“We are excited and happy about this development but some questions remain unanswered,” says Shahzad Nawaz, writer and producer of Chambaili. “You and I can gather like-minded people and form a committee, too, if approved by the Academy. But who is to say that this committee is ready to screen films?”

Nawaz echoes the feelings of film-makers when he says that a committee formed to finalise a submission should take film-makers into confidence instead of operating like an isolated hegemony.  “Nobody contacted me even though I have a share in the market,” he adds.

Nevertheless, Nawaz plans to submit Chambaili for an entry if he is approached. He adds, however, that committee members should introduce themselves to the film fraternity in order to ensure transparency – after all, their submissions will become how the world sees Pakistan.

“Both Iran and Pakistan won Oscars last year for films that humiliated and degraded their countries. I don’t propose showing just a rosy picture but I am a patriot and there are certain ways of managing perception and taking your image forward. I’m not saying we should just show flowers and not show the thorns – but at least we should show them in context,” he asserts.

He isn’t the only one questioning the committee’s legitimacy. A well-known film-maker who spoke on condition of anonymity shares his sentiments. “You have academics, theatre artists and actors in this committee, but not a single member is currently making mainstream feature films,” he says.

But as with every debate, there are advocates. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi producer Humayun Saeed believes that the formation of this committee is a winning situation for independent young film-makers in Pakistan.

“It is a positive step in the right direction,” says Saeed. “The doorway to success is now open and it’s a win for upcoming film-makers. Maybe one day I will make a film which is worthy of an Oscar entry.”

Director Jamshed Mahmood Ansari feels that any good development in our country is met with negativity and feedback. “I knew that there would be a huge conspiracy theory surrounding this subject. Pessimism has taken over our environment so much, that there is hardly anything happening in the right direction,” says Ansari.

Ansari recalls that similar theories were circulating when Atrium Cinemas was built and people made fuss over how the whole thing will eventually turn into a monopoly. “That was unbelievable! People criticising the committee haven’t done anything significant for the country,” he adds.

In her defence, Obaid-Chinoy explains the committee’s formation. “The process of forming a committee of this nature is a matter of the country choosing to apply for such a committee. Thus, the responsibility falls on the film-makers of that country, and not the Academy. While I am unsure  [as to] why we failed to submit a film for 50 years, I assume that it is due to our film industry weakening, on a whole,” she says.

“We had to submit a list of committee members to the Academy who then vetted and approved our nominations. We were advised to submit a diverse list of members, from directors and actors to academics and writers. We received approval soon, thereafter, and are now in the process of soliciting submissions for consideration in 2014 award cycle.”

At the end, even if this committee is endorsed by the government, it will be viewed by some as an isolated lobby.  Another question that begs to be answered is which films Pakistan will send forward to the Oscars; the most aesthetically and technically sound or one that revolves around the themes, subjects and treatments that are likely to get attention from a western audience?

The answers are not simple, but given Obaid-Chinoy’s Oscar win for a subject that depicts the plight of acid attack survivors, and the subsequent formation of this committee, now may just be the right time to raise concerns.

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

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“When Humayun approached me initially, I had given him full support because film is a powerful medium and our youth is very misguided these days,” Afridi tells The Express Tribune. “Every now and then you see kids roaming around with toy guns, which have also become their favourite Eid gift, and that is quite sad.” To counter the growing negativity in our country, the 33-year-old all-rounder wanted this film to act as a means to divert the attention of the youth from crime-driven environment. All was going according to plan until he saw the promos of the film, which he feels contain some “vulgar” clips.

“I only have a problem with the item number featured in the film because that is something which is going to make the families sitting in the cinema halls very uncomfortable,” says Afridi. Saeed has apparently briefed the cricketer that the item number is an attempt to depict how clubs and parties in foreign countries are an imminent part of cricket culture and also safe houses for corruption and black mailing in the world of cricket.

“Humayun has really worked hard on this one and his reasons for the party sequence might be right but I am sure that there are better and more socially acceptable ways of achieving it. We spoke to each other like brothers so there is no point of making a legal issue out of this and the most I could do is request him to edit the song. The rest is up to him,” asserts Afridi.

On the other hand, MHSA has been entered for a censor review. While producer Humayun Saeed is excited over the response from the censor board, he is equally concerned about Afridi’s sentiments. “My intent behind making this film is to give a tribute to Shahid Afridi — the biggest superstar in the country,” says Saeed. “I completely respect the legend’s sentiments and if he remains adamant over his concerns then we’ll fulfill his needs.”

Nevertheless, Saeed had a few clarifications to make regarding intimate scenes in the film. “I have promoted the film in such a way that the songs are gaining more popularity than the content and that was only to make the content of the film come as a surprise,” claims Saeed. He said that songs like Malal, in which he is seen getting cozy with actor Mahnoor Baloch, is more of an emotional song then a “sexy” song. Similarly, he feels the party scene is necessary to create the suspense of a murder taking place.

“The entire storyline of the film is about cricket and focuses primarily on the players and the national thrill for the game. When Shahid Bhai will see the whole package he’ll be a happier man and will love it,” says Saeed.

If the item number is edited out of the film then there is a major chance that the project might face a loss at the box office and hence, to avoid this from happening someone will have to brief Afridi in detail. Whichever side the ball spins, one thing is for sure that the producers of the film are going to use this last-minute googly to their advantage.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.

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So here’s the plot for the film that manages to give even the thickest skinned viewers something to laugh about. Right when 40-year-old bachelor Rahul is all set for a trip to Goa, his grandfather passes away. As per his wishes, Rahul has to immerse a part of his grandfather’s cremated ashes in Rameshwaram. To dupe his grandmother, he boards the Chennai Express (with all intentions to meet his friends in Goa), when, in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge style, he helps Meenama (Deepika Padukone) onto the train, as well as  four more people who turn out to be thugs running after her. The rest is a predictable combination of slapstick comedy, romance and action in Rameshwaram (South India).

The script has its highs and lows. Whenever you think it’s reaching a flat point, the director astonishes you with a visually exciting song. But before the climax, where Rahul is finally negotiating with Meenama’s father, it seems as if SRK is asking for permission to adopt his daughter rather than asking for her hand in marriage. The colour grading of the songs really breathes new life into the visuals and keeps you from going out to take a break. The tunes by Vishal-Shekhar are catchy and give a new sound to a rather stereotypical story without relying on the usual suspects of hit film music, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and more recently Sukhwinder Singh. Keeping its stylistic brilliance aside, the film at large, is a drag and relies on needless action sequences to which neither the special effects supervisor nor Khan could do justice.

