The first-ever London Pakistani Film Festival (LPFF) is going to take center stage on October 1 this year.
LPFF will present four days of cinematic brilliance with some of the finest films from the Pakistani film industry.
The festival will feature six Pakistani films:
Nayab
The Legend of Maula Jatt
Zindagi Tamasha
London Nahi Jaungi
Teri Meri Kahaniyan
Pink Shirt
The festival aims to revive interest in Pakistani cinema throughout the world.
Everyone who uses the internet knows about the beloved trope ‘she fell first, but he fell harder’, and how it keeps on winning the hearts of audiences. In this trope, it is the woman who falls first, but becomes a cynic after getting rejected. Later, the man learns from his mistake and falls even more in love with the woman than she does with him.
We know Pakistani dramas aren’t the first things that come to mind when you think about well-written male leads who aren’t misogynist man-children, but there have been rare occasions when we got to see what happens when romance dramas empower women, and actually don’t rely on depressing tropes to generate interest for the audience.
Starting with the drama that really proved how much Pakistani women needed to see a healthy romance where the male lead’s ego did not rely on taking away another woman’s independence and vivacious nature. Farjaad starts off as the typical saroo man with a strict schedule he refuses to break for any woman. When Umeed enters his life, he dismisses her off as too careless and irresponsible for him. But the way this man shifts positions, doing everything to prove his love for Umeed, made the internet sob oceans because can’t Pakistani men take a blueprint from Farjaad?
Dude started the show as someone who is completely cold and aloof and after marriage, he began learning how to make tea just because he promised Umeed? He was the strict one whom no one could ever think of displeasing, but is now purchasing a shop to help Umeed fulfil her dream of owning a chai business? Kudos to Sarah Majeed for spoiling us with this show. There’s no way we’re setting our standards low after Farjaad.
Every one remembers the cult classic show with a brilliant performance by Shehnaz Sheikh as the hilarious Sana, but few people talk about the love story between her and Taimur, the sariyal boss who grows to fall in love with her. Taimur starts off as a cold and brutal boss who makes Sana miserable as his secretary, but soon her lovable nature and warmth makes him fall for her. His unfamiliarity with love holds him back when he realises how good of a match Faraz is for Sana. In the last moments of the show, the audience realises how much Taimur has fallen for Sana and wants to find happiness with her, but knows she would be happier with Faraz so lets her go.
Haseena Moin, you were the absolute best. Even today, your dramas continue to inspire viewers with portrayals of complex and empowered women. Dhoop Kinare was startlingly unique, with three dimensional interesting characters, and an endearing love story between the two leads. Dr Ahmer Ansari originally clashes with Dr Zoya Ali Khan, a new intern at the hospital where he is the most respected doctor. He calls her careless, while continuing being cold and aloof, while Zoya’s carefree and warm nature continues to win hearts at the hospital, eventually winning him over too.
The thriller mystery film ‘Gunjal’ is set to release in a few weeks and Ahmed Ali Akbar is about to take on a challenging role that will completely change the way the entertainment industry has seen him. The actor is will essay the role of journalist Shahbaz Bhatti who investigates the events surrounding the death of prominent child labor activist Iqbal Masih.
If you, like the rest of us, are anxiously waiting for the arrival of the movie, we recommend you watch some amazing projects he did in the past. We’re listing down some dramas that definitely show the range and seductiveness of Ahmed.
1 Yehe Raha Dil (2017)
Yes, we know the first drama that comes to your mind is ‘Parizaad’ but please don’t pay dismiss this series. Ahmed proves his chemistry with Yumna is superior to any other we’ve seen, and deserves more coverage. Even years past its release, fans are not over the amazing chemistry between the two and are still hoping that there’s a chance we might get another drama with the two of them and yes, we’re absolutely standing with this.
Ahmed ali akbar and yumna zaidi as onscreen couple are so fkn underrated that it makes me sad
— shafaq (@Shafaq3_x) October 20, 2019
Ahmed Ali Akbar and Yumna Zaidi should do more shows together yaar pls.
