Lehri: A comedic legend gone forever
“Kon tujhe yaad kare ga, yahan koi kisi ko yaad nahi karta” (No one will remember you, because here nobody remembers anyone) The famous words of Lehri, 0ur ace comedian and brilliant actor, from the...
View ArticleA day from the life of Lehri
In the past 10 days, my thoughts were floating just like my wafting expressions in the year 1956. It was the year when the world saw the first hint of amusement in my words. No! I was not a madman...
View ArticleTamanna: A step in the right direction for Pakistani cinema
There has to be something about a movie where a Pakistani audience sits silently in cinemas, where mobile texting and chatting during a movie is the norm otherwise, and watch two lead characters...
View ArticleRaja Natwarlal: Humaima, ‘Pakistan’s Rani’, fails to rule the Indian Box Office
Yes, Emraan Hashmi is back in his ‘serial kisser avatar’ in Kunal Deshmukh’s Raja Natwarlal. This time Emraan is blessed with both: his serial kissing traits and his power packed spontaneous...
View ArticleDukhtar: A mother’s plight against child marriage
Rarely do movies of such calibre come along that transcend generations and provoke our greater thought process, not because of impressive visuals, A-list actors, extravagant set pieces and locales but...
View ArticleWhy Fawad Khan is so ‘Khoobsurat’!
Jutt and Bond was where most of us first saw Fawad Afzal Khan. He was a skinny, lanky, clean shaven guy with bangs. Soon after, we were surprised to see him as the lead singer of Entity Paradigm (EP),...
View ArticleOperation 021, taking Pakistan cinema further
First and foremost, before getting down to the brass tacks of the movie Operation 021, those that have the slightest of doubt or inclination that Operation 021 mimics or is made along the same lines as...
View ArticleThe Pakistani film industry in its ‘survival’ phase
Well into my interview with Afia Nathaniel, the Dukhtar movie director puts me on the spot. I am meeting her at the May Fair Hotel in London, right before the European premiere of her first film. Until...
View Article3 Bahadur – Another Lollywood milestone
Rewind 10 or 15 years from today to look at the shape and size of the Pakistani film industry, rather hilariously named as Lollywood, and you will not be able to help but wonder – how on earth did they...
View ArticleWe do not need ‘billis’ to flaunt our ‘jawani’ in Lollywood
After successfully objectifying women in the ‘100 glorious years of Indian cinema’, Bollywood now recognises its part in influencing commoners, what till now has been ‘a bad influence’. It took...
View ArticleWill Rang Raaz: The Secret of Colour be a step forward in Pakistani cinema?
Making it as an independent filmmaker in Pakistan is not easy. Having a film industry that consistently puts dance numbers, good-looking actors and fancy costumes over character, story and plot is bad...
View ArticleZindagi Kitni Haseen Hai: One of the better Pakistani movies of 2016
The Pakistani film industry was once known for great dialogues, amazing stories, and family-oriented dramas with significant entertainment value – that was between the 70s and 80s mostly. Zindagi Kitni...
View ArticleFor better or worse, Janaan is a step in the right direction
The Macmillan Dictionary defines a romantic-comedy as, “A funny movie, play or television program about a love story that ends happily.” Janaan is just that, but it’s not funny in the ordinary sense...
View ArticleWith no star power, Chalay Thay Saath is one bumpy ride
Pakistani directors and producers often misunderstand the movement to revive Pakistani cinema. This year has seen numerous below average movies, thus questioning the merit and authenticity of the...
View ArticleNothing and no one could have saved ‘Chain Aye Na’ from its unfortunate fate
In 1998, Syed Noor was on a high; his film Choorian had just released and went on to be one of the longest running Pakistani films showcased at a single screen cinema. He went on to become one of the...
View ArticleGreat performances and a powerful message, yet ‘Saawan’ will fail terribly at...
It is next to impossible to produce an experimental film in Pakistan, mainly because the distributors do not support the venture unless it comprises of a star-studded cast. Director Farhan Alam and...
View ArticleRangreza is being labelled a ‘musical’ – but aren’t all Pakistani films...
The trailer for the upcoming Pakistani film Rangreza was released recently to largely positive reviews. Apart from a trite love story, it showcases a truly uninhibited Gohar Rasheed. Yo-yoing between...
View ArticleWith its fresh talent and catchy music, Maan Jao Naa seems like a complete...
In the last decade or so, we have seen Pakistani cinema seemingly thriving, with TV actors shifting to the larger screen, and directors and producers experimenting with new and innovative ideas as...
View ArticleDoes Shaan Shahid think he can bully people into saying nice things about...
It has been a great couple of years for the Pakistani film industry. We’ve finally gained some solid footing and have managed to get audiences excited about Pakistani films. Dukhtar, Moor and Saawan...
View ArticleAllahyar and the Legend of Markhor proves Pakistan’s animated films can be as...
The Pakistani industry is in full flourish, evidence of which can be gathered by the hype created after the trailer release of our newest animated feature, Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor. From the...
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