There was a lot to choose from, entertainment-wise, this Eid! With three new films, all vying for a spot at No.1, which one truly deserved the hype? Let’s see what Pakistan’s senior entertainment journalists had to say.
Eid-ul-Adha marked the release of three highly anticipated Lollywood films. These included Nadeem Baig’s ‘London Nahi Jaunga’, Nabeel Qureshi’s ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’, and finally Abdul Khaliq’s ‘Lafangey’. However, the audience’s feedback was mixed. To understand public opinion better, Rabia Mughni from FUCHSIA Magazine took the initiative and hosted a panel discussion with four senior and renowned entertainment journalists from Pakistan – Buraq Shabbir (Arab News), Aamna Haider Isani (Something Haute), Maliha Rehman and Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (Dawn). Read on to see what they had to say.
Mahira Leads The Romance In ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’
‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ was received well by the critics who thought that the film was ‘entertaining’ and ‘relevant’. Overall, they collectively gave the film a four-star. However, Kamran Jawaid did raise his concerns about the film and had this to say:
“It was very much inspired by Bollywood. The film lost a bit of its identity somewhere due to that. That was the only thing keeping the film back. The second thing was Mahira. I was surprised to see her in this role as it felt that the formula used in the 80s where heroines didn’t get to shine was carried forward to in this film. The third thing was that post intermission I found the film to be dragged.”
Kamran Jawaid (Dawn)
Aamna Isani also agreed that ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ could’ve performed better with less screen time:
“I think it could have been half an hour shorter. Other than that I couldn’t find any fault in it. Also, there could have been a hint that something magical can happen in the first half and the music could have been better.”
Aamna Haider Isani (Something Haute)
However, Rabia Mughni disagreed about the film being stretched and had this to say:
“I had so much fun watching the film that I didn’t feel it was dragged.”
Rabia Mughni (FUCHSIA Magazine)
About Mahira’s role and character in the film our critics had this to add:
“I think Mahira was perfect in this role. Why should every heroine or every big actor have a big role…Mahira added such a necessary element to the film which is romance. She is leading the romance.”
Aamna Haider Isani (Something Haute)
“She could have had more scenes as a character in the second half.”
Kamran Jawaid (Dawn)
‘London Nahi Jaunga’ Highlights A Flawed Male Lead
Our critics discussed the characters and the storyline in depth. The panel had a particularly detailed discussion about the character of Chaudary Jameel played by our very own Humayun Saeed. Here is what they had to say:
While Aamna Isani believed that Chaudary Jameel’s character ‘didn’t have a character arc’, Kamran Jawaid believes that “the best stories are those of a flawed hero.”
“I find it wrong and I feel going forward the way we are changing our conversations we also need to change our scripts.”
Rabia Mughni (FUCHSIA Magazine)
Maliha Rehman had a justification for Humayun Saeed’s flawed character:
“You and I may not like him as a hero personally but you understand the story, why she (Sara) falls in love with him…It could have been a more mature and progressive narrative if there would have been one or two scenes where he (Chaudhary Jameel) actually backed off. Maybe, that would have given a more well-rounded message.”
Maliha Rehman (Dawn)
The critics felt that the story could have highlighted more on Vasay Chaudhry and Gohar Rasheed‘s character. About Gohar Rasheed’s character Bhatti, Kamran Jawaid had this to say:
Kamran Jawaid (Dawn)
“He is mostly there but he is not contributing to the story at all.”
Buraq Shabbir drew her own conclusions and had this to add:
“I found the scenes odd where she (Sara) is shown to be missing Chaudhary Jameel at the bridal shower and then it is followed by a lot of drama at the wedding. It seems like coming and going from London to Bahawalpur is a joke.”
Buraq Shabbir (Arab News)
The panel felt strongly that Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar wrote better scripts for dramas instead of films. According to Aamna Isani, “the story is outdated” and “we need younger and fresher writers.”
Maliha Rehman talked about the weakness of the film’s script:
“My biggest issue with the film was the repetition. I know that Khalil sahab was writing the script and it is famous about him that he doesn’t let any one touch his script. With this film I actually think he didn’t let anyone touch it, not even Nadeem Baig.”
Maliha Rehman (Dawn)
While Lafangey Delivered In Terms Of Acting
Kamran Jawaid summed up the film in the following statement:
There is no problem with the genre but it is not a good story nor does it have good music. However, the performances were good and Sammi Khan was great and so was Saleem Miraj.”
Kamran Jawaid (Dawn)
