Elections are approaching nearer day by day and the enthusiasm of all political parties is on a high note. A hefty amount is being spent on print, electronic, and social media campaigns. Manifestos have been announced, claiming highly on issues like law and order, internal stability, energy crisis, foreign investment, education and establishment of new universities, making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state, green revolution and relief to farmers, infrastructure development, poverty alleviation, liberation from the slavery of America, and other beautifully carved slogans. But where are culture, arts, and restoration of film industry? Is this issue considered by any political party and included in its manifesto? Certainly, no party. And if, it’s there by anyone, it would be a mere eye wash.

PPP, PML-N, PML-Q, MQM have no point at all in their manifestos regarding entertainment industry and crisis-hit Lollywood. PTI (claiming and asserting with full force to make a Naya Pakistan), has only one point in its manifesto that PTV will be given a status of autonomous body but nothing for Lollywood. However, ANP has claimed to promote arts, culture, artists, and other people attached to this field; but they also didn’t give any point for film industry. So at the beginning of a new government, the future of Lollywood has still a big question mark.

That clearly means no political party is seriously interested in shaping up the cultural face of Pakistan. Culture that shows the world how our nation looks like, our language, dress, food, life style, values, ideology, traditions, arts, aesthetics, and what kind of people we are.

To get Lollywood firmly stand on its feet, we need a full fledge cultural policy, the first and foremost thing. Under that policy, film industry be supported financially and in terms of talent. But such policy can be made only by a person(s) having strong understanding of arts and entertainment, or by the film makers on their own. Perhaps no political party has anyone with such artistic skills.

Film industry has to devise a plan itself to get their demands fulfilled. Like, artists and others related to film industry should participate in elections, and take steps for industry’s betterment after reaching in assemblies. There are certain faces from industry participating in elections 2013, like Shafqat Zahra Bukhari (Meera’s mother), Laila, Musarrat Shaheen etc. but the thing is they should work for Lollywood after winning a seat in assemblies. Only this way, industry can solve its problems on more solid basis.

Lollywood is an industry that can’t stand on firm basis without government support. There are many matters depending on state, like infrastructure development, concession in entertainment tax, establishment of film and performing arts academies, state of the art cinemas and studios, promotion of arts and culture through different sources etc. can’t be done by film makers or production studios on their own.

Former Punjab government spent billions of rupees on laptop and Metro bus schemes each, but film industry couldn’t get one billion even. This thing is quite enough to consider the stark situation of the important source of entertainment in the country. Why the hell our leaders don’t give a damn to art and entertainment. Though, it’s quite obvious that we need entertainment today more than ever before. It can’t be fulfilled through Indian and English movies, as we all want to see the culture, traditions, characters, and stories of our own society, not of India, America, and England etc. This is the matter of our very survival …

And who knows what the future of cinema industry is after the formation of new government? We’re left with the only option of wait and see. Let’s hope the future will be very bright……

This post, Will the upcoming Pakistani Government be favorable of Lollywood? , was originally published at PakiUM.com

Ashen Streets is a contemporary adaptation of the poetic work “Shikwa” written by Dr Iqbal, Watch official trailer below:

This post, Ashen Streets (Official Trailer) , was originally published at PakiUM.com

The movie is finally scheduled to release on April 26, 2013 i.e two weeks prior to Elections in Pakistan.

WATCH NOW the impressive new THEATRICAL TRAILER of CHAMBAILI:

This post, Theatrical Trailer of Pakistani Film Chambaili (Movie Releasing April 26) , was originally published at PakiUM.com

Credits:

Genre Fiction
Starring Salmaan Peerzada, Khalid Ahmed, Maira Khan, Shafqat Cheema, Omair Rana, Sadia Hayat, Saiqa Khayyam, Ali Tahir, Ethisham, Khalid Qureshi, Fatima, Ali Fateh, Humayun Bin Rathor and Shahzad Nawaz- Special guest appearance by Ghulam Mohiuddin
Directed by Ismail Jilani
Written By Shahzad Nawaz
Screenplay by Shahzad Nawaz
Produced by Abdullah Kadwani & Shahzad Nawaz
Studio Independent Film in association with Geo Films

Watch out now Official movie trailer of upcoming Pakistani Film Chambaili below:

This post, Chambaili – Pakistani Film 2013 (Official Movie Trailer) , was originally published at PakiUM.com

Update: the previously shared movie poster is termed as a FAKE by the film producers, therefore it has now been removed from site.

Cricket and films are two of the most favorite pastimes of people in the subcontinent. Both these terms are now being merged by Humayun Saeed, as he is producing a movie based on the life of flamboyant Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi. The trend of such sports related movies has been imported from the neighboring country, where movies based on sports have gained much popularity after the success of “Chak De! India.”

