Jutt and Bond. Since then, his career systematically evolved from theatre, to television, and now to films. He says that in 2001 alone, nearly 48 plays were performed at the Al-Hamra Arts Complex. He has said that the failure of alternative theatre to sustain itself in Lahore was due to its inability to encourage a self-sustaining market.

“What I have found to be a common issue between commercial Punjabi theatre and what is happening in Karachi is the element of ticket sales,” says Chaudhry. “A complaint that Nida Butt had voiced when she brought her productions to Lahore was that the audience simply never want to pay for a ticket and have become accustomed to subsidised shows.”

Recalling his own adventures in the theatre world, he said that developing a business model was a critical aspect; one that is often overlooked. As a student, he looked to ticket sales to cover the cost of making the play while sponsorships would be considered an added bonus. What Sharabeel did was pioneer a model which was dependent on both attaining corporate sponsorships and a subsidised environment.

There are hopes for a revival of this once vibrant alternative scene, as the much-hyped Weekend Theatre Festival approaches. Organised by Kanwal Khoosat, daughter of actor Irfan Khoosat, the event seeks to tap into the vast network of theatre veterans in the hopes of inspiring new talent. The festival will explore Lahore through the lens of its theatre by organising performances in various locations across the city, including the Lahore fort and the Expo Center. The event includes plays by Sarmad Khoosat, Sohail Ahmed, Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Naila Jaffri, Samiya Mumtaz, Nighat Chaudhry, Nauman Ijaz (who is set to make his theatre debut), and Irfan himself, along with many others on the agenda.

“We are putting our best effort forth to inspire another revival in Lahore,” comments Irfan. “Karachi has consistently had theatre for the last four years, this a first attempt [in Lahore], the hope is that we can make it affordable, and that it connects with sponsors as well.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2013.

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Over the course of his profession, he has taken up some difficult roles, but he feels they weren’t demanding enough. “I have never gotten [to play] a character that has truly challenged me. I have always had to make it challenging myself,” says Ijaz. The fifty-year-old actor shares that he wanted to become a cricketer in the mid-80s, but had to return to Quetta from Lahore owing to his father’s illness. It was there that he was discovered by chance at a clothing store owned by his friend. He was completing his matriculation at the time, but his husky voice and captivating demeanour led to a television director casting him for a PTV drama.

Despite being part of an industry that thrives on young faces and the newest ‘IT’ actor, Ijaz seems undeterred. “I don’t ever wonder how things would’ve been for me if I were younger,” says Ijaz. “I have wanted to improve with each role, both as an actor and artiste. I always look around to compare my work with those of others. That way I can easily assess how I’m doing.”  Ijaz has inarguably done justice to the mantle of acting and set the bar high for novices in the industry.

The gravitas and maturity that is etched onto his face has not been a hindrance, but a boon for his career. “Since the very beginning, people felt that I looked older than I was. So I was offered a wide range of roles,” Ijaz recollects. The eclectic roles that he has portrayed make him one of the most sought-after actors in the Pakistani entertainment industry. He has now signed up for a film in India, details of which he cannot disclose at this time. “I am very blessed. I have a project in hand. Once the dates are confirmed, I will be able to disclose more but I have never gotten an offer like this before,” he says.

He feels that directors and producers from the Pakistani industry have been myopic in their approach to work. “It’s unfortunate that our directors haven’t broadened their horizons and attempted to improve. They only have one slogan, “unnu ki pata, unnu ki pata” [what do they (the critics) know, what do they know?],” says the disillusioned Ijaz.

Due to the nepotism and cronyism that have long marred the entertainment industry, quality work doesn’t receive its due appreciation. The directors and producers, who intend to make a lot of money with nominal expenditure, plot to get leading actors on board for pittance. Acting is a profession that requires a will to survive and infinite patience, says Ijaz, who reveals that he was paid a meagre Rs300 for his first film.

