Pakistani Cinema

Naseeruddin Shah will venture Lollywood Again with ‘Zinda Bhaag’

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:48 AM PDT

LAHORE, April 4: Farjad Nabi, Meenu Gaur and Mazhar Zaidiare the three people behind Naseeruddin Shah's latest secret endeavours inPakistan.

The celebrated Indian actor last week shot in Lahore for abi-lingual Pakistani film, 'Zinda Bhaag'. The film is directed by an equallymysterious Mr Nabi, with Ms Gaur, a trained filmmaker of Indian origins, as theco-director. Mr Zaidi, a well known media hand with a stint at the BBC behindhim, plays the ambitious producer looking to set a trend.Naseeruddin Shahreturned to India on Wednesday after completing a seven-day spell of shooting.He had visited Lahore last month also to familiarise himself with the city andalso to conduct a week-long workshop with a group of greenhorns included in thecast of the film. His visits to the city were not advertised since he wanted towork quietly away from the media gaze.

The directors, who have also co-authored the script for'Zinda Bhaag', told Dawn on Wednesday the film has a mix of Punjabi and Urdu.The theme revolves around the youngsters' urge to find a short cut to a lifeabroad, hence the title 'Zinda Bhaag' (Escape!).

Ms Gaur says many of the youngsters who are playingimportant roles in the film have no formal background in acting. "We held some2,000 auditions to select 140," she says. In a fitting prelude to the film,these youngsters were then given in the care of Mr Shah whose role in the filmis that of a local tough with multiple facets to his personality. He acts asthe godfather to a bunch of mohalla boys and is not averse to give them ahelping hand on their way out.

The film raises expectations given the star value ofNaseeruddin Shah, who has earlier acted in Shoaib Mansoor's acclaimed 'KhudaKay Liye'. He has time and again expressed a desire to work in Pakistaniventures and enjoys a large following here.

The director-duo of Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi have beenaround for some time and their advent in what is called the realm of commercialfeature film is a sign that could encourage others and inspire change towardsbetter-quality cinema.

Meenu Gaur obtained a masters degree in film and video fromthe Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), JMI University, New Delhi. Herfilm, 'Paradise on a River of Hell', set in Kashmir, has received criticalacclaim.

Farjad Nabi has been doing a bit of running around himselfand has built a reputation for doing things his own way. He has made a name forhimself as a filmmaker, starting with a film that mapped Nusrat Fateh AliKhan's global tour, more his journey away from his origins, a decade and a halfago.

For the vocals, the 'Zinda Bhaag', team has the services ofthe current heavyweight Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Arif Lohar and Amanat Ali, withSahir Ali Bagga as the composer. The film introduces two new singers in SaleemJawad and Iqra, while the acting cast includes three fresh faces in Khurram,Zohaib and Salman in major roles.

The cast includes Sarfraz Ansari, Imarn-ul-Haq and MalikAslam, all three experienced players from the parallel theatre in Lahore. Theboys are given company by veteran film actor Naghma, fashion model Amna Ilyas,and what adds to the suspense about the film, by commercial theatre actor SanamNazli.

"It is a low budget film that seeks to break the Pakistanifilm stereotype," says producer Mazhar Zaidi. "We would like to release it simultaneouslyin Pakistan and India."

Article Published in : Dawn (4 April 2012)

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Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:43 AM PDT

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