The film titled as “Main Hun Shahid Afridi”  implicates the struggles and attainments of a simple boy who made it big in cricket through sheer determination and hard work. 19 year old cricketer Noman Habib will portray the lead role of cricketer Shahid Afridi.

Another reason for keeping fingers crossed for the film is Mahnoor Balcoh, who reportedly is performing an Item song for the movie. It has been revealed that the song on which she will be performing her much awaited item number is “Charhti Jawani”. Besides Mahnoor, the star cast of the film includes Humayun Saeed, Javed Sheikh, Nadeem Baig, Shafqat Cheema, Ismail Tara, Abid Kashmiri, Annie Jaffry, Seemi Raheel, Farhana Maqsood, Shahzad Sheikh and Shahid Afridi himself .

The film is being directed by Syed Ali Raza. The film’s promotional work is about to begin and it will not take long for the viewers to see its trailers on TV channels. The movie is expected to be released in the coming summer.

This post, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi Movie Releasing Soon , was originally published at PakiUM.com

Wiam Ammar Dhamani , delighted on the first promotional event of her debut film said ‘ It was a great experience of working in this film and I love Pakistan ! Thankfully I got a great director and team which was a huge support , I thank them all for giving me such love and respect. Hopefully you will see me not only in this film but in more Pakistani films Inshallah’.

Ahsan Khan while speaking to the media said that he was very happy to be a part of the project.

Shaan was of the stance that we need directors like Mr Shehzad Rafique to ensure the making of quality Pakistani films like these. He further added that this film is based on Sufism and the essence of spirituality is what makes it different.

All other present event at the event expressed their best wishes for the film.

Check out the pictures from the music launch event below:

This post, Music Launch of upcoming Pakistani Film Ishq Khuda (Pictures) , was originally published at PakiUM.com

The film is Film Hijrat portrays human rights issues in Pakistan and is a romantic flick. It is about a love triangle and elaborates many problems in Pakistan. Asad Zaman, the model who won the Reality Show “Hero Bannay Ki Tarang“, will portray the role of  a carefree young man who finds himself thrown into the world of pain and agony – a refugee camp where he sees the flip side of life and where paradoxically he also finds love.

Along with Rabia Butt and Asad Zaman, the cast of film Hijrat also includes Noman Ijaz, Azra Aftab, Ayub Khoso and the Moroccan actress Wiam Dhamani who is also staring in Shehzad Rafique’s film ‘Ishq Khuda’.The film’s music will be composed by Sahir Ali Bagga and will features the vocals of Ali Azmet, Rahat Fateh Ali, Atif Aslam, Richa Sharma and Shreya Ghoshal. Hijrat will be shot in the UK and India besides Pakistan and will be released internationally.

This post, Asad Zaman Replaces Shazad Sheikh In Farooq Mengal’s Film Hijrat , was originally published at PakiUM.com

The title Siyaah aptly embodies the cryptic content of this hair-raising horror flick. The story revolves around a married couple, Bilal (Jabbar Naeem) and Zara (Hareem Farooq) who move into a new house on the outskirts of Islamabad following a personal tragedy. They decide to adopt a child to mitigate their woes and the plot thickens. Little Natasha (Mahnoor Usman), is no regular child and entangles the lives of her foster parents in a web of ominous experiences.

Despite the aesthetic and the technical snags – the film has visible issues with focus, moiré and aliasing, as well as extreme color grading that either crushes or demolishes chromatic details – Siyaah is a testament of a young-team’s resolve in making an independent Pakistani feature film. Mahnoor Usman stands out as an actor for she is the centerpiece of the atmosphere of horror and lives up to her role. She has an incredible command over her expressions for a girl her age and captures the coy and venomous subtext of her character quite remarkably.

The audience was quite responsive and gasped and screamed at the scary moments and lamented at the sad ones, discussing the film’s developments in whispers. For the duration of the film they were completely engrossed in the world of Zara, Bilal and Natasha. The film’s grotesqueness is nicely balanced with some light moments and witty pop culture references. These seemed to go down well with the cinema audience who for instance were giggling away to an allusion made to pea soup while mocking Hollywood exorcism flicks.

let us know your review in the comment section below.

This post, Movie Review: Siyaah , was originally published at PakiUM.com

Extortionist is based on a screenplay by the international award winning writer, Summer Nicks. This movie will challenge how you think & perceive situations around you.

The movie is starring stunning Aamina Sheikh, who was bestowed the best actress prize at the New York International film festival, the renowned actor Shaan Shahid who has received kudos through countless Pakistani blockbusters, Iman Ali & the acclaimed actor and director Shamoon and AYUB Khuso.

