Mahira Khan took to her Instagram to share the teaser of her first production-project, Baarwan Khiladi, with the caption ‘Bismillah’, and tagged the cast and crew of the project in the post.
The teaser suggests that Baarwan Khiladi is a cricket themed web-series. It will be released on Pakistan’s leading on-demand video streaming platform Tapmad.
Earlier, in an interview with Gulf News, Mahira opened up about trying her hand at production.
She said that the reason why she is getting into production is because it is something she always wanted.
“To be honest, I’ve always been inclined to getting behind the camera,” she said.
The series has been written by Shahid Dogar and directed by Adnan Sarwar, the man behind Motorcycle Girl. The cast of the web-series includes Danyal Zafar, Shahveer Jafry and Kinza Hashmi, Saba Faisal, Sarmad Khoosat and Khaqan Shahnawaz.
Baarwaan Khiladi has reportedly been shot inside the Walled City of Lahore and Shahveer in an Instagram story revealed that shooting lasted a month and a half. While a release date has not yet been announced, the series will stream on Tapmad, a South Asian streaming service.
Made in Pakistan, ‘Maya the Myth’ a horror film has released on the online streaming service Amazon Prime. The movie is apparently based on real life events.
The story is about a young Pakistani Hindu girl named Padmani, who would hear frightening noises underneath the floorboards of her room. One night these sounds took the form of an invisible creature and it asked for the sacrifice of Padmani’s unborn child.
The trailer of the movie shows a girl dressed in red, who is supposedly Padmani, the leading character of the movie. A Pandit tells the girl in the trailer that Diwali will be auspicious for her and she will get anything she wishes for.
The movie is directed by Shaquille Arslan Ali. The movie features M. Ashraf, Hadiya Khan, Maa and Faisal Junejo in lead roles, and it was released on February 16.
Last year, Fawad Chaudhry requestedNetflix and Amazon to look towards Pakistani contentand invest in them because “we have immense talent and experience”. The minister asserted that Pakistani dramas have recently made a huge comeback and that he can assure the movie streaming website of successful partnerships.
Pakistan’s official entry in the International Feature Film Award category at the 93rd Academy Awards Zindagi Tamasha is out of the Oscars race. The film is not part of the list of 15 international feature films announced Tuesday that “will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9.”
According to a report published in Variety Magazine, “Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category. Films from 93 countries were eligible in the category, the most in Oscars history. Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.”
“In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote,” stated the report.
The nominates for the Oscars will be announced on March 15 while the award ceremony will be held on April 25.
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee had selected Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars in November 2020.
Directed and co-produced by Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano, Zindagi Tamasha features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi in the lead roles. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a video of Khawaja enjoying a song is leaked.
The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”
Meanwhile, Zindagi Tamasha has not yet hit cinemas in Pakistan. It was initially scheduled to hit screens on January 25, 2020, but immense backlash from religious circles forced the federal and provincial government to halt its release. However, in July 2020, the Senate HR committee cleared the film and allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19.
Mahira Khan has wrapped up shooting for her upcoming film Neelofar in which she will be sharing the screen with Fawad Khan.
“I take with me a piece of you, leaving a bit of my soul with you,” said Mahira, while sharing pictures from behind the camera. “My darling Neelofar, I shall miss you, oh so much.”
In her post, Mahira also thanked those who worked on sets with her.
“Each and every one of them put their heart and soul in it. Can’t wait for all of you to see our hard work and love on your screens soon.”
Mahira had talked about sharing screen space with Fawad in Samina Peerzada’s web show earlier this year. The star had revealed that shooting for their film had halted due to the ongoing pandemic, that too in its last spell.
“We were left with ten days of shooting,” Mahira shared, “But due to COVID-19, the conditions became quite unfavourable for us to continue work.”
The film has been extensively shot in and around Lahore.
She also shed some light on her character and shared that it was quite different from her role in The Legend of Maula Jatt.
“I had so much fun working on this project with Fawad,” she had said. “It had been so long. Neelofar is just about these two people, it is very different from our characters in Maula Jatt. In Neelofar, it’s just the two of us, all our scenes are with each other. It was just so great to back with Fawad as older, more mature actors and people.”
She went on to say that not just the audience, the director of the film also shared similar thoughts on her and Fawad’s onscreen pairing – he loves it!
“My director always said you guys make a really good team. I asked him why thinks that is so? He just says that it is a nice balance. We really hope that we still have the same chemistry as Humsafar,” said Mahira.
Though details about the film are being kept tightly under wraps, audiences are looking forward to Neelofar because of Mahira and Fawad’s pairing. The project will be the actors’ next after Bilal Lashari’s The Legend of Maula Jatt, which is yet to hit screens.
Neelofar has been written by Ammar Rasool and produced by Qasim Mehmood.