The character Rahul is designed to suit SRK’s limited acting skills. Everything around him has been smartly tailored by the director to suit SRK’s shortcomings as an actor, making him seem immersed in the character. But, this is undeniably his best comic performance. SRK manages to generate the raunchy humour expected of him; a person of his build (which is quite basic compared to B-town standards) shares a major chunk of screen space playing Tom & Jerry with thugs four times his size. There are some scenes in which SRK is genuinely funny, such as when he tries to ask a dwarf on the highway for directions as he makes his way out of the jungle. Not only does his comic timing surprisingly return, but this is also one of the very rare scenes where he actually shares real chemistry with a co-star.

Padukone’s character is the real driving force of the film, perhaps with a little too much power. Her irritating accent will get under your skin and her saris keep her mostly covered (sorry, guys!) and less glamorous. But other than that, she makes her presence felt by pulling off such a difficult dialect with ease as well as dominating a performer of Khan’s calibre at some places.

The film ends with King Khan paying tribute to Rajinikanth, the king of South Indian cinema, whose star power has recently won over film-makers from Bollywood. While some might consider this the official acceptance of South Indian cinema’s domination over Bollywood, it still doesn’t change the fact that most of the South Indian linguistic and cultural references were pushed in to generate humour. This was hypocritical and racist on the part of film-makers, and reiterates the fact that Bollywood is far from celebrating diversity in its mainstream narrative – something an industry its age should have exercised by now.

Verdict: Recommended for die-hard SRK fans. For the rest, brace yourselves for a reckless escape and pointless humour.
2.5/5

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2013.

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“Conversations was my first show and it was also a time of self-discovery,” Chaggar tells The Express Tribune. “Through that show I stumbled upon my own personal style. So this time I know exactly what I want and I have tried to dig deeper and make it more personal.”

The first edition was about a bunch of birds and a hilarious cat, who together questioned the complicated mysteries of love, life and bitter truth. “The ‘birds’ aspect of the first show is what I feel was extremely under-explored last time. So this time I only have birds,” says Chaggar.  This time around there will be six pigeons, six crows and one other character, who is neither a bird nor human. “She is simply another character’s ‘complex’ that she can’t shake off,” explains Chaggar.

A variety of birds is being used to highlight some rather aggressive, complicated and shady themes, which she has already explored in the first part of the play. This time, she will be taking them to the next level.

The show is divided into episodes. The aspects explored are the ‘body’ complex; a brief diversion to the ‘parent’; a reflection on love and abuse and also the idea of guilt, freedom, being stuck in the past and day dreaming about the future  and more — basically a chaos of complexes. “To put it rather simply, it’s about the never-ending conflict between happy and sad thoughts,” she says.

As far as the style of dance is concerned, it will mainly be modern contemporary but this time around, three dancers from the EXD B-Boying group will be joining her in the performance and a routine inspired from Bharatnatyam will also be showcased. “I saw a similarity between the way crows jump and the footwork in classical dance, so I have fused that in the play as well,” elaborates Chaggar.

Popularly known as Josh, the renowned choreographer has been acting for quite some time but dance is something she’s always been noticed for. So this is a way for her to express her emotions about what’s happening around. She believes that we all have a madness that rages inside us but we don’t talk about it. So when you catch a glimpse of it in someone else, it’s almost a relief, that you are not alone. “Through my art I get to ‘talk’ about such stuff, and it’s very healing for me, and I would like to think the same for the audience,” she says.

No matter how many uncharted areas of her psyche and personality Josh might be exploring , in the end the play is catering to a regular-theatre going audience, who might not be able to digest the concept. “The storyline is very dark, inspired by Pina Bausch’s work, but that does not mean it is not entertaining. It is extremely powerful, with some delightful moments that I think would be suitable for children over 13 years,” she emphasises.

Sohaib Lari and Ahsan Bari have composed the music for the show and the cast includes Muhammad Rehman, Khaista Khan, Kashif Hussain, Erum Ero, Heera Dilawar, Vajdaan Shah, Mohammad Ali, Dwayne Lucas, Cyrill James, Hammad Khan, Omi Butt and Joshua Thomas.

The play will commence on August 22 at 8 pm at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) auditorium and will go on till September 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2013.

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So where does a film like Once Upon a time in Mumbai Dobara fit in the aforementioned spectrum? Its prequel, a glossy and polished rendition of an essentially dark world, could be placed somewhere in the middle of two extremes. But the latest in the franchise does not merit being measured on the same scale.

Milan Luthria’s OUATIMD is a misleading sequel to an honest film. While we have witnessed love stories develop in gangster narratives, this film does quite the opposite — it forces two gangsters into a love triangle. The result is a film that fails to satisfy in both the gangster story and love story departments.

The film is about Shoaib (Akshay Kumar), a ruthless and handsome Muslim goon who pledges to rule all of Mumbai. He has the power and connections to delay the toss of a test match, as well as decide who gets awards in showbiz.

His companions are his long-time love Mumtaz (Sonali Bendre), who he still trusts more than anyone, his partner Javed (Sarfaraz Khan), and Aslam (Imran Khan), the young foot soldier discovered by Shoaib 12 years ago who is now ready to kill or be killed for him.

After being out of Bombay for some time, Shoaib returns to the city only to be the intended victim of a car bomb, courtesy his former partner Rawal (Mahesh Manjrekar). He makes a lucky escape, but is focused on revenge. While his gang is gunning for Rawal, Shoaib meets Jasmine (Sonakshi Sinha), a Kashmiri girl who is a rookie of the film industry. Shoaib falls for her and the rest is a predictable series of events that makes this film more of a love saga and less of an intense gangster film.

As far as the script is concerned, there are some good one-liners that will leave you thinking. But the cracks show when the film relies so much on one-liners that it becomes more of a competition of words and less of dialogue. The plot is weak and unconvincing — a good example of poor storytelling. The film lingers on too long and if you think it has something more to offer, it disappoints.

Having said that, Akshay pulls off the vintage bad-guy look with style. He definitely has the presence required for such a dominating character. Sinha again plays a powerful lead role with a lot of command and bits of overacting. Imran Khan, unfortunately, is a little too clean for a gangster’s sidekick. Given his character, however, he plays the role of a boy trying to be a man with some success. In a nutshell, the characters lacked detail because they come across as high school kids fighting over a woman and occasionally dancing to some catchy music by Pritam.

Verdict 2/5: It’s neither a gangster film nor a proper love triangle. If you are looking for something in the middle, then it’s meant for you. Otherwise save yourself the time and money.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2013.

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The captain of Pakistani team Akbar Deen (Humayun Saaed) becomes a national disgrace when police in Dubai discover him intoxicated and in the possession of drugs in his hotel room. He is banned from the cricket arena and disowned by his lower middle-class elderly parents, wife (Mahnoor Baloch) and young son for bringing shame to the family.

