Print

    Khayaal Festival 2015: 'Post Revival of Pakistani Cinema'

    Written by: Mir Sanaullah Khan
    Posted on: December 01, 2015 |

    (l-r) Adnan Sarwar, Sarmad Khoosat, Farjad Nabi and Jami Mahmood

    The second iteration of the highly acclaimed Khayaal Festival was held in Lahore on 28th and 29th November, graced by artists from all over Pakistan who have contributed to broad spectra in the realm of culture. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Pushing the Boundaries’. Perhaps one of the most important debates in literary circles today concerns the revival of our film industry. The release of revolutionary films in the last decade such as Khuda Ke Liye (2007) and Bol (2011) has paved the way for a slow and steady revitalization of the industry. But now that we are moving past that phase, what’s next for Pakistani films? Four artists responsible for the ongoing renaissance of the film industry were invited to discuss this pertinent issue. The panel consisted of Sarmad Khoosat, Jami Mahmood, Farjad Nabi and Adnan Sarwar, the creators of Manto, Moor, Zinda Bhaag and Shah, respectively. The discussion was moderated by Adnan Sarwar.

    “Is the revival phase over?” asked Adnan Sarwar. Farjad Nabi answered in affirmative with a big smile on his face. He recalled that when Zinda Bhaag was released in 2013, it was shown on 24 screens all over the country. However, today, Pakistan has 80 screens catering to cinema lovers. Farjad believes the field is open for everyone to experiment and express their creativity in the coming two years or so, before heavy competition kicks in. Sarmad Khoosat added that historically, creative space in Pakistani cinema was very thin, and only films based on a pre-existent formula were welcomed, which fortunately is not the case anymore.

    Even though the number of theatres has increased, there is still pressure from the distributors, Jami complained. Moor was highly popular with critics and box office alike, but it was soon taken down due to other shows going on houseful. This sort of attitude from the distributors is discouraging, he added.

    Khayaal Festival 2015: Post Revival of Pakistani Cinema

    Society and cinema go hand in hand, said Sarmad Khoosat. Cinema plays a major role in shaping the opinions of a society. For instance, for the American people, North Koreans, Russians and Jihadists are the enemy, not because of their foreign policy, but because of the way Hollywood portrays them. Should the film industry just stick to rom-coms, or should it play a role in educating the masses? Variety is essential, according to Khoosat. Everything depends on how directors package their movies. Sometimes they have to compromise on their creativity in order to cater to public demand. The extent to which the compromise is made is of course up to the director.

    Jami expressed his disapproval of the recent obsession with “item numbers”. He quoted Bollywood films Dabangg and Bajrangi Bhaijan as examples: in the former, Munni made 150 Crores, while in the latter, another Munni made 500 Crores. He remarked that the idea of making a woman dance just to make extra money is bizarre, and that films can make money through more creative ways. He added that the battle between creative films and masala films will continue, even in Hollywood.

    Jibran Nasir, the renowned human rights activist and lawyer, was also in attendance. He asked what steps were being taken by the directors or the artist community in general to deal with stricter censorship from the state in the future. Adnan Sarwar didn’t seem optimistic about any revolutionary resistance. He believed the issue must be tackled diplomatically; this way they would have more time to push for reforms gradually. “I don’t want authorities coming into the studios and asking me to shut everything down. I want to work in the little space I’ve got”, he said emphatically. However, Sarmad, Farjad and Jami criticized Pakistan’s censorship policies. They stated that while there is not much that can be done about the laws, censorship issues can be avoided by turning to creativity. There is always a way to subvert censorship; it’s up to the director’s ingenuity to undermine them, Khoosat said, winking at the crowd.

    The filmmakers also discussed their upcoming ventures with the audience. Jami said that he is currently working on a film titled ‘Downward Dog’, a black-and-white film based on Karachi in 1920. Farjad is working on a movie titled ‘Jeevan Hathi’, which is based on the media. Adnan and Sarmad confirmed that they are working on romantic movies.

    The discussion was brought to an end with the panelists acknowledging and appreciating the efforts of female directors in the Pakistani film industry, who had not received adequate representation in the past. The first day of the Khayaal Festival concluded with Peshawar-based band Khumariyaan taking the stage and entertaining the audience with their exhilarating rock tunes.


    RELATED ARTICLES:

    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021