Ijaz feels that actors have had to struggle in this country because art has never been respected. “Film-makers think they can still make us work today at the eight-anna [cents] rate of the ’80s. I believe it is because of this mindset that we have had issues… Work cannot continue like this,” he states assertively.

Despite the problems that he has highlighted, it appears that he is still being able to receive the dividends from years of hard work, and has multiple new projects in the works locally. The actor is currently involved in a number of upcoming Pakistani cinema projects. He will be starring in Operation 021, a film by the mother-son duo Zeba Bakhtiar and Azan Sami Khan. In addition, he will be working in Shehzad Ghafoor’s The System and Jami Mahmood’s Moor.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2013.

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“We took over the operations of Shabistan and revamped it with a state-of-the-art digital system, which includes 3D; almost close to IMAX. It has one of the best projectors in the world, along with a huge screen about 45 feet,” says Imran Idris Mufti, the director of Super Cinema and Summit Entertainment Pakistan.

The new Shabistan Super Cinema has been put together exceptionally well, and routinely fills its auditorium. It is an initiative that has also bridged the divide between old and new cinema. The cinema halls at Shabistan have a rich history, and the theatre itself stands lined-up against five other old cinemas, such as Metropole. All kinds of Pakistani films used to be shown at these once illustrious cinemas on Abbot Road, until the downturn of local films occurred.

“The cinema was in the heart of the city. It has culture and legacy. Abbot Road and McLeod road are famous for films but families had stopped coming [here]. Now our halls are filled with families who never used to visit this part of town,” says Mufti.

Mufti, who launched Super Cinema’s first screen at the Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, has always maintained high-definition cinematic experiences and says that they are here to stay. He has systematically been acting on his long-term plan, which hopes to push traditional pioneers of multiplex and cinema distribution in Lahore. The result has been a dramatic shift in Lahore for both cinema-goers and Pakistan’s local film distributors. Dominated by only one or two major players over the last few years, the growth in multiplexes has been shaken up by the introduction of Summit Entertainment’s Super Cinema. In a span of two years, Super Cinema has added 15 new cinema screens to the city and plans to continue expanding.

These plans were complemented with another adventure on Mufti’s part, to develop the first cinema inside a mall on MM Alam Road. This multiplex screen, which has already started to accommodate private screenings, is the first of its kind in Lahore. Basing this decision on the American concept of making cinema part of the shopping experience, Mufti says that it will give easy access to people in Gulberg who are looking to catch a movie while out shopping.

“It gives you multiple facilities under one roof, you can go shop, have a good time, and have food. The view is amazing, we have three screens there, and a gold cinema with VIP services,” says Mufti.

Now, with an infrastructure of a growing number of multiplex screens firmly in place, the next frontier is an expansion of the film distribution options in Lahore. Summit Entertainment has already started to import foreign films, such as Rush and Once upon a time in Mumbai Dobaara, and are quietly getting involved with local movies as well.

“We are picking up Pakistani movies. This wave that has sort of taken place, where there is improved Pakistani content, we want to be a part of that as well,” says Mufti.

“I think things have changed for the better, people are starting to come back to cinemas but when you talk about Pakistan and numbers, I feel even a hundred screens for Lahore would not be enough. The potential is a lot and growth and competition will be a good thing.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2013.

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The struggle to prohibit the exhibition of Indian films has been deeply connected to efforts to revive the fledging local cinema industry by veteran Lollywood and Punjabi filmmakers. They claim that Indian films hinder the progress of local filmmakers, and their economic gain on Pakistani soil is against the law.

As a result of the notice, the CBFC has refused to censor upcoming Bollywood film Bullett Raja. The film, which stars Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha, had originally been slated for a November 29 release in Pakistan. Advertisements in various newspapers have already advertised its grand opening for today, November 29, 2013.