Fast forward 15 years later. A small cricket club in Sialkot is in desperate need of a coach to prepare it for a local cricket competition. Enter Deen. From here on, the journey for Deen and Shahid Bhatti — the talented but raw cricket-loving youth who hopes to become the next Shahid Afridi — begins. But it is an unbalanced story between Deen and Shahid’s professional and personal life as they prepare to win the cup.

The younger lot of actors deserves special mention; individually and collectively, they take attention away from senior cast members. Noman Habib as Shahid is so immersed in his character that it often seems he is playing his natural self. Add a bit of Gohar Rasheed to his screen space and they give you one of the most immaculate chemistries on screen. Shafqat Cheema as Bhatti sahab is as impactful as always and Ismail Tara is a source of occasional humour with his animated portrayal of Chotay Malik sahab.

The biggest disappointment of the film is Humayun Saaed. Almost like the Voice of God in Hollywood movies, Saeed as Deen appears wherever he wants and however he likes — in his colourful Nike jackets and tracks or jeans (the idea of wearing jeans to training sessions is beyond us). He delivers his lines with monotony, leaving you to decipher the meaning of every spoken word. Whether it’s a serious discussion with Cheema or an intimate scene with Baloch, the mechanical consistency of his expressions is almost miraculous; just before the climax, he literally flies in an action sequence — a funny moment not to be missed. Sexy Mahnoor Baloch makes an appearance with limited scenes, whereas director Osama fails to capitalise on the potential of Javed Sheikh and Nadeem Baig.

Here’s the good news. No matter how done to death the story is, the dialogues stand out. Kudos to Vasay Chaudhry for some hilarious one-liners. One memorable moment is when the religious Pathan team-member (Hamza Ali Abbasi) refuses to play the match alongside a Christian player and someone pipes up, “Match khelna hai — milaad pae nahin jana”.

Areas that need work are choreography, which is pretty naïve, and the over-dramatised ‘party scene’ which is needlessly vulgar in places. Stylistically, the film is below average compared to other recent Pakistani releases. Most montages seem to be forced into the narrative just to try something ‘different’. Excessively bleached colour grading at places too seems without purpose. Logically, when the emotional pre-final match visit to Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi was shown, one wonders why the match itself was played at the Moin Khan Academy instead of the National Stadium. The cricket shots, the essence of any film on cricket, are executed half- heartedly and without finesse.

The film makes a conscious effort to send out a positive message. It attempts to manufacture a ‘Great Pakistani Dream’, where individuals unite and fight for something irrespective of religion and ethnicity. It is heartwarming, but the director relies on a bucket full of stereotypes and childish narratives to convey it. For this very reason, the Christian wicket keeper (Michael Magnet) is selected in a beautiful church and always carries a cross in hand. The ‘maulana’ pacer is never seen without his keffiyeh and rosary as accessories. Here, we missed the kind of research we saw in Imran Yusuf’s cricket play Stumped.

From the item song to the dance sequences at ‘parties’ that look more like a glorified version of contemporary mehendis, MHSA is following the Bollywood formula, in that it is aiming for a wider audience. While it will undoubtedly make a considerable box office return and be successful commercially, aesthetically it is nothing more than a ‘Made in China’ version of a B-grade Bollywood film.

Verdict 2.5/5
MHSA is a film that has its heart in the right place but no soul. Do watch it to support Pakistani cinema but don’t be surprised if you get fed up of its pretense to achieve something larger than life.

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

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“We are all striving to make it to the big screen,” said Faisal Rafi, the music producer turned cinema installation consultant as he walked through the halls of what is said to be Pakistan’s biggest cinema complex. Rafi’s transition into the cinema business is fairly recent – till a year back he was known for guiding people through his studio where one could listen to the unfinished tracks of the likes of Strings and Karavan.

The Neuplex complex is located in an entertainment centre, called “The Place”, which is situated in Khayaban-e-Shaheen. The complex has five theatre halls – 270 seats in cinema 1, 360 seats in cinema 2, 275 seats in cinema 3, 148 seats in cinema and cinema 5, which is a luxury cinema, has 48 seats.

According to Rafi, the standard cinema seats are of 18 inches but they have chosen to go for a 21-inch-seat which why where there could have been four to five hundred seats in the hall, there are a lot less.

“Experience is the key here,” he explained. “We could have easily stacked up people but that would have been tiring, especially when a major chunk of the movies come from Bollywood which are three hours long.”

Purely movies

Unlike the usual trend of situating multiplexes within shopping malls, Neuplex has no shopping area – just five screens along with food outlets. The projection systems are all digital 2k with cinema 1,2 and 4 also offering film projection. All five halls support 3D projection. The screens in Nueplex range from 50 to 60 Ft and are the first one piece silver screens of this size ever installed in Pakistan.

The project was initiated by Tariq and Jamil Baig, one of the largest government contractors and infrastructure developers, and for the last one and half year Faisal Rafi and Ali Diwan have been working as the consultants for this project.

“Jamil and Tariq had the vision of the best cinema complex in Pakistan,” said Rafi as he checked the projection system. “In terms of space, location and experience, and with the amount of time, money and skill invested in this project, the experience will be of the very next level.”

Setting a benchmark

“Our cinemas 1, 2 and 3 have the largest cinema screens in Pakistan. By that I mean even bigger then Nishat. They are all spread edge to edge” says Rafi.

Eugenetek, who are one of Asia’s largest Cinema Integration Companies, was hired for the cinema installations at Neuplex, and Diwan and Rafi represent the company’s Pakistani counterpart. They also represent Christie Digital, the world’s largest digital imaging company and a powerhouse behind the digital cinema revolution. The Eugenetek Korea and Eugenetek Pakistan teams put together Neuplex with teams from Poland, Malaysia, Korea and Italy flying in to make it a true international effort.

“The real achievement is that we are the first Christie Digital cinema in the country. Too put it in layman’s words, it is simply the best digital projection available in the market” elaborates Rafi.

Diwan was just as enthusiastic about the venture. “Everything down to the viewing angle and decibel level of the seats in Nueplex was calculated before the first brick was laid,” he told The Express Tribune. “The cinema has ample parking space, best franchises in town in terms of food and the best audio and visual experience along with the selection of films that our audience wants to watch.”

When asked if the prices would be jacked up later, Rafi replied in the negative. “People have to realise that we are not competing with anyone and that is the charm of the multiplex culture. Whether it’s Defence or Gulshan, every vicinity needs a multiplex and we are just doing that,” said Rafi, hoping that this latest complex would trigger a multiplex culture in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2013.

