Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: October 19, 2022 | 
| 中文
Fawad Khan as Maula Jatt and Mahira Khan as Mukhho in 'The Legend of Maula Jatt'
It is a remake of an old Punjabi blockbuster by the same name made in 1979, which was directed by Younis Malik and produced by Sarwar Bhatti. However, this time, it is Bilal Lashari in the driving seat as both the director and the scriptwriter. While Ammara Hikmat and Dr. Asad Jameel Khan have produced it. Bilal Lashari came to prominence with his debut as a director of the film Waar in 2013, which was also a blockbuster. After a long hiatus of almost nine years, he has once again created waves with The Legend of Maula Jatt.
Bilal Lashari, the director
The film revolves around the rivalry between good and evil. However, the appeal of The Legend of Maula Jatt lies in the presentation of the story. Ten years in the making, the existence of the film itself became a bit of a legend. People would often ask the writer and director Bilal Lashari “Kabb aygi Maulaa Jatt” (when will the film gets released?) only to get “jald aayagi” (it will be released soon) response from him. There were legal battles against the project, years lost because of the Covid-19 lockdown, but now when the film is here, no one is complaining about the time it took, for the wait was worth the while.
To briefly describe the story: The Legend of Maula Jatt shows the happenings in a fictional land in Punjab where the Natt clan has ruled for ages. This oppressive and exploitative clan have kept the people of the land poor. However, one fine day, the hero of the villagers returns, and he is Maula Jatt (Fawad Khan). He is the son of the previous Maula Jatt, who, along with his wife, was murdered by the Natts. Noorie Natt (Hamza Ali Abbasi), the eldest son of the Natt clan has voluntarily confined himself for years, because the world outside does not hold any challenge for him till the arrival of Maula Jatt.
Humaima Malik as Daro and Fawad Khan as Maula Jatt
Daro (Humaima Malik) is Noorie’s sister, and has aced the subtleties of her role. It is truly a performance Humamia can retire on and still be remembered for the rest of her life, as the legendary actor that played Daro. Makhhah, the Natt clan’s younger son, has been played by Gohar Rasheed, a performance we have been waiting for. We have often seen Rasheed play negative roles, but to play a role with such complex workings is a challenge for anyone, and not only has Rasheed taken it up, but he has also delivered. Jeeva (Shafqat Cheema) has acquitted himself with great aplomb in the role of their father, who heads the Natt clan. As an actor who has experience of acting in Punjabi films, the temptation to overact was restrained by Lashari’s nuanced direction.
Mirza Gohar Rasheed as Makhhah and Shafqat Cheema as Jeeva
Mahira Khan plays Maula’s sweetheart, Mukhho, and does an adequate job as an actor, but her screen presence makes up for any acting flaws that may be visible. Mukhho is almost like an alter ego to Maula Jatt, from crooning a song atop a Ferris wheel, to encouraging Maula before the big fight. And while the acting may be marginally above par, the way sparks fly on screen every time she and Fawad are on the screen, one would not want any other actor in the world to play Mukkho except Mahira.
Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan
And finally, on to Fawad and Hamza Ali Abbasi, who are key players in the film, and who have performed brilliantly. In terms of acting, Hamza may have outshone Fawad slightly, but that has got more to do with the role he had, which was more challenging. Viewers have no doubt about how evil Noorie is, but every sentence he utters sounds poetic, and every dialogue ends with Sohneya. The audience is mesmerized by his performance, although aware how evil Noorie is. Fawad Khan has outdone himself, his performance as Maula is uninhibited and brilliant. Forgotten is Fawad Khan’s role as Asher Rehman of Humsafar, who is transformed from his traditional roles as a gentle hero into a village roughneck, albeit a good guy who takes on the evil forces in his village. The legacy that Fawad Khan will leave behind as Maula Jatt will be remembered for generations to come.
Hamza Ali Abbasi as Noorie Natt
The film is not a sequel to the classic Maula Jatt, it is also not a remake as Lashari has taken a lot of liberty with the story. The best way to describe it is that it is the reimagining of Maula Jatt with the lens of the 21st-century. The film has been released internationally and created a stir in just one short weekend. The visual effects in the film are unparalleled, the stunts performed have never been seen in Pakistani films and the production quality is meticulous. There’s hardly anything negative one can say about the film, apart from the ticket prices.
Poster of Maula Jatt, 1979
Unfortunately, the film is not being played by 60% of Pakistan’s cinemas because of a tiff between distributors and cinema owners. While the cause of the dispute is not clear, it is sad that for once, our whole film industry could not come together to bring a film to the people, especially one for which they have been waiting for so long.
All in all, The Legend of Maula Jatt is worth the wait, worth the ticket price, and worth travelling to the other side of the city for. I believe there will be many viewers like me who would want to watch it over and over again. The team deserves a standing ovation!
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