Agree the script was poor and very predictable. Couple of songs were good and well picturised with the filmi touch.

Standard their are number a quality films that these channels can show. If over the years an Indian channel like Zee TV can show the best Pakistani films. What about the so called Pakistani channels. They just do not want to spend any money. It has got nothing to do with the quality of the films.

So in your opinion films like YDAKH and Chalo Ishq Larain which Zee shown in the past are pathetic.

Its our channels which are pathetic and no wonder no one watches them in Pakistan.

Its only us overseas Pakistanis who watch them.

Digusting attitude on the part of Geo. People look forward to a Lollywood film atleast on Eid. Ary have shown nothing even they were supposed to have shown a film each day on the 3 days of eid.

One thing which I have noticed is that Geo and especially Ary Digital are pushing Indian entartainment.

Ary is showing programmes like Suneray log, Aik Jhalak, and Wannabes (pop idol version) in which Ary is trying to find a new singer from Pakistan for Bollywood. What about our own film industry or pop industry.

On the one hand our TV channels are trying to fight the Indian cultural invasion and then our channels are doing us this favour.

It's a shame and I do feel sorry for our film makers who are trying to make qualiity films have to end up spending a fortune on equipment and post production overseas.

The simple fact is most of our showbiz industry is run by unproffessioals and the only thing they are concerned with is money. Its just not the film industry but also includes our music and TV industry. Just imagine the quality of our music videos will be if they are made with the latest digital film cameras.

Standard only the camera costs 3-4 crore which is still not that much.

What about the Urdu feature films on Ary. Its even shown on the sky listings. What a waste of time. A pathetic channel. The only decent programme has been Eid Masti.

Translation of Reema's interview. Its not a word to word translation but I have covered the main points.

Q: You have finished the shooting of your film in one spell(actually it was two spells), how was that possible ?

A: Thanks to the Almighty. I had a very good team and we were working for 14 hours daily. In the last spell I had shot all the songs and 30% of the shooting was completed. I had everything planned so we did not waste any time.

Q: So can we see this film on Eid-ul-Adha?

A: No, I am in no rush to release my film. I will market the film properly and then release it. I am satisfied of what I have done.

Q: Have you had any new offers from Directors ?

A: Yes I have but I am not interested in films which I have 3 scenes and 2 songs.

Q: Any memorable happenings during the shooting of "Kohi Tujh Sa Kahan" ?

A: What can I say, we had hired very expensive equipment for the shooting of the film. Unfortunately we broke one of the cameras and it cost us 7 lakh rupess. It's the first time that a Pakistani film has been shot using a 4.35 camera, its a computerized camera and the rent for just two days was 5 lakh rupees.

Q: Why did not you buy this Camera and bring it back to Pakistan ?

A: I really wanted to but the cost was 3-4 crore rupees. Any how its the responsibility of the government to provide us with these things.

Q: You also celebrated your birthday in Malaysia ?

A: Yes I celebrated my birthday with the whole crew. We also had to shoot a wedding song. The hall we hired had been dseigned by an Italian Architecht. If the same set had been created in Pakistan it would have been very expensive. We used 35 lights for the song, normally we only use 15 lights. The song was choreographed by Saroj Khan.

Q: What are you doing on Eid and after that?

A: I am celebrating Eid at home. Then I am going abroad for a commercial. After that I am going USA for a Bollywood show which is a tribute to their heroines. I will be performing the tribute dance number for Meena Kumari.

After all the hype one is some what disapointed by reading the reviews of Veer-Zaara. Its has shades of the Pakistani film Tere Pyar Main.

Aitraaz on the other looks interesting.

Another reason why art films have failed in Pakistan most of the time there has been not more them one or two art films made in a year and even thats stopped now.

When 99% of all the films made are totally commercial and the audience is used to watching this and then something comes out of the blue. It will be hard for them to accept it.

Both are the biggest traitors and thiefs of all time. They should be flogged and then hanged in public.

Shaby thanks.

I will translate Reema's interview tomorrow inshallah.

Charizmatic totally agree with you that art films have never been successful in Pakistan, its not that our filmmakers have not tried making art films. Over the years a number of films have been made but all have flopped.

In a country where people don't watch commercial movies what hope have art movies. Last year a full list appeared in a local newspaper of all the art movies made in Pakistan. I will try to find that article and list the movies.

Some of the examples of art movies made in Pakistan which I can remember are that Faiz Ahmed Faiz, one of Pakistan's most famous poet made a film in the 1950s based on Bengali Fisherman but it flopped but won a award at the Berlin film festival.