Just when Main Hoon Shahid Afridi’s success had increased the anticipation of more Pakistani films, it seems that cinema enthusiasts will have to wait a bit longer for their wishes to come true. The next film in line, Zinda Bhaag, that raised our expectations with the awards it bagged at the Mosaic MISAFF festival in Toronto, will not be hitting the screen on September 6, as expected.

“The primary reason is that a backlog of unreleased film titles and delays in releases has pushed the whole schedule of cinemas ahead,” Mazhar Zaidi, the director of the film, told The Express Tribune.

The announcement was made through a joint statement by ARY Films, Footprint Entertainment and Matteela Films on August 29.

However, it has been reported that the delay is not from the producer’s end.

Zinda Bhaag stars actor Naseeruddin Shah, model Amna Ilyas and Khurrum Patras and has now been scheduled to release on September 20. 

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

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There are three dimensions to this album; in the first, Bagga persuasively reincarnates the brilliance of AR Rahman through the grand and uplifting treatment of Dekhein Ge. Not only that, Mohammad Hanif also provides a pertinent social commentary through his lyrics in Dekhein Ge. Bagga has also found our own parallel of Sukhwinder Singh in the voice of Jabar Abbas, whose treatment of scales is so similar to that of Singh’s, it’s difficult to differentiate between the two.

In the second dimension, Bagga tilts to the more Vishal Bharadwaj side of his influences. With all due respect to the quirkiness of the melody and colloquial lyrics, Kuri Yes Aai is one track you can’t help but compare to Bharadwaj’s recent hit Totay Urr Gaye from Ek Thi Dayyan. The interesting choice of instruments, such as a heavy base line topped with a pinching use of Shehnais, Kuri Yes Aai can be termed as a very catchy tribute to Bharadwaj by Bagga.

With the voices of artists such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Zinda Bhaag’s soundtrack is worth a listen. PHOTO: FILE

The third, and by far the most dynamic dimension of the album, is where Bagga serves us his own rendition of contemporary Punjabi music. The best sound track of the album is a high on adrenaline, but soothing qawalli called Pata Yaar Da, penned beautifully in Punjabi by Hasan Mujtaba, and rendered to perfection by none other than Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. After Garaj Baras in Coke Studio Season 1, this is perhaps the most effective use of Rahat in recent times. Rahat’s strength in qawalli has been eclipsed by the rather half-hearted use of his voice in the semi-classical and often pop melodies of Bollywood. For fans of Punjabi poetry, the use of metaphors in this song will give you goose bumps, and above all, a very different take on longing for your beloved. The second best is undeniably, the larger than life folk tune Paar Chanaa Dae, the grandeur of which will take you into another universe, due to the entrance of a deadly combination of flutes and matkas. Apart from picking one of the most underrated, but immersive pieces of folk poetry, Bagga brings forward the raw voice of Saleema Jawad, along with Arif Lohar.

Pani Da Bulbula is one Punjabi classic that has been reinvented by a number of different artists such as Yaqub Atif and Saira Naseem, to name a few. Every time it’s been revisited, it leaves an entirely different smile on your face. The composition remains the same, but Bagga has given it a more contemporary arrangement, while remaining in the realm of Pakistani film music.

Saari Saari Raat and Taariyan, however, don’t match the kind of innovation Bagga has put into the rest of the album.

To compile a music album for a film, especially in times when no one’s taking the medium seriously, means it’s essential for producers and composers to get the right people. The attention to detail is where Zinda Bhaag surpasses expectations. It’s been a while since we’ve seen genuine artists at work, and not the likes of Meesha Shafi, who for some odd reason has become the emblem of Punjabi folk in Pakistan. Be it the voices of Saleema Jawad or Jabar Abbas, or the piercing lyrics by Mohammad Hanif or Hasan Mujtaba, the choice of artists is what makes the album of Zinda Bhaag an entire constellation, and not just a star or two wandering somewhere in space.

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

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Despite controversies, unnecessary delays and the overwhelming and continuing success of Chennai Express, Humayun Saeed’s Main Hoon Shahid Afridi has earned Rs22 million in its first week of release (exact figures: Rs21,836,941). This is more than the total business of the much-hyped Chambaili but less then what was expected of the film.

However, excitement generated by word of mouth coupled with the fact that there are no pirated copies available in the market will give the film a good second week. A total business of Rs60 million is expected from the film. However, anything above that figure would be quite an achievement. On the other hand, Shahrukh Khan’s blockbuster comedy, Chennai Express, has already grossed Rs85 million. With a constant run at the multiplexes to regular audiences, the film might just reach the R90 million mark. Nevertheless, Race 2 is still leading the tally of Indian films in Pakistan with a total business of Rs92 million.

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

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Photographer Raza (Mohib Mirza) and painter Maliha (Aaminah Sheikh) are a husband and wife fraught by the difficulties of dealing with a disaster — the death of their seven-year-old boy. In the course of recovery, the two abandon their careers and become estranged. On the other end of the spectrum, is the culprit, rickshaw driver Anil (Gohar Rasheed), who looks for better financial opportunities to support his pregnant wife.

Tackling complicated psychological issues amidst a rather anti-climatic narrative is not easy. It is even tougher when a Pandora’s Box of narrative threads is unraveled. But as a debutant director, Mujahid shows a lot of promise by bringing forward one of the sharpest and most immaculately-performed illustrations of story-telling.

While the movie’s foremost aim is to focus on the overwhelming feeling of failure to get over a major loss, the loss itself ends up taking dominance over the complexities of psychological issues at hand. This is where a rather traditional and risk-free approach by cinematographer Faraz Iqbal comes in handy. He creates a cathartic experience, by using better-framed TV shots in film, for an audience that is accustomed to TV. The closing shot, where the camera tracks out of a garden, is by far one of the most consequential closing shots we have seen in Pakistani cinema, as you actually feel the process of being relieved from a rather discomforting life of a wounded couple. The multiple narratives may seem unresolved at places, but are joined together well on the editing table. The pace of the film, as a whole, is disturbingly bumpy and things do happen against your expectations but there is no shock value to them. That is probably the reason why a predictable story like Lamha appears flatter as time passes by. If we had watched the film before Bollywood’s Talaash, which has a similar story base, the impact would have been much greater.

Aaminah Sheikh’s performance is her best in cinema thus far.  As Maliha, she is so powerful that she often overshadows her husband. The other characters, too, add to Maliha’s agony. As Anil, the talented Gohar Rasheed, who we recently saw in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, is consistent, raw and plays his character inside out. He is by far the only actor who balances out Aaminah’s strength when he shares limited screen time with her. Hira Tareen, sadly, is not the right choice for her character. Despite the fact that her role was small, she was unable to expose the depth given to her character.

