Charizmatic you were not very with the promotion of the film a few days back. I agree with you our film makers need to create the required hype for their films. Whats the situation now.

Stakes are high for Salakhain

August 13 is decidedly the D-day for Lollywood, as its first blockbuster in two years finally goes to show. Salakhain, as it is titled, is being released with a barrage of publicity, though we are still lagging behind in the department of TV promos, especially compared to our big bad neighbour called Bollywood, which continues to dish out eye-catching trailers of its upcoming flicks on satellite channel after channel. The film, which took over two years in the making, will have its special premiere show August 7 (tonight), which will be attended by different film celebrities. The idea of holding a special show, days ahead of the film's actual release, can backfire, especially if the film is not too strong on content. The word by a select group of audience, mostly from the Fourth Estate, takes no time to spread around, in most cases sealing the fate of the film. Look at what happened to Shahzad Gul's Chalo Ishq Larraen. The poor producer is still reeling from the embarrassment he incurred thanks to a grand pre-release show of the film, which was attended by different showbiz celebrities as well as the merciless presswallas. Earlier, the Salakhain director, Shehzad Rafique also met with a similar fate when the people especially invited to his Rukhsati premiere left the theatre hall mid-show.
However, Rashid Khawaja, the producer of Salakhain, is hopeful that things will be different this time, "We are confident of our product, otherwise we would not be holding the premiere of the film." He was talking exclusively to The Nation Plus, Friday.
"Every blockbuster film has its premiere show," he declared, "That's the phenomenon seen the world over. Since we had quoted a very high price for our film, which is unheard-of in Lollywood, we needed to show our film variously to attract the exhibitors and distributors.
"Salakhain is expected to revive our dying film industry, and from what I see, it's already on its way to doing so. Look at the way most of our first-rate cinema houses that had been shut down are being opened all over again. Theatres such as Nishat, Karachi, and Empire and Plaza in Lahore are being renovated especially to greet our film. I find that very flattering."
Extolling the virtues of Salakhain, Rashid said that he was banking on "the film's high quality post-production work. I can say this with certainty that the audience will actually feel the difference in such things as the background music, the crisp editing and camera work."
He was realistic enough to add, "I, however, would not want our film to be compared to Indian films. That would be highly unfair. But, yes, I invite everybody to compare Salakhain with any Pakistani film ever made on the face of the earth."
Rashid categorically denied all rumour about the film being released internationally, saying, "That's nonsense. I have never at any point said that we would be releasing the film in so-and-so country. At the moment our focus is Pakistan. We want to reach out even to those people who shy away from Lollywood movies. On my part I have been showing the film to the business community, proving to them that we can make good cinema, too."
It may be mentioned here that Salakhain is Rashid Khawaja's second film as a producer. Earlier, he produced Very Good Duniya Very Bad Log, a multi-starrer that was shot in Mauritius, and involved Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan's assistant. Salakhain also has 3 songs by Indian singers, which have been choreographed by Pooni Verma, a Bollywood import, again. The film stars Meera and Zara Sheikh alongside model-turned-actor Ahmed Butt, who makes his debut in films. Besides, director Shehzad Rafique, who has a washout (Rukhsati) behind him, hopes to hit the jackpot with this film for which he literally devoted his best.

According to reports in couple of Urdu Dailes that the shooting of KAKN will start in Australia in October but the surprising news is that Javed Shiekh has changed the cast of the film. Out goes Meera and she is replaced by Bipasa Basu and also John Abraham is also included. This means either Saleem Shiekh or Humayon Saeed will get the chop. Sana keep her place. I wish he does not drop Hamayon.

Why is Shiekh saab so obsessed with Bollywood Stars and giving them main roles in our movies where as they are just giving meaningless roles to our stars.

This might just be gossip because it has not been confimed yet especially from the Indian stars.

First full review on Salakhain. Very promising review and the film on all account sounds awesome. Just hope that Inshallah becomes a massive hit. Can't wait for the film release in UK.

With no major Urdu film release since Eid-ul-Fitr for the first time ever in the country's history, a cloak of despondency has set over our film industry. The shutting down of two major cinema halls recently in Karachi has aggravated this depression.