Then there is Ashfaq Ahmed, famous PTV Playwright who died recently made "Doop aur Saye" in the 1960s with the same result and also there was the film Neela Parbat.

Another famous Personality who made a art film in the 1970s was Javed Jabbar who was Information Minister in Benazir's government and was also Information Minister in President Musharraf's inital cabinet.

The film he made was the first locally produced English film called "Beyond the last mountain" and the urdu version was "Musafir". The film was based on student politics and had Usman Peerzadha in the lead.

They are numerous other art films that have been made but all have flopped.

One way around this was that our film makers also have made alot of semi-art films. Which are neither totally commercial or art. These films have a strong storyline or a film with a realistic story and have the commercial elements like music,dance, action etc.

This is a more realistic approach and our film makers have been more successful at this. This should be the way forward. Recent examples are films like Laaj.

Our industry does not need films from outside but needs to revive its self. The so called talent is their, so what are we waiting for.

Shaby can you load the article first. I am thinking of translating Reema's interview first if anyone is interested.

Shaby I will give you the link, it might work for you.

http://www.mashriqdaily.com/show%20biz/show%20biz5.htm

If it is Laaj then its great news. They are supposed to be showing 1 film every afternoon on 3 days of Eid.

Just hope they get a good print of the film. Its always the Pakistani channels who get the worse prints, where as the same films when shown on Zee the print quality is much much better.

What do you think of the trailor.

Waris is an old film which was released in 1999. It has been shown on ZEE a number of times. Could have shown a better film., very disappointing.

With just about a week left before Eid so far 1 urdu film "Hum Aik Hain", 3 Punjabi films and 4 Pushto films have been confirmed.

No news on Tere Bin Jiya Na Jaye even the trailor which gets aired on Ary daily says Eid-ul-fitr release 2004.

If the film does get released on Eid I will be very surprised and it will be a stupid mistake especially after hardly any publicity.

Aaina is a brilliant film with awesome music but the film is over 25 years old.

EXCLUSIVE

02/09/04 Geo TV to make official launch September-October

Pakistan's most popular channel Geo TV is finally making its official launch on the Sky Digital platform in the next few weeks. The 24 hour news and entertainment channel is in its final stages of negotiations with Sky about launching. After speaking to a channel insider in the UK, he did tell Media Bullet that the channel was to commence testing on 6th September (this Monday) but there have been a few setbacks from Geo's main headquarters in Pakistan.

The channel is now aiming for an end of September to October launch. We will find out more in the next couple of days and shall keep you right up to date. In the meantime Now/Next EPG programme details are being tested off the EPG (showing Chart Show TV programmes) at 11.390 (V) under the label "53520". Don't forget its MB Asia, our sister site that keeps you right up to date with the Asian media.

Check it out here.
http://www.mediabullet.co.uk/skydigital/
http://www.mediabullet.co.uk/asia/


LATEST ABOUT
-Balle Balle
-ARY One World
-ARY QTV
-Geo TV
-Sony Max
-Asia World TV

ARY confirmed to last week that its channel One World and QTV will be launching on Sky "early next year" between Winter and Spring. They have no plans of launching The Muzik, simply because there is not much demand for it.


Geo TV is the confusing one at the moment. The channel is looking at launching anytime between now and March. When I spoke to the channel's London office, they were unsure themselves and have promised me updates as
soon as they happen. I know talks between Geo and Sky are ongoing but we are not yet sure how far these talks have gone.

The channel tests will resume again in the next few days. I know its really frustrating to see tests going on and off but these tests are not usually
for customers to see as nothing is "official" until the channel launches on the EPG. Expect to see the channel in the next few weeks.

The Asia World TV channel will be launching later this year.

Balle Balle is looking at launching in December but I feel it will be delayed by a few weeks. East, Sunrise and Aaj Tak will now not be launching until next year sometime.

Indus TV and MAK TV are in talks with Sky and could be launching next year.


Online at www.mediabullet.co.uk/skydigital
Online at www.mediabullet.co.uk/asia


   

YDAKH is being shown again on Sunday 14th November in the afternoon on Zee TV.

Indus TV is also coming early next year. All these channels will be available on Sky Digital.

Well I am not shocked especially if you have seen some of her fashion shoots.

Give them a chance at least.

Well everyone in Pakistan is crazy about Indian serials.

Shehzad Gafoor has already appeared in one film called "Mehboob" a few years back.

The last few paragraphs make interesting reading that he still regrets not working in YDAKH.

www.skfilms.org