Apart from these performances, the appropriate use of a ghazal is another win for Lamha. Mehdi Hasan’s Gulon Mein Rang Bhare comes near the end of the film and enhances the overall grand and piercing sound design of the film.

Having said this, your Lamha experience may be interrupted the poor quality of the film with respect to audio-visuals. It is a flaw that could have been easily avoided, but powerful and moving scenes are undermined by occasional grainy visuals (especially in night scenes) and awkward sound balancing.

Still, the beauty of Lamha, unlike contemporary narratives, is that it doesn’t set very high ambitions for change. It’s a film that goes for a controlled psychological study of two people instead of a larger-than-life story. What is even more refreshing is that for the first time, a Pakistani movie is not solely about the country and its done-to-death challenges.

Verdict: With powerful story-telling and a relatable story line, the film beautifully depicts the anguish and suffering of the lead characters. If only it were not marred by technical glitches.

Score: 3.5/5

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.

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The opposition

The United Producers Association (UPA) — the body that earlier voiced concern over the airing of Turkish soaps — expressed its criticism via a press release on its Facebook page. The organisation, headed by film-maker Shahzad Nawaz whose Chambaili didn’t make the cut, has previously also questioned the formation of the PASC.

Dr Framji Minwalla, a member of the Oscar committee, explains why the film was selected over others. “Some people believe films dealing with urgent social issues should be ranked higher than others, no matter how badly [they are] made, and that exceptional films with no social value should receive little public attention, while others think the social relevance of a film has absolutely no place in the consideration of cinematic excellence,” he says. “A smarter approach assesses how well the technical, narrative, aesthetic and social aspects work together to show us the world anew.  In its own modest way, Zinda Bhaag has revealed a Pakistan we had not seen before and did so with technical surety, while also taking smart aesthetic and narrative risks.”

Framji adds, “To hurl questions at the integrity of the process because the work one prefers was not selected seems particularly arrogant, especially when those questions are designed to disqualify certain films from consideration. I have a question for Secretary General UPA Shahbaz Siddiqui: Do you want these films disqualified because your boss believes his submission [Chambaili] does not stand a chance when measured against a fair playing field? Instead of grandstanding, feeling victimised and getting other people to do his dirty work, perhaps the president of the UPA [Nawaz] should start planning to produce a better film next year.”

UPA argues

•  Why was the official last date of submission set for August 25 by the PASC, when the international deadline is September 30?

•  To be eligible for this year’s Academy Awards, films must have been released in Pakistan for a run of at least seven consecutive days beginning no earlier than October 1, 2012 and no later than September 30, 2013. With a scheduled release for September 20, how has it fulfilled these requirements?

•  Why could the committee not wait until September 30, the stipulated deadline for an entry’s release, to announce its decision to select the film?

•              Why has the press release been issued with a letterhead of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Films instead of the official Oscar Pakistan Committee when the forms available in Pakistan carried the Academy logo?

PASC hits back

•  The physical copy and related material of the selected film must reach the Academy by October 1, thus the local submission and selection process must happen well before that. The committee set forth the deadline of August 25 to ensure there was ample time for the committee to verify that all submissions were viable, circulate the films internally, cast their ballot, inform the winning party and dispatch the film to Los Angeles in time for the official Academy submission date.

•  All films released before September 30 were entertained for selection, which is why Lamha and Zinda Bhaag were not disqualified.

•  The rules set forth by the Academy state that the submitted film must be screened commercially for seven days in the country of release. Both Zinda Bhaag and Lamha are set to release this week, thereby fulfilling this requirement. Such practices are commonplace globally; the Indian film The Lunchbox for instance, is a forerunner for submission for the Academy Awards and is also set to be released on the September 20.  PASC had already received verification from the film-makers of both Lamha and Zinda Bhaag, thereby ensuring that the films would in fact release before September 20. Similar announcements were also made in national newspapers, by the said film-makers thereby further validating the announced release dates.

•  The committee preempted the announcement in order to ensure that the film-makers had enough time to compile and dispatch the material to Los Angeles in order to meet their international deadline. Over 30 countries have also made their decisions public before September 30 — it’s a normal practice that film-makers in Pakistan will get used to the more we continue to be a part of the film submission process.

•              Zinda Bhaag is permitted to publicly announce its official selection for Pakistan for 2013 — it was announced by PASC’s office through a press release to inform the country which film would be representing it.

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Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2013.

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In the heart of a lower-middle class neighbourhood in Lahore, friends Khaldi (Khurram Patras), Taambi (Zohib) and Chitta (Salman Ahmed Khan) are living life to the fullest; they eat, drink and make merry. They look for love, get their hearts broken, and tease each other like any tightly-knit group of old friends would. Naseerudin Shah as Pehlvan is less of the mohalla’s ‘social worker’, and more the Godfather figure. He is introduced to us when he walks into the funeral of Booba, one of the residents of the area, who had managed to escape to France by hiding in a container. He eventually started his own restaurant called La Booba, so he became an inspiration to youngsters in the mohalla. The scene shows the obsession the residents of the neighbourhood have with finding success in foreign lands.

In Zinda Bhaag, the film’s directors Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi manage to create a culturally accurate story world, while taking a limited amount of screen time. The naturally raw Lahori accent; the corny humour; a family’s obsession with Urdu soaps and the yearning of the boys to make an appearance at a funeral just to get a taste of free mutton qorma are examples of an apt cultural representation that Pakistani films fail to achieve.

A pleasant combination of traditional cinema shots and snappy cinematography captures both, the soul of Lahore and the essence of a neorealist saga.

The visuals are supported by a light hearted yet unsettling story with back to back powerful one-liners that keep you glued to your seats and leave you craving for more.

Shah as Pehlvan has a larger-than-life persona, but also relates the ghosts of his past. Despite donning funky pink kurtas and wearing multi-coloured rings, there is a menacing darkness to Pehlvan, without whose blessings, it seems you cannot make it big in the mohalla. His proficiency in Punjabi is as immaculate as his fluency in Urdu. Khaldi, Taambi and Chitta are newcomers turned method actors. Their comfort in the atmosphere created by ZB plays a seminal role in making them believable. Bringing in non-actors was a smart choice, and an even smarter one to edit their shots well-enough to prevent their naivety from being translated on screen. That shouldn’t, however, take away from the well-performed long takes. Editing is the backbone of any film but very few (especially in Pakistan) have used it effectively, and it’s the clever cutting of the shots, along with tight pacing that keeps the audience of ZB wanting more.