— Aimun (@bluemagicboxes) December 14, 2021
yumna zaidi and ahmed ali akbar in yeh raha dill. this is literally my fav scene >3 pic.twitter.com/2laadJlsWC
— (@yumnaloops) May 27, 2023
2 Idiot (2023)
Mansha Pasha and Ahmed were terrifyingly good in the thriller ‘Lal Kabootar’. They once more left audiences in awe with their roles in ‘Idiot’. Ahmed’s character questions the traditions and values of society, for which he is regarded as an ‘idiot’, saying things other people are too afraid to say.
3 Parizaad (2021)
Now coming to the drama that turned everyone into an Ahmed Ali Akbar fan. He stars as Parizaad, a man who sets out on a journey to understand the meaning of life, while coming across different people on his path. Since its release two years ago, the message of the drama and how brilliantly Ahmed carried the drama are still on point.
Okay but Ahmed Ali Akbar as Parizaad will forever be iconic>>>>> https://t.co/KtQaMs2RVS pic.twitter.com/nUYIJxJ24c
— deeja | (@deeejjayyyy) June 8, 2023
the expressions,dialogue delivery, the voice modulation. Ahmed Ali Akbar as Parizaad was peak perfection
HBD AHMED ALI AKBAR https://t.co/RrE1WMtoUz pic.twitter.com/YpT9S9BwjP
— (@_softxuwu_) September 27, 2023
Pakistani actor and producer Humayun Saeed was a guest on Samaa TV’s ‘Gup Shab’ where he was asked about his opinion on whether Bollywood films should screen in Pakistani cinemas by a member of the studio audience. The actor responded:
“They should screen in our cinemas. I have never been against this decision. Bollywood produces a lot of films and releases four films every week, while we release less films. But a cinema should always screen more films regardless of which country they’re from. Whether they’re from Hollywood, Turkey, we should keep screening films in our cinemas, so that people keep going to cinemas.”
Humayun previously spoke in favour of strengthening ties between Bollywood and Pakistani actors. In August, during an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ actor recalled meeting Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan telling him in 2005 that Pakistani films should play in India.
READ MORE: Humayun Saeed reveals Shah Rukh Khan once told him Pakistani films should release in India
“There was a lot of excitement when I met Shah Rukh. He was very sweet to me. We were in his room and he made me sit with him and discussed Indian and Pakistan films with me. That time there was a Mehreen Jabbar and a Shaan film in the theatres and SRK was talking about them. He said that Pakistani films should be released in India and vice versa. He made me comfortable. Since I had just come the previous day to the sets, I did not know exactly what to do. Shah Rukh said ‘main sambhal lunga.’ The overall moment was very special.”
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
Acclaimed Pakistani director Hassan Askari has passed away at the age of 78 in Lahore. He was suffering from cancer and had been admitted to Shaikh Zayed Hospital.
During his career, Hassan directed more than 60 Punjabi and Urdu films, including the hits Toofan, Salakhain, Sher Dil, Talash, Dil Kisi Ka Dost Nahi, Doorian, Qanoon and Tere Pyar Mein.
The Pride of Performance winning director was the first filmmaker to introduce the concept of the popular Punjabi hero Maula Jatt and his gandasa with his film Wehshi Jatt (1974), years before Maula Jatt was adapted on the big screen.
Speaking about Askari’s demise, Punjab Minister of Information and Culture Amir Mir expressed sorrow while acknowledging his services for the Pakistani film industry. He said Hassan Askari had directed many phenomenal films during his career and no one else in the industry could compete with him.
Secretary Information and Culture Daniyal Gillani offered condolences on the in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) writing:
“Saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary film producer, director, and writer Muhammad Hassan Askari. His contributions to Urdu and Punjabi cinema, with classics like “Salakhain,” “Wahshi Jutt,” and many more, will always be remembered. His legacy will continue to inspire many in the world of cinema. Allah darjaat buland farmaye. Ameen!”
Saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary film producer, director, and writer Muhammad Hassan Askari. His contributions to Urdu and Punjabi cinema, with classics like “Salakhain,” “Wahshi Jutt,” and many more, will always be remembered. His legacy will continue to… pic.twitter.com/RBYq41ld4w
— Danyal Gilani (@DanyalGilani) October 30, 2023
Director of the crime thriller film ‘Javed Iqbal’ Abu Aleeha expressed his sorrow on the passing of Hassan Askari on his X account.
وحشی جٹ جیسی شہرہ آفاق فلم کے خالق، آغا حسن عکسری اپنے خالق حقیقی سے جا ملے۔ انا للہ وانا الیہہ راجعون pic.twitter.com/aMUTzzYPeZ
— Abu Aleeha (@abualeeha) October 30, 2023
Social media was set ablaze yesterday when the official trailer for the upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ released on all platforms, promising to take users on a thrilling journey about one of the darkest cases in Pakistan. We are incredibly happy to witness the Pakistani industry shift its filmmaking approach and step into more complex social issues. Here are some reasons why we’re super excited to watch ‘Gunjal’:
1 It explores the investigation of the murder of prominent children right’s activist Iqbal Masih
For most of our audience members who don’t know Iqbal Masih, he was a vocal critic of abusive child labour in Pakistan, a state he escaped at the age of 10. Because of his protests, Iqbal was able to free more than 3000 children from forced slavery. He visited countries like the US and Sweden where he advocated for an end to bonded labour. However, Iqbal was tragically shot by unknown culprits at the age of 12. But his efforts to eradicate bonded labour didn’t go unnoticed as he posthumously received World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child in 2000, and later the Sitara-e-Shujaat in 2022 from President Arif Alvi.
2 The cast list includes thespians like Resham and Ahmed Ali Akbar
After the success of dramas like ‘Gunah’ and ‘Churails’, as well as Sarmad Khoosat’s ‘Zindagi Tamasha’, it’s clear that Pakistanis want something else other than saas-bahu content. A film like ‘Gunjal’ will ignite the audience’s curiosity and encourage more to watch the film in theatres, because this is a clear opportunity to bring more diverse stories back on our screens.
3 We need more crime thrillers in Pakistan
After the success of dramas like ‘Gunah’ and ‘Churails’, as well as Sarmad Khoosat’s ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ it’s clear that Pakistanis want something else other than saas-bahu content. Clearly, a film like ‘Gunjal’ will ignite the audience’s curiosity and encourage more to watch the film in theatres, because this is a clear opportunity to bring more diverse stories back on our screens.
Gunjal is directed by Shoaib Sultan and written by Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi, and its set to release in theatres across Pakistan on December 8.
Nominations for the 22nd Lux Style Awards were announced on 3rd September, with industry members being quick to notice one notable omission. ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, the biggest hit of the year, was not nominated among the films. Surprising considering that the movie received critical acclaim for its writing, acting, action sequences and made $13.8 million worldwide.
Journalist Hassan Kazmi has uncovered the reason now, by releasing a statement from film producer Ammara Hikmat, who stated:
“While we are honoured that Lux considered our film for their nominations, we find that their limited range of film categories doesn’t align with our values. The absence of categories for best director or writer, etc, disregarding their major and substantial creative contributions, while including one for best playback song doesn’t resonate with our vision for comprehensive film recognition. Therefore, we’ve decided not to make an exception in this case.”
Kazmi further tweeted that the team behind ‘TLOMJ’ had stepped back so to give other films a proper chance:
“The Legend of Maula Jatt is not even up for votes in #LSA2023 I have learnt that the makers have #TLOMJ have regretted as it was the biggest film, so the makers have decided to give others a chance. I have learnt from the sources that The Legend of Maula Jatt will be acknowledged at the main event in October this year.”
While Maula Jatt is out of the running, once more male actors charged with abuse have been nominated for the Lux Style Awards. Feroze Khan, who was publicly accused by his ex-wife Syeda Aliza of domestic violence and torture, was nominated twice for best male actor in dramas, and also for his performance in ‘Tich Button’.
While Mohsin Abbas Haider, who was publicly accused by his wife of domestic abuse, and then found guilty by a Lahore court in 2019, was nominated for his performance in the drama ‘Siyani’.