“It is an unprecedented decision by the courts. It’s the first time local courts have taken a serious look at our argument,” says lawyer Amir Ali Shah, the legal consul for the petitioner. He maintains that, despite the ban on such activity, Indian films are being imported illegally and are being unlawfully shown on Pakistani soil.

“I don’t know what has caused the CBFC to refuse to censor Bullett Raja. All I know for certain is that if I release this film in Pakistan, there could be possible legal repercussions,” says Amjad Rasheed, the CEO of IMGC Entertainment, which is the company that has bought the rights to distribute Bullett Raja in Pakistan.

He further added that the petition is against the import of illegal foreign films, whereas Bullett Raja’s certification is being stopped regardless of the fact that the documents and paperwork regarding its import have been approved.

“I have no other option but to stop the release of Bullett Raja, as nothing is more important than the law of the state and I must abide by it,” says Rasheed resignedly.

Ali, the board’s chairman, issued a statement to the press yesterday saying that the censoring of all films had been stopped, and the board would let the courts decide the matter. He maintained that the board had, so far, not censored any smuggled or illegal content; in fact all of the films (including Bullett Raja) that had been stopped had already been approved by the Ministry of Commerce.

The court order is only applicable to films with illegal documentation. The import of a film is only approved by the Ministry of Commerce once all its paperwork has been verified. Given that Bullett Raja has already been approved by the Ministry, the CBFC has no reason to delay the certification of the film.

The contempt of court order that has been issued by the Lahore High Court only mentions the CBFC, a body which does not retain any power as the central committee for film censorship since the 18th amendment. These days, film censorship is supposed to take place on a provincial basis. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  and Balochistan only rely on the CBFC for film certification as they are yet to formulate their own censor boards. In effect, the Sindh Film Certification Board is the only functional provincial censor board that certifies films. This is why there is a fair chance that, if the distributor intends it, the film can be released in Sindh despite the Lahore High Court order.

“Post 18th amendment, the Sindh Film Certification Board became an independent body that has nothing to do with the CBFC, but follows every other law of the land,” says a representative of the Sindh Censor Board, who requested anonymity. Maintaining that the order of the Lahore High Court is not applicable on this body, the representative adds, “We have our own set of laws, and if a film like Bullet Raja has all of its paper work, and is coming through a legal process then it will definitely be entertained by the SBFC,” the representative said.

“If the film comes to us by Friday morning then it will definitely be entertained and certified (according to the censorship law) to be released in Sindh on Friday, as expected.”

Since it appears that film can only be released in Sindh so far, there is a possibility that it may not be released at all. The last instance when the functions of the censor were effectively halted; huge losses were incurred by the country’s largest exhibitors. The distributors and exhibitors are working on a response to the petition but nothing has been decided as yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2013.

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The film, Hun Ki Tera Zor Ni Gudiye (titled Kites Grounded in English) tells the account of a kite-maker whose sole method of earning was by producing colourful, glitzy kites. The story is centred around the life of old Chacha Kareem (played by veteran actor Irfan Khoosat) who, after being rendered jobless following the passing of the Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (amendment) Bill in 2009, is gradually losing his passion for making kites.

The storyline is set in the year 2009; the year the ban on kite-flying was first imposed in Lahore. Director Ali Murtaza has long been fascinated by kites, and had participated in Basant every year along with his family. He also knows many kite-makers because of his enthusiasm for kite-flying. He therefore knows the stories of many such kite-makers, who suffered crippling financial losses due to the crackdown.

“The film is not exactly about Basant, the festival serves only as the backdrop of the film. Its plot is based on the life of a kite-maker whose work suffered due to the festival being banned,” says Murtaza. The script is co-written by Murtaza and his wife Seema Hameed, who is the film’s producer. The entire script is in Punjabi, while the film has been shot in old Lahore, a city where kite-flying holds much importance.