But now, there seems to be a silver lining to the dark clouds on the horizon. A preview of Salakhain scheduled for release on August 13, has recharged the batteries of the cinema buffs that were among the fortunate few to witness it.

It is after a long time that a Pakistani film boasts what is sorely lacking in most local movies - an interesting storyline, a coherent sequence of events and brilliant print. Add to these basic essential ingredients, glamour and impressive packaging, and presentation, and one has a film not likely to be forgotten for a long time to come.

While the makers of Salakhain have done well to draw on talent from across the border for the filming of its songs, one hopes that others will follow the lead taken by them in making a film that stands out for its overall production quality.

The film revolves round the life of Faizan, (Ahmad) the only child of lower middle-class parents (Deeba and Farooq Zamir) whose main objective in life is to give him a sound education so as to ensure a bright future for all of them. Faizan spends his time between wooing the girl next door, Savera (Zara Sheikh), and preparing for his college exams. However, his first paper becomes the turning point in his life, for Faizan becomes a target of one of the two major political mafias controlling the city's examination centres and police force. He is thrown in jail (thus the name of the movie) on the trumped-up charge of cheating, while his father dies of shock and his mother loses her sanity.

In prison, Faizan is befriended by Zargam (Saud) who is a member of the rival party of political thugs, master-minded by Shah Murad (Shafi Mohammed). They escape and Faizan joins the underworld, wreaking vengeance on those who turned his world upside down. He asks Savera to part ways with him and she subsequently marries her cousin (Sami Khan). Meanwhile, Natasha (Meera) who also works for Shah Murad, falls for Faizan. To find out what happens in the end, you have to watch the film.

The acting is superb, with even the usually unbearable Saud presenting a pleasant picture. Zara tends to overact slightly, specially in the opening scenes, but later improves considerably. However, all the other characters have done justice to their roles, including model-turned-actor Ahmed who makes his debut in tinsel town with this film. It may be added here that his voice has been dubbed (by Faisal Qureshi) so skilfully that one can't detect it at any point in the film. Sajid Hassan, as Gibran, Faizan's arch enemy, also deserves particular mention. It seems that the jinx on our television stars, who have found it difficult in the past to make a breakthrough on the silver screen (Shakeel, Zia Mohyuddin and Atiqa Odho, to name a few) is finally broken as the bulk of the main cast hails from the TV network.

An action-oriented film, there are mercifully only a couple of bloody scenes in Salakhain, with most of the action revolving around stunts and chases. By and large, they've been done convincingly. The only really far-fetched scene being in which Faizan and Natasha are six feet away from their enemies, who are firing at them point blank, but they still manage to escape unscathed. Oh, and one mustn't forget the scene where Faizan runs out of bullets, so everyone (read the enemy) indulges in a fistfight instead of using firearms.

By the same token, there are some specially well-directed scenes, such as the one depicting the death of the father. The asylum sequences have also been realistically portrayed, which is a relief, for such segments generally tend to be handled ludicrously. It is to the credit of the director, Shahzad Rafique, that the film, in spite of dwelling on morbid and highly pertinent social issues, comes through on the whole as an entertaining one. Perhaps, the fact that the producers of the film are not mere financiers but directors of calibre in their own right - Rashid Khawaja and Khalil Rana - has given it the edge that most of our films lack.

Although all the locales are mostly local - effort was made to go to challenging and breathtaking terrains such as Kargil, Khunjrab and Hunza, not to mention the deserts of Cholistan - they present such a picturesque and spectacular backdrop that one wonders why people bother with going abroad for shoots. All the songs have been beautifully picturized - particularly the theme number - and slickly choreographed. However, in spite of the fact that renowned singers such as Sonu Nigam and Abrar have lent their voices to the ditties in the film, none of the songs are exceptional, other than the theme song.