It is confirmed now that actor Usama Khan will star along side nation’s darling Yumna Zaidi in the sports film ‘Nayab’. This will be the first time the two will be co-starring together on the big screen.
Yumna Zaidi set expectations high when in an interview with Independent Urdu, the actress revealed that her character Nayab is a girl from Karachi who dreams of becoming a cricketer, but is hesitant to follow her dreams, fearing patriarchal society backlash.
“It’s a brilliant story and it is meaningful,” the ‘Tere Bin’ actress gushed. “The whole team is trying their best to execute it the way it should be. Now that we’ve chosen good content, we want to do justice with it so that the audience also enjoys it when they go to the cinema.”
Speaking about how much she has been practicing to learn how to play cricket, admitting that she had never picked up a bat or ball before this shoot.
“I believe that cricket is almost a craze in Pakistan but I don’t know why or how but I had never picked a bat or ball before this shoot. I have been practising a lot. From the initial ABCs of cricket to practice matches on the final pitch, it’s been a long process and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
But Yumna elaborated that she did her best to learn all she could about the sport in an effort to do justice to her character, to avoid stereotyping the role
“When you’re trying to perfect an accent for a role, or representing a tribe in a drama, you have to work very hard to avoid stereotyping them. It’s the same with this role. All of my attention, my focus has been here. I want to do justice to this character, to this girl who worships cricket.”
Yumna became uber-popular with her portrayal of Meerab in the drama ‘Tere Bin’. Her co-lead and real-life best friend Wahaj Ali has gone to greater heights with the Green Entertainment drama ’22 Qadam’. We are happy to witness the two consistently setting the bar higher, and reviving the sports genre that the Pakistani entertainment industry truly needed.
In an unexpected surprise, the trailer for the Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ has been released online, with Mirza Gohar Rasheed replacing Uzair Jaswal to play the legendary cricket star. The film, directed by Muhammad Faraq Qaiser, and written by Qiaser Nawaz, will explore the struggles through which Shoaib Akhtar went from a small town boy to becoming one of the biggest cricket stars Pakistan has ever seen.
The cast comprises of Faran Tahir, Usman Peerzada, Adnan Shah Tipu, Rahim Pardesi, Hammad Siddique, Baatin Farouqi, Saleem Mairaj, Raheela Agha, Salman Shahid and Shafqat Cheema.
The film’s production was mired with numerous controversies, as Shoaib Akhtar had announced he had left the pre-production, citing “failure to resolve disagreements amicably and constant contractual violations finally resulted in us cutting ties with them,” as the reason. In his detailed Instagram post, the former cricket legend said he completed all legal protocols and revoked the rights to the story of his life.
In July, Shoaib shared a screenshot of the legal notice issued against the filmmakers behind ‘Rawalpindi Express’ warning that anyone innvolved in the production would be held responsible by authorities.
“I have issued a stay order against the filming and release of the supposed biopic being made on my life by a certain group of people. I had to do this because they had threatened in writing of continuing filming regardless of the legal termination of the agreement. Any person involved in the project should know that its completely illegal and they will be responsible for any reputational loss.”
The National Icon Awards 2023 were held on Sunday with the top celebrities of Pakistan in attendance to watch their colleagues be honored for contributions to the field of arts and culture.
Popular A-listers like Mawra Hocane, Wahaj Ali and Fawad Khan were present at the ceremony.
Actor Wahaj Ali received the National Icon Award 2023, while veteran actors Meera and Resham watched on along with the outgoing Minister for Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Nadia Jamil shared a clip of the outfit she wore to the awards, thanking Marriyum Aurangzeb for recognising an industry that had been aching for the respect and support of the state.
The actress also lauded producer Zulfikaar’s comments on the need for smaller cinemas which are cheaper, since bigger cinemas charge around Rs 1500-2000 per person to watch a film.
Producer and actor Humayun Saeed called it a “privilege and honor” to be acknowledged by the state, and praised them for implementing the Film and Music Legislation which will help revive the film industry.
Actor Fawad Khan spoke about hoping that the film industry becomes independent to the point that it doesn’t need to rely on the government for support.