The festival of Basant, which has both a rich past and immense cultural value, was defined by Sufi poet Amir Khusro as “a form of internal awakening”. To the people of Lahore, it represents a lot more than just a fleeting recreational activity, or a means of earning ones livelihood. “It [kite-making] is something these people have been doing their whole lives and suddenly, in the twilight of their age, they are subjected to unforeseen circumstances. The story is about a certain kite-maker who has to stop making kites and in the process, realises how much he loved doing so,” describes Murtaza.

The film has been in the making for about two years and its first-look trailer has been released on the internet. Hun Ki Tera Zor Ni Gudiye will be sent to a number of film festivals, including the Berlin Film Festival, before being released in Pakistan in the spring of 2014.

Murtaza spent a lot of time picking out the film’s cast. “Traditionally, casting is a neglected part of film-making in Pakistan. We spent a good three months finding a suitable actor for each character. Irfan Khoosat was in fact the seventh or eighth person we screen-tested for the role,” says Ali, who had first cast Amanullah for the role of Chacha Kareen, but had to recast the part following schedule conflicts. Actor Tasneem Kausar plays Khoosat’s wife, Shakeela, while Abid Kashmiri plays Saleem, a friend of Chacha Kareem.

“Khoosat fitted perfectly because the character of Chacha Kareem is coy, and says very little, most of the time he just listens. He came out really nice in the role.”

Hameed said the urbanisation of Lahore led to the festival being marginalised, and that the aftermath of the government’s decision to ban Basant could only be studied through the eyes of a kite-maker. “We all partook in kite-flying; we were all very much a part of the kite-flying tradition. Everyone I would speak to, whether friends or family, talked about was how these skilled kite-makers had to give up their craft,” says Hameed.

Hun Ki Tera Zor Ni Gudiye has been filmed at Hameed’s family house in old Lahore. When shooting the film, the film-makers used mainly authentic locations and used only a few sets. While writing the script, Hameed said the team had made a unanimous decision that the language should remain Punjabi — something that the people of Lahore will connect to.

Both Hameed and Murtaza were not used to writing in Punjabi. “Punjabi is definitely not my best language, so we got another person on board who was experienced in this dialect, which is also often used in Lollywood script. He helped us tweak the rough edges of the script,” explained Hameed.

The duo is in talks with several local distribution companies and is aiming for a nationwide release. Murtaza says he has already started working on scripts for future projects. He is also certain that the film will be able to portray the disappearing local culture of Lahore in an authentic manner, thus preserving it on film for future generations.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2013.

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“I have written a lot of films for others…it is time I do something for myself,” says Akhtar about his directorial debut. “There were two ways to go about it — I could play a secure game using well known actors and ensure the film’s success or cast new actors, develop a strong script and delve straight into it with conviction,” he says.

The problem with that, he says, is if the film does well, people will credit the stars for its success. If not, they’ll say Akhtar doesn’t know how to direct.

Sanjay Masoom, known for writing the script of several blockbuster films including  Krrish 3, Aashiqui 2 and Shortcut Romeo, has accompanied Akhtar on his trip to Lahore.

The Dubai-based project is being advertised as a co-production, which includes talent from India and Pakistan.

“Whenever we speak about India and Pakistan, I feel as if we are talking about war,” Akhtar says.

“There is actually a lot of love between the people of both countries, which is why I came up with the idea of a cross-border romantic comedy,” Akhtar says, “It stresses on the fact that the perceptions we share about each other are wrong.”

The film will be released both internationally and in India.

“I think our title is great. We are not looking to physically bring India to Lahore…we want to envoke the romance of the era when our differences were less pronounced,” he says.

The production team has been scouting for fresh talent for the last couple of months. They hope to cast a team that would encapsulate the emotions of the cross-border love story. This has meant holding auditions in the UAE, Pakistan and India, with hopes of finding real talent who can take on the characters roles. Auditions are currently being held in Lahore, after which the team will move to Karachi.

While auditions in Lahore were for female leads, there was instead a surprise addition to the cast. The film has turned heads with its decision to cast banned cricketer Muhammed Asif, who has been largely out of the spotlight since he was ousted from the game due to his role in an infamous spot-fixing scandal.