The costumes designed by Khawar Riaz are both appropriate for the scenes and pleasing to the eye. However, while Zara's make-up is skillfully done, Meera's leaves a lot to be desired, for the lass can definitely look better than she does in most of the sequences. But that does not deter her from some highly scintillating performances. In fact, Salakhain is quite bold in that there are some very sensual scenes picturized on both the leading ladies, although they have been admittedly executed with finesse. Again, the argument that there should be a rating system devised for our films cannot be stressed enough. The digital sound system and polished cinematography with exceptional frames enhance the enjoyment of watching the film, making it definitely one to look out for.

But with all its positive features, I feel that the real strength of Salakhain lies in the fact that it has dealt with a poignant subject in a very responsible manner. Films are powerful tools that can bring about social change, but in the last couple of decades they had either stopped bothering with this important role altogether or been sending disastrously wrong messages - like it is all right to kill as long as one is seeking revenge. It remains to be seen how this film is received by audiences, but this reviewer is of the opinion that after a very long time - Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua notwithstanding - a film has been made that has the necessary ingredients to ensure success. So, if you haven't braved a local flick in a long time, this is one you should check out.

Just a click away

Salakhain has a web presence www.salakhain.com like no other Pakistani movie before. Click on the address and two windows pop up, one of a local entertainment web site and the other displaying links to the trailers of the movie, download-friendly and also catering to those with a broadband connection.

A brief Flash introduction welcomes you to the site and a brawny Ahmad welcomes you to his domain. A lot of hard work has gone into the making of the site, and barring minor irritants such as extra pop-up windows, the web site is very much in order. Flash-dropdown menus take us to links that include Home, Movie, Makers, Team, Cast, Gallery, Downloads and Music.

Details about the movie can be found at the link, Movie. One gets to read the synopsis of the movie, about the locations and post-production of the film. The Makers and Team links take us to the people behind the camera. And as for those in front of the camera, they can be found in the Cast link. Details about Ahmad, Meera, Zara Sheikh, Sajid Hassan, Saud, Sami Khan and Shafi Mohammed are all there.

Thereon it's the detailed Gallery section, where we encounter a treasure trove of 49 photos, each a good-sized pic that opens in a separate window. But you cannot download any image! Instead, the site managers have given the option of Desktop Wallpapers at the Downloads link. There are screen-savers as well which take time to download. The Music link presents seven melodramatic tunes. Yet again, like the trailer before, you can either play the songs directly from the site or download them. There is also a Salakhain Forum to participate in engaging discussions that range from the future of the crippled Pakistani film industry to Salakhain itself.

Also designed and made in Flash is the Salakhain press kit CD set, which is set on auto-start and acts absolutely like a web site. Links here include Web Site, Photos, Trailer, Soundtrack, Press Pics and Posters. Details about the movie, the makers and the cast, too, are spread throughout.

     

Salakhain is ready for release on 13th August and Pehla Pehla pyar is going to be released on Eid-ul-Fitr.

Actress Reema launched her first film as director 'Koi Tujh Sa Kahan' with much pomp and show at a five-star hotel in Lahore. The event brought to the fore Shoaib Alam, organiser of musical shows in England, as the producer of her film. It was announced that the whole film would be shot in UK. But after sometime for reasons unknown Shoaib abandoned Reema's film project. She is reportedly making the film herself now.

Currently Reema is shooting the film in Malaysia and is expected to return in a few days. Meanwhile Shoaib is in Pakistan these days working on his own film project.
Shoaib arrived in UK in 1979 to watch a cricket match but settled down for good. He married a British woman and has two sons and two daughters. He has organised scores of concerts in UK beginning with a show of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in 1994.

Shoaib said that he abandoned Reema's project as the film was not being shot in UK. "Her assistants Rashid Dar and Tanveer could not get visas and she decided to change the venue to Malaysia. I told her I could not go with that change. I am not investing in her film," he said. Reportedly Reema performed in two of his shows recently without charging any money. She tried to convince him but to no avail.

Shoaib disclosed that a UK businessman Asif Jah is his co-producer for his film project. Javed Faazil has been signed as director. "Dr Dennis Issac is working on script. I chose Javed to direct the film because I believe he is the best choice available here. The music for the film would be made in Mumbai and the playback singers too would be Indians. Nadeem Baig and Humayun Saeed are also acting in the film."