The songs are good, but they sometimes become a needless deviation from a very precise plot, preventing Zinda Bhaag from being considered perfect. One wonders whether the powerful words penned by Mohammad Hanif in Dekhainge deserved something better than a half-hearted retaliation and a whole-hearted celebratory dance by a bunch of socially suppressed waiters.

The problems for Zinda Bhaag start as soon as Khaldi meets his love interest Rubina (Amna Ilyas), a petite, animated girl who sells a homemade soap called Facelook. While the humour surrounding her character is refreshing, it has hardly any contribution to the narrative. She doesn’t serve the purpose of eye candy, nor is she a good actor. More than that, her dialogue delivery is monotonous and she has a limited range of expressions on screen. Shoots and the ramp, it seems, are better places for Amna.

All in all, Zinda Bhaag stylistically highlights one of the most central social issues faced by Pakistanis — the issue of survival. Those who can run away will, but only after accumulating adequate resources. Others dream of running away, even if it means putting all their resources at stake.

Verdict: Zinda Bhaag is a must watch. In its modest, yet ingenious approach towards storytelling, Zinda Bhaag easily becomes the best film to have come out of modern day Pakistani cinema.

Score: 4/5

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

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After a ground breaking start on Eidul Azha, business faced an overall slump. Bagging a whopping Rs70 million in the first five days, Waar could only make a little more than Rs27 million in the weekdays that followed. Although it is not considered to be a low turnout for weekdays it is also not as significant as was expected. Surprisingly, Akshay Kumar’s Boss has had steady business, and from an initial weekend collection of Rs20.6 million, the film did slow and steady progress by reaching the Rs40 million mark in its first week.

Traditionally, box office collections are gathered post-Zuhr prayers on a Friday. But since Eid fell on Wednesday, the collections were recorded the next Friday, making the ‘first week’ a nine-day run. On Eidul Fitr, the box office collection amounted to Rs100 million as Chennai Express sped ahead with a gross return of Rs54.3 million in the Eid week. Eidul Fitr fell on a Friday with an added public holiday on Thursday, so the box office ‘week’ comprised eight days instead of seven. Since then, five screens at Neuplex Cinema Karachi and three at Centaurus Cinema Islamabad have been launched, giving an advantage to films released on Eidul Azha in terms of screen space.

Waar was given a substantially larger number of screens as compared to Boss, primarily because the owners of Atrium and Centaurus cinemas are also distributors of the film. For instance, in Atrium and Centaurus, the ratio of screens allocated to Waar versus Boss was approximately 20 to six per day.  In Shabistan/Prince Lahore, the allocation was five to Boss and four to Waar per day.

Despite the obvious difference in the content of Waar and Boss, the overall success and competition for both at the box office is a positive sign for Pakistani cinemas. It is a great achievement that out of the 63 screens available in Pakistan, 17 have been established this year and more are to follow in the coming year.

The expected business of Waar in its total running in Pakistan is Rs170 million, with Boss bringing in an estimated total Rs70 million.

The lesser giants in Lahore and Peshawar

Besides the clash of the titans, the local box office saw business from small budget local films. Urdu film Super Girl starring Nida Chaudhry, appealed to younger audience members who enjoyed watching Chaudhry’s provocative dance numbers, and did reasonably well considering it was made with a small budget. Screened in Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, Dera Nawab, Sialkot, Sarghoda, Sheikhapura and Lahore, it made an estimated Rs2.5 million.

The sole Punjabi film Sharaabi starring Shaan, Saima and Nida Chaudhry made less than Super Girl, but had an even smaller budget. This was screened in Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sheikhapura. Another film Gunda Geet, made by film-maker Shehzad Gujjar and screened at the Odeon cinema, had a very poor turnout.

According to Qaiser Sanaullah of Lahore’s Metropole Cinema, who is also the general secretary of the Cinema Owners Association, the general turnout in the walled city was lower than expected this Eid. He explained that the fall in numbers can be accounted for by the higher costs tied to Eidul Azha. “Less people turned up this Eid because there were household expenses compared to the small Eid which has less spending,” he said.

“The poor individual ends up spending thousands on sacrificial animals while the rich spend lakhs. There are also more family functions connected with this Eid,” he added.

Despite this decline in viewers, he maintained that films had a good run at the box office and that Waar and Boss generated ‘significant business’. “Overall Waar did even better. The makers managed to retain a lot of viewers by using subtitles,” he continued. He felt, however, that the film lost viewing in more remote areas. “If it had been in Urdu, I think it would have done more business,” he said.

Four new Pashto films Orbal (starring Meera), Gandagir (the first HD Pashto action film), Zadi Pakhtun and Gherat were also released in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Eidul Azha, but no Urdu movie was shown in Peshawar. According to film producers, all the films were displayed on single screens due to which business remained low in the initial week their release.  The four movies will be shown in Karachi and Kabul in the coming days.

The distributors, however, were unwilling to disclose box office figures due to taxation concerns.

Eid box office collection

Waar: Rs97 million

Boss: Rs40 million

Super Girl, Sharaabi, Gunda Geet, Orbal, Gandagir, Zadi Pakhtun and Gherat: Rs8 million

Total: Rs145 million

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.

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Some musicians are not recorded in a studio at all. Muhammed Asifur Rehman from Bangladesh, for example, is recorded playing his do tara sitting on a balcony overlooking a scenic view of the lush green hills of Chittagong for Saeen Zahoor’s Rabba Ho.

Very few could have predicted the potential impact of Coke Studio when it was launched in 2006. The show quickly became the biggest export product of the Pakistani music industry, causing even our neighbours to take notice and launch their own Indian version with Coke Studio @ MTV. Not only did our platform set a new benchmark for audio-video production, but it was also the first real attempt at blending contemporary, classical and folk music to create fusion of sound. By putting Saeen Zahoor and Arif Lohar on stage, Coke Studio appealed to young viewers, who may have dismissed these artistes as being ‘raw’ and ‘less exciting’ on their own. Its focus on experiment is also enhanced by the inclusion of pop artistes Noori, Meesha Shafi and Strings, who played with sound and recreated songs under the influence of Eastern music.

But while it has been the harbinger of sound innovation, by its fifth season in Pakistan, Coke Studio seemed to have exhausted its fountain of creativity as tracks were beginning to sound too monotonous. At the same time, its Indian counterpart was exploring new avenues of music production and pushing the limits of a format that we had pioneered in.

This was enough to push Rohail Hyatt out of his comfort zone. With new musicians, fresh sounds and flashes of brilliance, its sixth season tells us Coke Studio is here to stay and Rohail Hyatt’s bag of tricks may just treat us. Below is our verdict on the first episode:

Khayaal by Umair Jaswal

Though it is heartening to see a rock vocalist in a mainstream project such as Coke Studio, the raw emotion is too heavily veiled under the grand, orchestral sound that Jaswal and Hyatt are seen discussing in the BTS footage. There is no arguing that Jaswal has the ability to deliver a trailblazing performance but his vocal ability is camouflaged by a rich sonic layer of a string section and reverb-drenched guitars. If Jaswal is to accomplish his dream of reviving rock music in Pakistan, he will have to be less apologetic about it.

