First day, second show

First day, second show

Pakistani cinema deserves a second chance. If all the capable people, now involved in various lucrative genres other than cinema, were to pool their resources and come together we could yet have a vibrant, thriving film industry


By Fizzah Hussain Rizvi

Pakistan's film industry has never seen a worse time than it is witnessing now. Years and years of mind bogglingly senseless and intellectually insulting movie making has finally ensured the end of what should never have begun in the first place. It's a classic case of self-destruction and please note, not at all unknowingly or as if no one saw it coming. There is no need to mention the type or titles of the movies that 'graced' our cinemas in the last two decades or so as it is unfortunately not only apparent but indeed is common knowledge. The current scenario of cinemas closing down or being broken down, the remaining cinema owners asking the government to allow them to import Indian films and actors using all possible means to grab roles in Bollywood, is depressing not to mention embarrassing.

Out of all suggestions being given to save the sinking ship called 'Lollywood', the most popular is "co production" with our (recently) friendly neighbours. Frankly speaking, a movie shot on foreign locations with Indian producers, directors, technicians, singers, music composers, choreographers, 80 per cent of actors with a Reema, Meera, Sana or Moammar Rana thrown in as the Pakistani element can not be called a Pakistani film by any definition of the term. And yes, with the present 'genre' of Pakistani films, importing Indian movies will no doubt shut down the local industry (or what's left of it) completely. How many of us would go to watch Pappu Gujjar if even one cinema in the city is playing Paheli? The only ones to benefit from this move shall be the cinema owners.

To put it bluntly, all such suggestions and frantic 'mayday' calls being made to India are coming from a national habit of losing self belief and the will to try to rectify things from within and waiting for 'foreign aid' to sort out our royal messes. So the obvious question here is, what is the alternative? Is there any hope or possible solution? Of course there is! Only if we quit another inborn habit of looking at only one side of the picture as we are prone to, that being the negative.

The flip side of Pakistan's unfortunate scenario is as big and promising as it gets. It's a whole new world of opportunities waiting to be availed by all those who were never given a chance by the gujjar, badmash and gandasa mafia. It's time for a rebirth and reconstruction of the Pakistani cinema, the way the educated upper and upper middle class of this country has always wanted and is capable of doing. The majority of all hack writers, producers and directors have disappeared from the filmi circles after a long series of stinkers, meeting what was their rightful fate. The handful of them that are left are coming up with gems like Graduate Gujjar, Pappu Shehzada, Madam Dehari Baaz and Naag aur Nagin in the recent future. No prizes for guessing the 'Anjaam' of these wanna be 'blockbusters'.

All in all, the 'no entry' board this mafia displayed for all 'non filmi', educated, and therefore 'wannabe' filmmakers is no more. There is a huge vacuum waiting to be filled and taken over with full force. All the alternative forces should rush in and completely change the makers, viewers and type of movies in our country for good.

It is heartening to see and inform all that the process though in its extreme initial stage has begun already. Shoaib Mansoor, it is reported, is fast completing his first film Khuda Ke Liye, which, needless to say, will be something to watch out for and write everywhere about. The cast includes model Iman Ali, Fawad of EP (not confirmed in Mansoor's typical under the wraps style of PR) and the brilliant Naseeruddin Shah. A few other at least better looking (print, costumes, makeup, music) projects are Imran Malik's already released Teray Bin Jiya Na Jaye, Mubashir Luqman's Pehla Pehla Pyar and last but not least Reema's maiden directorial venture Koi Tujh Sa Kahan.

One has to hand it to Reema. Instead of whining about the bleak situation of the industry or calling up Indian directors for 'aik chance' the queen bee of Pakistani cinema went ahead and did what was required of her. She ruled our film world for more than a decade and owed one to it. Let's consider her innocent until proven guilty of producing yet another good looking but intrinsically trashy film.

There are a number of people who need to follow in their footsteps. First of all, from the film fraternity it's individuals like Shaan, Samina and Usman Peerzada and Javed Sheikh who should launch their new projects ASAP. And this time they ought to make the films they 'want' to make, with no compromises whatsoever. The audience comprising of 'Gamas and Majhas' has been catered to for long enough and now it's time to bid them farewell.

However the actual and real hope of saving and reviving Pakistani cinema lies with the people who have till now only dreamed of making better cinema and expressed a desire to make films and are currently working in all other media related fields. They are none other than our brilliant video directors, ad makers, TV directors, producers and some even actors, some singers and musicians. This is an SOS call to Mehreen Jabbar, her father Javed Jabbar, Asim Raza, Saqib Malik, Jami, Sohail Javed, Ahsan Rahim and Amena Khan, Meera Hashmi (who has a degree in film from the US) Jawad Bashir and his whole madcap group from NCA. Even individuals like Bilal Hasan Minto (World Ka Centre) otherwise pursuing their oh so propah careers but all the while waiting for an opportunity to fulfil their creative urges, should come out and take a chance right now. The list of probable saviours of our cinema includes TV veterans like Sahira and Rahat Kazmi, Iqbal Ansari, Yawar Hayat, Rashid Dar and countless others.

A number of youngsters are currently studying film related subjects in institutions like the old institution National College of Arts in Lahore and the brand new National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. Then there are those who are studying film and related disciplines in foreign universities out of sheer passion and a deep abiding love for movie making and the performing arts. It is only these young graduates and the above mentioned ladies and gentlemen who are capable of bringing a long due and desired change in the now almost dead world of Pakistani cinema. These people do not come from a typical 'filmi' background and thus it would be easier for them to reject the tyrannical rule of formula flicks and hence break some rules which to date have been followed religiously.

For example, it's not God's will to make films three hour long with songs and fights deliberately inserted every twenty five minutes. It's time to cut down on the length which will automatically leave no room for un necessary, forced stuff. Songs should be there only when required, to take the story forward instead of having no relevance to the story or plot. In other words, no item numbers please.

A realistic film without or at least with good songs that make sense, based on say a short story or novel by our literary giants should have been attempted by now, but it's never too late. There is no dearth of dead and alive literary figures in the country whose works can be turned in to film scripts. It was not very long ago when our film studios were frequented by figures like Manto, Ahmed Bashir, Mumtaz Mufti, Faiz, Nasir Kazmi, Ahmed Faraz and Qateel Shifai. It is necessary to start this process all over again and convince present day personalities like Amjad Islam Amjad, Bano Quds