Shoaib Mansoor’s upcoming film ABG starring Maya Ali and Emmad Irfani in the lead has finally gone on floors. The real name of the film is not known as yet, but its acronym is ABG, as per Maya.
Maya announced the news by sharing a picture from the first day on set on her Instagram.
“First day on the set of ABG. Blessed to have gotten a chance to work with the great Shoaib Sahab,” she wrote in the caption.
Does this mean that PAF and patriotism will be a central theme in the film?
We’ll have to wait and find out because details about the film are being kept tightly under wraps.
The film will be the first time the Maya and Emmad will be seen together on the big screen. Maya was last seen in the film Parey Hut Love and Emmad is currently making waves with his ongoing drama Jalan. The actor was supposed to make his film debut with Gawah Rehna this year. However, its release got delayed due to the pandemic.
ABG will also mark Mansoor’s return to the director’s seat after a break of almost three years – his last film was the Mahira Khan starrer Verna, which released in November 2017.
An official release date for ABG has not been announced yet.
Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of Maya sent her best wishes in the comments section of her post, with Mahira telling her that she is “working with the best”.
Thank you, @mshaanshahid very kind. To be directed by Shoaib sahab is an absolute honour
Of all the films releasing this Eid, Parey Hut Love was probably the most hyped. Everything about the film – cast, set, costumes, locations – was larger than life and the cast of the film promoted it to death. So much so that even if you weren’t interested in the film, you’d still want to see what it is all about.
Naturally, that raises expectations and that’s when things begin to go down. I entered the cinema excited and left the cinema deflated because the film did not match up to my expectations and what I had been promised.
To begin with, there was no story and half an hour into the film, I had figured out the plot. Parey Hut Love is the story of Sheheryar (Munawar), a commitment-phobic struggling actor who meets Saniya (Maya Ali) at a family wedding. The two spend time together and fall in love. Saniya, who lives in Turkey heads back with the promise that the two will keep in touch. However, Sheheryar’s phone is stolen and Saniya thinks that he has ditched her and is heartbroken. The rest of the film follows the duo as they find their way back to each other despite almost getting hitched to other people.
The entire film was just lots of beautiful wedding scenes put together with many of the scenes inspired by Bollywood movies. You will find references from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Hum Tum and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and even from the Hollywood film Dear Rosie. I personally felt the plot was heavily borrowed from Dear Rosie and Hum Tum.
There was no flow of scenes and some of them, like Mahira’s entry, were so abrupt that it took you a while to put things together and figure out what was going on. It’s like the makers forgot that they had a story to tell.
Parey Hut Love belonged to Sheheryar and Sheheryar only. His character was the only one which was given attention and developed properly while the rest of the movie was rushed. Sheheryar and Saniya’s love story was poorly written. Maya barely had any dialogues and she was a little more than a showpiece.
Zara Noor Abbas and Ahmed Ali Butt were wasted in the film and their roles terribly written. Zara is a talented actor and her comic timing is brilliant which is why I honestly felt upset with the way she was presented. I wish she had more screentime and her character had been more developed because she lit up the screen every time she came on. Also, why wasn’t her styling given the same amount of importance as Maya? While Maya breezed through the film in one gorgeous outfit after another, Zara’s outfits and looks were lazily done. The makeup was also a letdown – the lip colours too light and the eyes heavily done. Maya is a stunning actor and she stole the screen in Teefa in Trouble. In Parey Hut Love not so much.
Zara looks out of place in this coral pink outfit
On the flip, the cinematography, especially the ariel shots, locations, costumes, sets were amazing because of which the film was aesthetically very pleasing. The songs were also beautiful. Kudos to Azaan Sami Khan for delivering one stellar track after another and to Nigah Jee for the brilliant choreography. Morey Saiyaan, Ik Pal and Haye Dil Bechara were a treat to watch and frankly the biggest takeaway from the film.
Munawar has grown as an actor and honed his talent. He has also worked on his physique and all his hard work showed in the film. Maya could have done much better. Ahmed, Zara and Hina Dilapazeer gave some of the best moments from the film with their impeccable comedy.
The surface of Parey Hut Love was polished till it sparkled while little to no attention was paid to the core – the inside of the film was hollow.
Note – This article was updated on August 1, 2020. With no new movies hitting cinemas this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown, TV channels are airing their previous releases. Parey Hut Love was 2019’s highest-grossing film.
Legendary Pakistani actress, popularly known as the First Lady of Pakistan’s silver screen, Sabiha Khanum passed away in the United States at the age of 85, leaving behind a rich legacy.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the demise of our beautiful and beloved Sabiha Raza (Sabiha Khanum) who passed away earlier today, June 13th, 2020,” her granddaughter, Sarish Khan, said in social media update.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBZHxVPAeGH/
According to reports, Sabiha who ruled the silver screen in the 1950s and 1960s with superhit movies including Kaneez, Mukhra, Anokha and Tehzeeb, was suffering from renal disease.
