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    Film Review: 'Balu Mahi' - On Its Way but Not Quite There

    Written by: Hurmat Majid
    Posted on: February 11, 2017 |

    Osman Khalid Butt as 'Balu' and Ainy Jaffri as 'Mahi'

    Osman Khalid Butt and Ainy Jaffri's debut movie is a boy-meets-girl story with a twist. With so much hype surrounding a film, one can't help but expect something great, and while Balu Mahi delivered that on the 'unexpected storyline' front, the execution was lacking.

    Starting with the plot, there's nothing particularly new about it; but that said, if we look at films the world over, there's also nothing new under the sun. While some filmmakers are content with creating replicas of what sells in Bollywood, the Balu Mahi team has actually made the effort of starting a dialogue, while still keeping the film light. This is quite commendable when we put it into perspective in the Pakistani film scene.

    One thing that must be mentioned is that the whole film has been shot in Pakistan, and most locations have been very well picked. Be it Hunza or Lahore, the film has done justice to showcasing Pakistan's beauty and giving us some vacation goals.

     

    The songs in general are nice, but the one that steals the show is the Rahat Fateh Ali Khan qawwali, Rang De Chunar. The general consensus in the theatre was that the film actually started looking up from that point on.

    Now that pretty much everything else has been discussed, there is no way a discussion on the acting can be avoided. Coming to the main lead, Osman Khalid Butt as ‘Balu’ is charming and easy on the eyes, but the boy can't quite act — there, I said it. If this was a movie where the actors simply had to keep a straight face and try to look like they were contemplating grave matters, OKB's performance would have won him an award. This film, however, involved a spectrum of normal human emotions, most of which the male lead did not seem comfortable with.

     

    Ainy Jaffri, on the other hand, took on the role of ‘Mahi’ with such emotion that there were points in the movie where we wanted her to tone it down a bit. She should, however, be commended for taking on a role that most other young Pakistani actresses would not have dreamed of. More power to you Ainy.

    Shafqat Cheema, Pakistan's favorite villain, has broken into the new cinema scene with all we expect of him and more. He has played the role of Mahi's overbearing grandfather really well. This is one actor who does not need to prove his acting credentials; he has been in the field since before many of us were born, yet his streak continues. The big plus here was that Mr. Cheema adapted well to a movie that is fifty shades different than films like Choorhiyan, which many might consider to be his forte. Veteran actress Durdana Butt's parallel to Cheema brought back memories of an era gone by in the best possible way.

    Film Balu Mahi: Durdana Butt and Shafqat Cheema

    (L) Durdana Butt, (R) Shafqat Cheema

    Sadaf Kanwal was in the film for a reason, and she justified that reason completely with great help from the wardrobe department. Kudos to her, and that's practically all there is to say about it. 

    Film Balu Mahi: Javed Sheikh as seen in the film

    Javed Sheikh as seen in the film

    The soon-to-be if not already famous Javed Sheikh sequence in the farmhouse may have been an attempt at adding humor while breaking boundaries, but some of us thought that the film could have done without it. One fact about Sheikh Sahib that amuses us is that he is to be found in every mainstream Pakistani film ever made. Is that ever going to change?

    Overall, Balu Mahi is worth watching, and the fact that we have started to look for a balance between mainstream cinema and cultural dialogue should be celebrated. But the industry, in return, must understand that their audience has great expectations from them – not just in terms of entertainment, but also in terms of quality cinema.


    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