Babu Bhai by Ali Azmat

The number is a breath of fresh air for the show and in this track, Ali Azmat proves that he is Pakistan’s biggest rock star — unafraid of innovation and completely self-absorbed. Babu Bhai is simple yet effective. A tight groove with just the right amount of swing coupled with electronic sampling, makes this song a fitting choice for someone who Hyatt describes to the Serbian musicians as “a funny guy.”

Rabba Ho by Saeen Zahoor ft Sanam Marvi

This is what Coke Studio has done successfully in the past — fusing the rawness of folk music with the finesse of modern audio production in a way that it synchronises well with both the young and the old — the contemporary and the traditional. Needless to say, Saeen Zahoor is his usual eclectic-self and Sanam Marvi lends strong support.

The song features a wide range of instruments played from different parts of the globe, including Italy, Bangladesh, Nepal and Morocco, and exhibits great musicianship. One noteworthy mention would be the sarangi solo by Kiran Nepali from Nepal.

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

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These are probably the reasons why one may feel the need to watch Boss. All the characters, other than Akshay’s, seem to be squeezed into the plot, which screams to be redeemed. Or maybe it’s vice versa. Maybe, Akshay has no place in the narrative and is simply made to be a constituent of the film for his star power — which, needless to say, is the only thing that breathes life into the film apart from some hilarious one-liners.

The story goes something like this: Surya (Akshay Kumar) and Shiv (Shiv Pandit) are the sons of Satyakant Shastri (Mithun Chakraborty), who is a school teacher by profession. Satyakant ends up kicking Surya out of the house and disowns him because of his repeated brawls with a kid during his childhood. Shiv grows up to be a handsome hunk who falls in love with Ankita (Aditi Rao Hydari), who happens to be the sister of a corrupt police officer Ayushman Mathur (Ronit Roy). Ayushman wants to get Ankita married to the son of a minister, so he arrests Shiv for crimes that he hasn’t committed.

You must be wondering where the story is heading. What about the missing brother Surya? Where did he vanish? The missing brother turns out to be Boss, a transport businessman. The story finally shapes up with him having to confront his father after years of abandonment.

The fact that Akshay doesn’t have a leading lady in the film is a pleasant change and gives the character of Boss the levy to act like an irresponsible and stupid person. What is a clichéd concept, the long-lost son’s yearning for his father and brother is tackled childishly in the film. The brothers recognise each other the moment they say something at the same time, just as they did in their childhood.

That is typical Bollywood for you. In fact, the history of Bollywood is full of scripts like that of Boss’ — run-of-the-mill and lacking substance. Having said that, Akshay’s comic timing, as mentioned earlier, is excellent and some sequences do make the viewer laugh. For example, whenever Boss is having a meeting with someone, he sits on a “rocking chair”. That rocking chair is formed by an acrobatic arrangement of his own bodyguards, who keep on moving to-and-fro.

Styling was key to Anthony Desouza’s previous flick Blue and plays a crucial role in Boss as well. Akshay’s backcombed hair that occasionally drops on his forehead reminds one of the “Khiladi” he used to be in the 90s. Aditi Rao Hydari looks gorgeous and it seems like her stylist has learnt from all the blunders that were committed in Murder 3. Aditi’s eastern look in the film is dazzling. Shiv Pandit, who looks very much like Shahid Kapoor in some places, fails to leave an impression and is often overpowered by seasoned actors like Akshay and Mithun.

Yo Yo Honey Singh’s addition to the film’s music is cosmetic but the remixed version of Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta Yahan Pyaar Zindagi Mein is refreshing despite its disappointing visual execution.

Verdict: Since Boss is the only family movie running in cinemas these days, it can be watched once. You’ll definitely enjoy it if you are an Akshay Kumar fan. Otherwise, you’ll probably walk out during the intermission! Rating: 2/5

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2013.

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This is probably why Jami Mahmood is uncertain today. Despite having the rough cut of his film, titled Moor (Pashto for mother), Jami is torn between producing quality content as well as making a film that will rake in money at the box office.

“The real dilemma faced by Pakistani cinema today is the battle between authenticity and commercialism,” says Jami, as he skims through the rough cut of his upcoming film, which has garnered attention after the release of its trailer. The visuals and score are haunting.

Produced by Nadeem Mandviwalla, the film is slated to release in April 2014. Moor is shot mainly in the Pashtun-dominated belt of the province of Balochistan, with most scenes filmed in Muslim Baagh, Khanozai and Shelabagh. The remaining sequences are shot in Karachi.

“I want to get more authentic with the issue that I am tackling,” he says. “But would it be too early or too much for the audience? It’s a question that boggles me,” he adds.

The storyline is based on the closure of the Zhob Valley railways in 1984. The film shows how a family is affected by growing corruption in the system.

“If you start walking on the railway track in Bostan, you will see that as the tracks eventually start to disappear, so does the population in the surrounding areas,” says Jami, who co-wrote the story with Nazira Ali. “It was their bread and butter. No one can gauge the magnitude of damage it has caused to their livelihoods,” he stated.

Although Jami has his heart in the right place, the closure of the railways is hardly Balochistan’s biggest problem.

From being detained by the ISI to later being confronted by TTP members, Jami’s filming for Moor has not been hiccup-free. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

“People of Balochistan might think that I have gone nuts by talking about a railway system, which has been non-functional for years at a time, when the entire province is at stake [due to an insurgency],” says Jami. “They will be right in saying that I should have portrayed the ‘real issues’ of Balochistan. But frankly, had I chosen to do so, the film would never have been cleared by the censor board,” he said.

Getting approval from the federal and provincial governments wasn’t easy for the director. Jami finally succeeded and travelled to the snowcapped highlands of Muslim Baagh with a crew of 150 people. But there were more hurdles awaiting him.

Jami was briefly detained by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) when they first discovered that he was filming in the area and shooting was halted for three days. Later, he encountered members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“It was alarming to see that the Muslim Baagh railway station is under the control of the TTP with all of their stationary in use,” says Jami. “When we asked them to let us shoot, they were very accommodating and didn’t bother us at all. We shot there for 40 days with girls wearing tights and no one interfered,” he recalls.

