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| Will Wasim Akram, who played the role of a bank manager in 'Money Back Guarantee', prove to be the 'Sultan of films'? |
After a long time, eight films are being screened on Eid-ul-Fitr in Pakistan, including six national and two international films.
Historically, the themes of our films are non-political and if ever politics is made the subject of a film, it usually portrays politicians as corrupt while politics is not presented in a good way.
Movies also show brave and dishonest police officers. Apart from the aforementioned Ikka Duka Departments, even mentioning a third 'institution', the fans of the filmmakers get angry.
However, in the film 'Money Back Guarantee' by Faisal Qureshi, who debuted his film career on Eid, politicians have been shown as corrupt.
But the highlight of the film is that Wasim Akram, known as the 'Sultan of Swing' in the world of cricket, and his Australian-born wife Shanira, are also making their film career debut.
On this Eid, the country's electronic media anchor person Kamran Shahid is also entering the fray as a film director.
The name of the film directed by him is 'Hoy Tum Ajini' which deals with the historical, ideological, political, and geographical transformation of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.
But Kamran Shahid says that his film is primarily a romantic film whose characters, story, and events are related to this change that took place in 1970.
Will Wasim Akram be called the 'Sultan of Film'?
Wasim Akram while talking to BBC Urdu said that the main reason for his work in 'Money Back Guarantee' is the director of the film, Faisal Qureshi.
According to him, Faisal is like his younger brothers, but the reason for working in the film is not only brotherhood but the script of the film and his role.
Waseem Akram laughed at a question and said, "You all know me that I am a non-political person, I have nothing to do with practical politics, but the subject of this film is political."
Talking about his role, he said, 'In Moneybag Guarantee, I play the role of a bank manager whose motto is 'Our bank protects your money more than your honor. .'
The cricket star added that 'corrupt politicians have hidden the money earned from corruption in the bank, I am the manager of this bank where Fawad Khan is my assistant.'
In response to a question that he was junior to Javed Sheikh, Fawad Khan, Mikal Zulfiqar, Afzal Rambo, and Gauhar Rashid as an 'actor' in the film, Wasim Akram said that it was very difficult for him to speak dialogues in front of superstar Fawad Khan. Fawad Khan, Javed Shaikh, Mikal Zulfikar, Afzal Rambo, and Gohar Rasheed supported me a lot while Faisal Qureshi kept me calm by providing facilities.
Wasim Akram said that Shanira played the role of an American journalist in this film. "This role is a big suit for him. Former US President Donald Trump's role has also been interestingly included in the film."
Is there any item song included in the film?
In response to this question, Waseem Akram said in Lahore style 'Item song te koi nain par main aap nachiya want (i.e. item song to no one but I danced myself).
Wasim Akram says about doing more work in films that a person should do what he can enjoy and nature has given him the ability.
I have been doing commercial modeling since 1985 but acting for film and TV is another field. In commercial modeling, I have to give only two days and memorize small sentences, but in the film, many times I have to memorize dialogues written on pages and act on them, which has proved to be a very difficult task for me.
When Wasim Akram was asked if he would give a 'money-back guarantee' to the viewers of his film?
So he laughed and shook his head in the negative and said that there is no guarantee, but I will tell my Pakistanis to leave their homes on the day of Eid and watch this film. This film is being shown in more than 800 cinemas in more than 20 countries of the world.
Only the people can guarantee the success of the Money Bag Guarantee, but at the same time, another film 'Hoy Tum Ajini' released on Eid-ul-Fitr is also attracting moviegoers.
Fawad Khan's two heroines, Karsi and Daulat
Superstar Fawad Khan, who played the role of a bank assistant in Money Back Guarantee, says that the reputation of Pakistan's film industry cannot be completely restored by the phenomenal success of just one film, 'The Legend of Moolah Jat'.
"We all have to fight professionally to bring people to the cinemas," he says.
Fawad Khan says, 'I have two heroines in the film, one is a chair and the other is wealth.'
"Hoy Tum Ajiraj" is a story of romantic, emotional, and human relationships.
Speaking to BBC Urdu, Kamran Shahid said that his film 'Hoy Tum Ajini' is a story of romance, emotion, and human relationships. In which the protagonists Zeenat and Nizam meet when civil war breaks out in (former) East Pakistan.
These roles are played by Mikal Zulfikar and Sadia Khan.
He says that in the story of the film, two lovers have to face the egos of fundamentalists and nationalists. The film is the epitome of romance and intense emotions, as the lovers stand at a crossroads where they have to choose between their homeland and love.
Lovers of their soulsThey also struggle to convince themselves what they want from life.
Kamran Shahid said that it was a difficult task for me that I had to create the atmosphere of the 1970s half a century ago in the film. To show all this on the screen of the film, the team I created included professionals and talented people from Pakistan and Hollywood.
Kamran Shahid said about the star cast of the film that 'Mikal Zulfikar, Sadia Khan, Sohail Ahmed, Mahmood Aslam, Shafqat Cheema, Samina Pirzada, Ayesha Umar, Shamoon Abbasi and his father actor Shahid are among the main characters.'
In terms of the story and events of the film, the roles of Indira Gandhi, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto are also included.
Apparently, Sohail Ahmed will be seen playing the role of a prostitute in the film, but actually, it is the role of Iqlim Akhtar Rani aka General Rani.
When Kamran Shahid was asked about the change in this role, he said, "These are secondary things. My story and its basic idea were not asked to be modified."
Is this film funded by any specific organization? On this, Kamran Shahid said that the finances for the film have been arranged by my father actor Shahid, it would be better if you ask him this question.
Kamran Shahid said that 'Hoy Tum Ajini' is not a propaganda film, it is a historical truth presented on the big screen.
"Someone may disagree with my point of view, but I have done this honestly."
Comparison of eight film releases since 1981
Nadeem Baig, Yasir Nawaz, and Nabeel Qureshi were known as Eid specialists for a long time and now they have apparently been replaced by Faisal Qureshi, Kamran Shahid, and others.
The record for the number of films to be screened on Eid this year is 1981 Eid when nine films were released, mostly starring Sultan Rahi and heroine Anjuman.
Sultan Rahi and Anjuman's films included Chan Variam, Salasaheb, and Sher Khan, all three celebrated Diamond Jubilee hat-tricks.
The composer of all three films was Wajahat Atre who sang most of the songs for the said films from Malika Tarnam Noor Jahan, all of which are popular even today.
Notably, the eight films to be screened on Eid this year will be available in only 61 cinemas and around 130 screens across the country. Whereas if we talk about the neighboring country India, there are 8,700 cinemas across the country. On this account, the number of cinemas for screening Pakistani films cannot be considered salt in the flour.