Shoaib's tall handsome son Shakeel is going to play one of the three male lead roles. He is learning Urdu these days. One lead pair would be from Karachi while the other would be from Lahore. "I hope to bring in newcomers who would shine with senior artistes. My family is in filmmaking business for the last 40 years. My father M Pervaiz and uncle M Akram made over 60 films. I myself acted in black and white flicks 'Bankinar' and 'Sau Din Chor Da' at the age of six," he said.

Javed to shoot next film in Mumbai

Javed Sheikh was recently in India, where he recorded the music of his next blockbuster, titled Khule Aasman Ke Neechey, and also acted variously in a couple of Bollywood movies.

Javed said that he was received very warmly in Mumbai, where he recorded the songs for his next film, with top-league Bollywood singers like Sonu Nigam, Shan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu. Besides, he opted for what he called "Mumbai's best recording studio! All top directors, from Yash Chopra to Subhash Ghai to Karan Johar have recorded their music there.

Javed agreed that "all this cost us a fortune but I, together with my friend and co-producer on Khule Aasman..., Akbar Khan, were not worried, as long as we were getting the kind of result we were looking for."
A perfectionist at heart, Javed was not ready to compromise on the music arrangement as well, "You know, we hired Mr. Yogesh Pradhan to arrange our film's music. Yogesh has to his credit such fabulous music as that of Devdas. I tell you, he has done fantastic work with us, too."

Javed was quite clear about opportunities of a possible collaboration with India on the film front, "Why not? I think this way both countries can benefit from each other, in one way or the other."

On his part, Javed has already started working on those lines. He hinted at the possibility of "shooting my film in Mumbai as well as Australia.

"My reasons for shooting in India are purely technical," he said emphatically, "The kind of technology and huge sets I have in my mind I cannot get here. Besides, I want 30 to 50 extras as backup dancers for different songs in my film; I sure cannot get them here."

As for his acting plans, Javed said that he had signed on a big-budget, multi-starrer, titled Dus. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachan, Shilpa Shetty, Zayed Khan, Esha Deol and Gulshan Grover. "I have a very interesting role in the film," he said.

Javed recently shot for another Bollywood film called Sitam by a relatively new director, Alok Naagar, in Dubai. The film has Sana in the main lead.

Until the mid eighties the film industry was in good shape but in the last 20 years its been all down hill.If there was one problem then one might point at it but they are numerous and no one wants to do anything.

The biggest culprit is the government and the so called educated lot who if they want can revive the film industry but are not interested but love critizing it.

We surely need new film making equipment, film making must be included as a subject in colleges and universites. Also an Arts Academy should be set up.

The censor board must be given proper guidelines and above all piracy must be stopped. Lets forget about Pakistani movies no in Pakistan even watches the big Hollywood movies in Pakistan. A film like Jinnah and even Titanic flopped in Pakistan. Basically the Cinema culture in Pakistan is dead.

There are a number of other problems regarding our film industry about which I will write about in the next few days as I am having problems with my keyboard.

Looks wise its a close battle between Zara and Reema and for acting and for only acting its Saima. Reema is the best dancer from the lot.

Finally for overall talent it has to be only Reema.

Jazba you are right about babrak. He is also in Reema's film. Of all the newcomers who have recently joined the film Industry babrak is probably the best looking.

Very sad and May Allah rest die soul in Peace. Ameen.

Hassam lost in life, not in thoughts

The dawn of July 3 brought the heart breaking news for all television viewers that the senior and darling artist of Pakistan Television, Hassam Qazi, died in Karachi of heart failure. Hassam was about 46 years of age and left behind a widow and three children while the last son of Hassam is just two months old.

Hassam Qazi - a nice face, a handsome man and a versatile artist was a multidimensional person. Being an accounts lecturer, he was a very dedicated teacher fully involved with his students, while having a natural flair for acting; he was one of the most versatile actors of Pakistan Television.

No doubt, Hassam was one of the few actors from PTV Quetta Centre who are considered really erudite in their circle. His education and good background was evident in his acting as his accent and expressions used to be so strong that viewers used to feel characters played by him as real.