Though Sabiha starred in a number of movies, she was mostly cast opposite her husband, the late Santosh Kumar (Syed Musa Raza). Sabiha and Santosh were branded as the “perfect couple”.
Sabiha and Santosh Sabiha and Waheed Murad
Sabiha also received the Pride of Performance award from the president of Pakistan in 1986.
Having been in the public eye for four decades, she finally retired, and migrated to the United States where she lived with her eldest daughter. Her son and the youngest daughter are also settled here.
Several Pakistani actors including Mahira Khan, Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain and Ali Rehman Khan mourned her death and remembered her rich legacy.
Our industry has lost one of its greatest. A true legend of the silver screen. The beautiful Sabiha Khanum Sahiba passed away today. May her soul Rest In eternal Peace. #RIPSabihaKhanumpic.twitter.com/zig772onS4
Very sad to hear of Sabiha Khanum passing. Was privileged to meet her at a reception in Washington some years ago. She was the epitome of grace even then,and loved hearing that many of us had seen her movies. She and husband Santosh were Pk’s full on matinee idols in the 60s pic.twitter.com/fntU3Cx0Rl
The teaser poster of Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa’s upcoming film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad is out.
The lead cast of the film including Mahira and Fahad as well as the director of the film Nabeel Qureshi and producer Fizza Ali Meerza shared the poster on social media with the caption “Kabhi socha hai note per Quaid-e-Azam ki tasveer kyun hai (Ever thought why there is a picture of Quaid-e-Azam on the [rupee] note?”
Kabhi socha hai note per Quaid-e-Azam ki tasveer kyun hai ?
While the makers of the film did not share further details, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad is expected to hit theatres on Eid ul Azha but given the current situation, it is unclear if the film will be releasing as per schedule. However, the shoot for the film has wrapped up and it is currently in the post-processing phase. Qureshi, while speaking to various media outlets, had earlier said that the team of the film is working on the film from home and they hope to release it as per schedule.
As to what the film will be about, Qureshi had shared that the film will be a satirical action-comedy – something along the lines of their previous film Actor in Law.
Following a recent spike in coronavirus cases and the government’s appeal to practise social distancing, director Nabeel Qureshi has announced that he is postponing the shoot of his upcoming superhero film with Ahmad Ali Butt: Fatman.
The director took to social media to make the announcement.
“Surrounded by concern regarding COVID-19, We at FilmWala Pictures have made the decision to postpone the shoot of our film “Fatman” We take the health and safety of our crew and actors seriously, In the meanwhile let’s pray for a healthier and safer world #coronavirusinpakistan
Earlier while talking about the film, Ahmad had told The Current, “It’s a different and bold take on superhero films but at the core, it is a story about a father-son relationship.”
He added, “It also addresses body shaming, yet keeps the family factor in mind.”
Meanwhile, Nabeel had shared, “It’s a real-life superhero family entertainment film with a great message which talks about body shaming, with pun intended.”
Nabeel’s decision comes weeks after several big-budget Hollywood productions announced that they are postponing their shoots due to the coronavirus pandemic. Paramount Pictures delayed its plans for a three-week shoot of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 in Venice, Italy after coronavirus cases spiked in the country. The live-action remake of Little Mermaid, which was set to go before the cameras in the week of March 16 in London, has also been postponed. Netflix’s Red Notice starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds has also temporarily halted production in Atlanta for at least two weeks beginning March 16.
Other than that Deadline reported that The Matrix 4 has halted production in Berlin, The Batman starring Robert Pattinson has halted production for two weeks beginning March 14 after considering relocating production from London to Liverpool and Fantastic Beasts 3 will not begin production as scheduled on March 17 in London.
Meanwhile, the release of a string of movies including Mulan, No Time to Die, F9 and A Quiet Place Part II has also been delayed due to the pandemic.
Earlier, Nabeel recently wrapped up the shoot of his other film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad featuring Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa.
Looks like Saba Qamar will be returning to the big screen with a double bang in 2020 because after wrapping up the shoot of Sarmad Khoosat’s Kamli, the actor has signed her next film.
While details on the project are still under wraps and there is little information available, Galaxy Lollywood has reported that Saba has indeed signed a new film which is “a complete mass entertainer with lots of commercial elements in it”. Saba also shared a sneak peak on her social media.
The film is being produced by Jamil Baig and Hassan Zia under the banners of JB Films & Mastermind Films. Mohsin Ali has penned the script while Saqib Khan will be directing it.
The actor is extremely excited about her new project which will be in stark contrast to her other 2020 release Kamli.
It was previously reported that Bilal Ashraf was being roped in for the male lead but there has been no confirmation as yet. No other male lead has been announced.