Shahenshah Zaidi, a Dubai-based Pakistani, originally from Lahore, will be playing the lead character.

“All of us had to audition, the name [of the movie] was catchy and I felt that I could fit well in the role,” says Zaidi. This will be his debut performance.

Producer Rajesh R Tripathi says that his production company had long planned a collaboration between India and Pakistan on a commercial film. “While the budget for the film is less than the blockbusters Akhtar has previously written for, I am optimistic that the film will resonate with a wider audience,” he says.

“When Raj Kapoor introduced Zeba Bakhtiar to India, in his last film Henna, I remember the immediate craze that followed. People wanted to see how a Pakistani heroine would look on the screen. That will happen once again,”says Tripathi.

“There is so much talent here and collaboration should definitely be encouraged. I think that if there was a way we could make it easier to obtain visas, it would not only help encourage more filmmakers to take up the craft professionally, but would also be great for the general public,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.

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“When I began to surf the internet in the late 90s, my searches on Pakistani movies, actors and music failed to provide any results. Even searching for Heer Ranja gave results of Indians movies only,” says Iqbal, who has lived in Denmark for most of his life.

“I’ve seen movies from around the globe. No doubt they are both technically advanced and professionally made, but our movies are the best entertainment for any average Pakistani like myself.”

The Pakistan Film Magazine is part of Mahzar.dk, which Iqbal launched in 1999 as a hobby to document Pakistan’s history and culture. His own interest in cinema has been inherent since he was a child. The website, which has been functioning for over a decade, has information on more than 4,000 movies, 4,500 artistes and 6,500 songs, with complete movies for online viewing as well.

“I still remember many songs from Radio Pakistan Lahore’s very popular programme Aap Ki Farmaish, with additional information such as film, singers, poets and music director’s names. I also remember many movies, trailers and songs on black & white TV. I will never forget my first cinema experience at the age of just seven, in 1969,” says Iqbal.

A young film enthusiast, his grandfather would give him pocket money to buy film editions of Jang, Mashriq, Imrooz, Musawwat and collect weekly film magazines such as Musawar, Tasawur, Tasvir, Mumtaz, Screen Light and later, Nigar. By the time he migrated to Denmark in the 1980s, he had a vast collection of Pakistani films and had collected a large amount of information on local cinema.

His passion for cinema inspired a larger endeavour; to make a publicly accessible online archive for Pakistani film. After the relative success of his news-portal Mahzar.dk, he made a separate website for Pakistan Film Magazine in May 2000. The first content was a review of iconic Punjabi film Heer Ranja, with complete film details such as cast credit, music information and unique images from the film which he took from his digital camera.

“I have a very strong point-of-view on movie making in Pakistan. I believe that we should make more local movies with small budgets; it will increase the interest in local cinema. We should also change the main theme of our movies, since the most popular subject is our social and cultural problems,” says Iqbal.

“Personally, I hate actions movies, but I know that these movies are more appealing to the public. Female cinema-goers prefer romantic and musical movies, and the golden era of the 1950s-70s, consisted widely of these types of movies.”

After taking initial steps to increase on his website, Iqbal published a complete chronicle of film history dating back to 1948. His source of information was the Urdu film directories, compiled by renowned film journalist Yasin Gojra. Famous journalist and writer Aqeel Abbas Jafri helped him make corrections of dates related to artistes and films.

As the site expanded, Iqbal was faced with an issue of technical expertise, in which he had to publish information page by page, making it necessary to develop web design skills. He had heard about online database technology and soon enrolled at Copenhagen University in 2011, where he obtained degrees in both web development and design.

He used this newfound expertise to develop a complete database which streamlined his archiving process. This year, the reworked website was completed and uploaded a database of 3000 films from the pre-partition era, marking the celebration of 100 years of cinema.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2013.

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