At one cruel evening, Hassam complained of kidney pain and then suffered a heart attack later at Liaquat National Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The grief news had broken down the heart of many of his fans as Hassam had worked from all the center of PTV and thus was popular all over Pakistan. His popularity was proved when thousands of fans, relatives and friends attended his funeral at his hometown Quetta for burial. There wasn't any eye without tears on this young and sudden death.

Hassam Qazi started his career from PTV Quetta Centre and 'Khali Haath' was his very first play. His last serial was 'Mitti ki Moorat', recording of which was going on these days at the KTV. His sudden death has left many of the private productions incomplete. Hassam's popular drama serials included 'Marvi', 'Silsaley', 'Dard Ke Fasley' and 'Chaun'.

Why are we so critical of ourselves and why the hell do we need to compare everything with the Indians.

Is the soundtrack of Salakain out in Pakistan.

The question remains is that will these two films ever get made. The situation will get interesting if Indian films are allowed to be screened in the next few months.

What makes me laugh how the hell could Javed Shiekh could say that KAKN will released on Eid-ul-Fitr or unless he meant Eid 2006. Also he is just wasting his time in Bollywood. What the hell does he want to achieve there.

Amjad Bobby records songs for Jawed, Gul's films in India

Lollywood's leading composer Amjad Bobby has recently returned from India after getting recorded six songs for Shahzad Gul's upcoming film 'Imaan' and seven songs for Jawed Sheikh's flick 'Khuley Aasman Key Neechey'. Both Shahzad and Jawed remained with Bobby in Mumbai during the songs' recording.

Amjad Bobby said that both Shahzad and Jawed want to make films for the international market and this was the reason that they sent him to Mumbai to record the songs, a task which took 45 days to complete. "To compete at international level they wanted to have DTS recording for better quality like their earlier films 'Teray Pyar Mein' and 'Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa'. Lyrics of Shahzad's film have been written by Prof Aqeel Rubby while songs of Jawed's film have been written by Nida Fazli". It may be mentioned here that Nida Fazli also wrote the songs of 'Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa'.

Bobby disclosed that songs of film 'Imaan' have been sung by Alka Yagnik, Udat Narain, Sheriya Goshal and Sadhna Sargam, while songs of 'Khuley Aasman Key Neechey' have been sung by Udat Narain, Sonu Nigam, Shan, Sikhwinder Singh, Sonidhi Chauhan, Kumar Sonnu, Sadhna Sargam and Alka Yagnik.

He said that he has worked hard on the compositions. "Technically speaking the recording were done on modern audio system. I have done justice with all my compositions and prepared melodious songs. Now it is up to Shahzad and Jawed to present good visuals.

Bobby says legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar has always been his favourite. He met her for the first time during his visit to Mumbai. He said that he was working at Mumbai's Studio 2 when Lata came. "She spent three hours with us and during that time listened to my compositions. She appreciated my work and spoke about Madam Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hassan and Master Ghulam Haider. I requested her to sing a song in my next film project, which she accepted", he said.

Lata heard Bobby singing on his composed tracks. She remarked that his voice was like that of Master Ghulam Haider. "It was a great honour for me that Lata Jee compared my voice to that of her ideal," he said.
Bobby's son Faisal Amjad and brother Moin Hussain accompanied him during his visit to Mumbai. Moin assisted him in songs' recording.

Its a load of rubbish.Its just promises and nothing else. On the one hand the goverment is allowing the screening of Indian and then this. Also they were no announcements in the recent budget except for a small decrease in Ent.Tax. The fact is that for the last 57 years no goverment has ever been interested in the film industry. If tommorrow the industry closes down the goverment won't shed a single tear. This is the reason why our industry is in the state it is in.

This is excellent news. One hopes that our filmakers follow this up. There is a potential market of over 1 billion people and Indian films are not allowed in China. Just imagine the potential. We should go for co-productions with China and also Iran. China are true friends and we should never trust the Indians. Just watch the change in the attitude of the Indians once Bollywood films get shown in Pakistani Cinemas.

The film did not have a bad story but making wise and direction it was very poor.