“The Extortionist” is surely to receive lots of accolades because of its high production values & internationally renowned cast. Furthermore, the movie features songs by the legendary Pakistani singer- Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

The film includes three original songs and three remixes. The songs will be composed by Waqar Ali, an industry veteran who has composed classic numbers including the album ‘ Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat’ and songs for the famous Pakistani drama serial ‘Humsafar’.The video of the main song will show romantic scenes between Iman and Shaan.

The official PR is handled by Catalyst PR & Marketing.
Photo courtesy : Movie Shoovy

This post, Pakistan’s First Spy Action Thriller “The Extortionist” , was originally published at PakiUM.com

In 1950s, some years after Pakistan’s independence, Lollywood was struggling hard to establish itself. By the grace of God and with the help of migrated artists, slowly and gradually our industry started producing quality work. In 1951, Chanvay (directed by Madam Noor Jahan) and in 1952, Dupatta (directed by Sibtain Fazli) came and with these movies, Lollywood made its presence felt as an independent film industry. So Pakistan got the way to success and then there was no looking back.

Maula Jatt was a classic, a film that scored heavily and reached cult status in Pakistan. (Released in 1971)

50s, 60s, 70s, and some years of 80s as well was the golden era of Lollywood. The journey starting from Chanvay continued till mid 80s. After that, unluckily, we couldn’t keep the right path. The mega success of Maula Jutt in 1971 detracted our directors from Urdu to Punjabi. They utilized the talent of late Sultan Rahi for Gujjar and Jutt characters only. Marshall Law period by Zia-ul-Haq also contributed to the failure of our industry as his government didn’t support the art work as it should be.

In late 80s and early 90s, Reema, Shan, Madiha Shah, Babar Ali, Rambo, Sahiba, Resham, Saud, Sana, Arbaz Khan, Khushboo, Saima, Moammar Rana and many others were introduced. 90s, the last decade of the century, can also be admitted a successful one as we saw Bulandi, Jeeva, Sangam, Sargam, Ghooghat, Dupatta jal raha hay, Nikah, Rukhsati, Mushkil, Hathi meray sathi, Chief Saab, Khoey ho tum kahan, Khilona, Choorian, and many other hit films.

Our films since 1951 to mid 80s were a great source of entertainment, education, information, and social change. Because of being social subjects, movies of that era like Daivar bhabi, Ayyaz, Armaan, Shaheed, Umrao jaan ada, Surayya bhopali, Dosti, Aaina, Shama, Bahisht, Yeh aman, Zarqa, Anjuman, Bazar-e-Husn, Bandish, Dehleez, and a long list of names, had a great influence on viewers’ lives. These movies contributed a lot to a positive social change through story, character, poetry, and music.

Propaganda tool was also powerfully used by veteran director Riaz Shahid who portrayed the wars of Palestine and Kashmir. Parvaiz Malik, Shabab Kairanvi, Hassan Tariq, S. M. Yousuf, Qadeer Ghori, W. Z. Ahmad, Luqman, Ehtesham, Nazr-ul-Islam, and other directors of the era gave us awareness and education through cinema art.

Dupatta Jal Raha Hai was one of the popular hits of later 90′s. Starring Ali Ahmad, Nadeem Baig and Arbaaz Khan. Released in 1998

At present, movies are being made in a low quantity. Those too are mostly on typical Jutt, Gujjar, Chowdhry, Vadera, or a specific clan. Another character, prostitute, is also very common one in Lollywood movies. Like we saw in Majajan, Zill-e-Shah, Nach kay yaar manana, Sooha jorra, Gujjar da kharrak etc. On the contrary, Hassan Tariq (Umrao jaan ada, Surayya bhopali), and Javaid Fazil (Bazar-e-Husn) portrayed the ture colors of this element of our society fulfilling all the creative, technical, and social demands.

In present age movies, Shoaib Mansoor has also made it skillfully acted by Iman Ali in Bol. If we talk about awareness and education of the people through films, Bol is the perfect example, simultaneously covering the hot issues of daughters’ rights, desire of son, prostitutes, and middle sex people.

In recent productions, Bhai log by Syed Faisal Bukhari, and Shareeka by Syed Noor were also good in subjects. Bhai log covered the atmosphere and life of under world and Shareeka had the subject of property disputes, step relations, unfair desire of wealth and power etc.

The directors like Shoaib Mansoor, Syed Faisal Bukhari, Syed Noor, and Shahzad Rafique who are still working and contributing to the restoration of our industry some way or the other, are worth praise. Also some young directors are coming to the surface with their work, for example Kaptaan, Chambiali, The Dusk, and Seedlings. The long gaps between quality works must be narrowed down to catch up the audience and keep them intact. Let’s hope Lollywood is going to showcase some really good work in the coming months!

This post, Lollywood contribution to social change of our society , was originally published at PakiUM.com