Jami hopes to make the cycle of film production more systematic and accessible. For that to happen, he believes that young film-makers graduating from media and film schools have a key role to play. “So far, the fresh graduates haven’t disappointed me. The best thing about them is that at least all of their basics are covered and they are passionate about films. That is why they grow very fast with hands-on training, as compared to those who have not been formally educated,” he says.

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

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KARACHI: According to the box office stats collection on Monday, Waar has grossed a whopping Rs168.3 million rupees in its three-week run. But the Bilal Lashari hit is still not the highest-grossing Pakistani film – that title remains with Syed Noor’s Choorian!

Since the release of Waar, there has been much talk of box office collection. Having bagged a record first day opening, followed by a record-breaking Eid collection and then the biggest first week opening for any film in Pakistan, the Shaan-starrer went on to beat Chennai Express’ records and caused Boss to flop at the local box office. Compared with Choorian, however, Waar is still behind in the box office race.

Syed Noor’s 1998 film Choorian gathered a grand total of Rs200 million and that, too, merely on 20 to 22 screens, whereas Waar was released on 52 screens. Choorian was a well-executed family drama bolstered by excessive marketing done by Shalimar Television Network. The result was a box office sensation.

With the onset of Muharram and Krrish 3 as competition, it is still uncertain whether Waar will become Pakistan’s all-time highest-grossing film by surpassing the Rs200 million mark. However, back-to-back houseful shows on weekdays suggest that there is hope for the Shaan-starrer to surpass Chooriyan.

The first two offerings by Nescafé Basement season two — Akhiyaan and Tere Ishq Mein — are examples of bottled-up enthusiasm. But while the efforts of young musicians are commendable, unfortunately they aren’t enough. Produced under the supervision of multitalented musician Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan aka Xulfi, the numbers garnered attention on social media and were praised by music enthusiasts, but lacked finesse in terms of arrangement and composition.

Season two begins with classics Akhiyaan and Tere Ishq Mein. PHOTOS: FACEBOOK

While Nescafé Basement has been compared to Coke Studio by critics and fans on several occasions, the fact remains the show will always be a high-school version of the latter. However, credit must be given where it is due — Nescafé Basement is unique as far as the high-octane grooves and rawness of the final product are concerned. And this has been a fruitful result of featuring new and ambitious artists.

Featuring Shafqat Amanat Ali, one of the most impeccable vocalists of the subcontinent, along with Imran Momina aka Immu and Shallum Xavier, Akhiyaan changed the landscape of the music industry in the early 2000s. And this is exactly why Nescafé Basement’s version of this timeless track failed to impress. While Hamza Tanveer’s vocals are up to the mark, irrespective of his inexperience and the house band’s obvious attempt at pumping up the song further, unfortunately, the rendition ends up being repetitive in terms of its chorus and fusion of various instruments.

Fusing the sound of a traditional sitar with that of a trumpet in a rock song and playing around with the chorus are hackneyed tricks. We wonder how Xulfi plans to innovate with the show this season. If it’s challenging, then maybe the team should select simpler songs to cover.

Nescafé Basement’s second track, Tere Ishq Mein, is yet again another classic number — it was originally done by Mohammad Ali Shehki and the late Allan Fakir. Xulfi has featured two vocalists to execute this track — Asfer Hussain, who is classically trained and has a refreshing tone and Rizwan Butt, who has a folk touch to his voice. There is no doubt the two have done an incredible job by hitting all the required notes while not sacrificing diction and the true meaning of sufi poetry. The music is melodious and soothing, and the amalgamation with other sufi kalaam adds to the beauty of the track which preaches love and self-sacrifice.

Despite all these pros, the arrangement and overall sound of Nescafé Basement remains to be rather orthodox. The melodies are predictable — starting from a light, classical note then moving on to the drums with heavy bass suddenly being incorporated in the track. This trick has not only been overused in the early seasons of Coke Studio, but is also a common shortcut used by every other underground band and even by Bollywood musicians.

While Xulfi has managed to gather promising talent under one roof, it would work to his advantage if he inspires these ambitious musicians to create something new and creative, if not extraordinary.

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

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The movie begins with Amitabh Bachchan’s narration of past events, accompanied by a startling revelation that Krrish 3 is in fact the fourth film of the series — Koi Mil Gaya being the first. It all started with the artificial-looking purple alien Jadoo (possibly the worst thing that ever happened to Bollywood after Anu Malik), who bestowed powers to a disabled boy Rohit (Hrithik Roshan). These powers were then genetically transferred to his son who emerged as Bollywood’s first superhero — one that has left us scarred with his recurring appearances.

Krrish 3 presents Vivek Oberoi as the heinous villain Kaal. The wheelchair-bound evil genius has invented a virus that will eliminate the human race to form a superior one called Maanwars. A combination of human and animal DNA, the Maanwar is an interesting addition to Bollywood’s sci-fi dictionary. The antidote to this deadly virus can only be made using the blood of any of Kaal’s ancestors. However, since he was adopted from an orphanage, Kaal is unaware of his family and bloodline.

Rohit, who seemed to missing from the other two versions, is working on the unimaginable and deadly combination of light and energy. He emerges with a theory that would confound both Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. According to Rohit, light can be multiplied if you reflect it and that, in turn, can cure the health issues of mankind. While sci-fi films tend to have crazy inventions, the logic behind most of them is somewhat believable. This light theory, however, is simply bizzare.

Rohit lives a happy life with his son Krishna (Hrithik Roshan) and daughter-in-law Priya (Priyanka Chopra) until Kaal’s deadly virus hits the world, raising concerns for this family of saviours.

Apart from having an original plot, Krrish 3 is a tasteless potpourri of science fiction and comic book adaptations made in the last 20 years. It is further soured by the most unmelodious songs and sleazy choreography in the recent history of Bollywood. Even Hrithik and Priyanka’s dance moves couldn’t save the film, which is a new Bollywood low.

As both Rohit and Krishna, Hrithik does not bring any spark in his performance. Priyanka, too, is a surprising disappointment, who retains a consistent clueless smile in the first half of the film and a consistent fearful expression in the second half. One wonders whether director Rakesh Roshan spent any time with the actors or just focused on giving special effects references to his post-production team throughout the shooting process. Ironically, considering Kangana Ranaut’s unrefined accent, the actor kind of suits her role of a mutant. Oberoi might have called Rakesh Roshan “the Steven Speilberg of Bollywood”, but his praise falls as flat as his expression in the film. Krrish 3 undeniably marks yet another disappointing return for Oberoi.

Verdict: Krrish 3’s box office success casts a doubt over Indian audience’s cinematic preferences. Even though the film aims to be a hardcore superhero flick, it ends up coming off as an out-and-out comedy. If you want to have a good laugh at something ridiculous, you might want to check it out at your nearest theatre.

Score: 1/5

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2013.

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