This is without doubt a great concept but it would have been much better had this film been shot on 35mm or been a full length feature film. If we really want to promote ourselves and show the world what we are really capable of then it has to be through films. We won't get any where by producing tele films or dramas.

This tele-film will be shown on T.V and everyone will just forget it which will be a shame. Had it been shot on 35mm at least it could have been sent to film festivels around the world if it was good enough or shown on the big screen

Also before other films like "Raat Chali Hay Jhoom Kai" which had a great concept but was only shown to a select audience at the Commonwealth Insitute and has never been released on DVD. The film "Daira" which was based on the brilliant novel "Moth Smoke" by Mohsin Hamid was shown on T.V and released on DVD. Over the last two years other short films have been made and have only been shown at the Kara Film Festival in Karachi.

The problem with all these films is that they all have been shot using video cameras and not one has been made on 35mm using film cameras. In turn what has occured that neither have these films been released in Cinema halls and also none of these films could be sent to International film festivels because the first condition that a majority of film festivals have is that all material must be shot on 35mm. So unfortunately very few people have seen these films or have even heard of them and that includes full length feature films. Its just a waste of talent.

On the other hand one just has to look at "Khamosh Pani", a full length feature film, a Pakistani director, shown at diffrent film festivels around the world and wins first prize for Best Film at the Swiss Film Festival. It is something like this which makes you proud and gets Pakistan international fame and shows the world what we are capable of.

The same thing could be said of "Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa", especially when its premiere was held at the Leicester Square in London and all the British and Asian Media covered this because it was the first time that a Pakistani film had its premiere at the Leicester Square.

When the film had its premiere in Manchester, the BBC North West News did a feature on the premiere and suddenly Javed Shiekh and Co were on British Television and every one was talking about Pakistan and Pakistani films.

This is why I feel very frustrated when I see and hear about the likes of Shoaib Mansoor, Jami, Asim Reza, Saqib Malik, Mahreen Jabbar, Ehsan Rahim and others all are thinking of making movies but no one really is coming forward. We Keep on saying that we have so much talent but when the hell are we ever going to show it.

Its high time that these and other talented people must come forward before its to late. These are the people who I feel can revive the film industry and show the world what the real Pakistan is and what our culture and traditions are.

One just has to look at Iran and India. Nothing is impossibe because we have all the talent in the world.

Well Reema is shooting for her film in Malaysia, its been confirmed again by another Urdu newspaper website.
   
   


   

Well we are a sex starved nation and no wonder no one is complaining. Joking aside this is a serious matter and something should be done and the government is also thinking of allowing the screening of Indian films in Pakistan. We are basically destroying our own society and our own future.

Well no goverment has ever cared for the last 57 years, so what is going to change now. One can just hope and pray.

I wish it was a joke but if you don't believe me just go to Pakistan and you will find out. Nearly every house has cable and they are all watching the Indian crap.

Thank god the story is different with the overseas Pakistanis who all have got the Pakistani channels and are proud of being Pakistani.

According to a newspaper report the Lux Style awards are going to be shown on PTV tomorrow evening (27th June).

Good can't wait. Well its great that its been shown on Sony because majority of the people in Pakistan who are crazy of Indian channels will also watch it because had it been shown on a Pakistani channel they would have never seen it. Hope for once they should realize that we are as talented as others.

Shaby I hope you are right but lets wait and see.

Come on guys when the Indians are making all these Anti- Pakistani films no one says a word. Whilse once in a blue moon when ever we make anything to counter the Indian crap then all hell breaks loose.

It appeared on the website of a urdu daily. Is it true or just gossip, time will tell.

The reason why Reema is shooting her film in Malaysia is that Shoaib Alam (Super Music Masti) who was the producer of Reema's film pulled out at the last moment. Unless Reema wanted to risk her own hard earned rupees she had to get another producer. She approched the producers of "Commando" to finance her project and they probably wanted the film to be shot in Malaysia as Commando was shot there.

I do feel sorry for Reema after all her planning and her numerous trips to England.

Reema has dropped Resham and model Sophia Mirza from her flick. Sophia was dropped from the film just a few days back because of her unreasonable demands according to Reema.

Any how good luck Reema.