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    Film Review: 'Chain Aye Na,' - What true love is not!

    Written by: Aiman Javed
    Posted on: August 17, 2017 | | 中文

    Sarish Khan as Ruba

    Before watching Syed Noor’s Chain Aye Na, I promised myself to critique it fairly, without prior biases influencing me. On the second day of release, I watched the film at noon, with only five other people in the cinema hall.  Of these, two left before intermission, while I struggled to remain seated for nearly three hours.

    Chain Aye Na is the story of Rayyan (Shehroz Sabzwari), who falls in love with Ruba (Sarish Khan). Ruba is already betrothed to Murad (Adil Murad) but Rayyan relentlessly pursues her despite her refusals. Eventually, Murad emerges as a villain. Let’s look at a single scene, which captures the essence of Chain Aye Na. The description has been interjected with what the heroine should have said, but didn’t:

    Film 'Chain Aye Na' - Shehroz Sabzwari and Sarish Khan as Rayyan and Ruba respectively

    Shehroz Sabzwari and Sarish Khan as Rayyan and Ruba respectively

    Rayyan grabs Ruba by the arm, and when she resists him, he slaps her thrice. Holding her against a tree, he declares, “The first two slaps are the answer to your two slaps. (Wait, what? You’d entered my bedroom without my permission, remember?) The third slap is a question. Who do you think you are? (The girl you’re crazy about?). If I wanted to, I could have looted everything from you. (How wonderful, a rape threat!) But I didn’t, because I love you (Okay, thank you?). Even now, what do you see in my eyes? True love! (This is definitely NOT true love!) The distance between us will only end on the night of our marriage. (Call the police! The mad-man is threatening marital rape now.)”

    Please note that this scene was entirely unnecessary to the plot, since it does not result in Ruba falling in love with Rayyan. It is only a prolonged comment on the nature of true love, which according to Chain Aye Na, is when you don’t rape the girl you like. This is the only line which isn’t crossed as Rayyan’s behavior in the film reveals, since harassment, stalking, manipulation, threats and eventually slapping the said girl is well within the realm of love.

    Film 'Chain Aye Na' - Adil Murad as Murad

    Adil Murad as Murad

    Of course, Syed Noor is hardly a gender sensitive film-maker, as the violence in Choorian (1998) proves. But Chain Aye Na, a horror story masquerading as a romance, is weak in several other aspects. The wardrobe for the heroine consists of formal western dresses, which look out of place in the local settings, while the hero wears vests with button-down shirts. The sound and visuals are often not in sync, and dramatic scenes have profuse usage of special effects such as slow motion and repetition. Moreover, the original soundtrack of the film can be best described as a series of C-Grade songs. The lyrics are bad and the composition is even worse.  

    Of the three lead characters, Sarish as Ruba is the most tolerable. Though her American accent is disconcerting, her acting is quite believable at certain points. Moreover, the character of Ruba had the potential to develop into an empowered female. Her big mistake occurs when in a drunken state she compares Rayyan and Murad, and decides that she loves Rayyan – a man who has shown her zero respect. I was considerably surprised that Sarish Khan, granddaughter of Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar, and someone who has been quite vocal about gender equality, agreed to debut in Chain Aye Na.

    Film 'Chain Aye Na' - Adil Murad and Sarish Khan as Murad and Ruba respectively

    Adil Murad and Sarish Khan as Murad and Ruba respectively

    Rayyan, a ‘sensitive’ musician with anger management issues, whose favorite dialogue is, “Ruba and I are getting married on 12th February,” was a considerably weak character. Shehroz Sabzwari’s over-the-top acting made him further irritating and at no point does one want to root for him.

    The villain Murad not only smokes, drinks, parties and flirts with Ruba, he also has a secret girlfriend who he later murders. As a ‘morally corrupt’ character, there is no complexity to him, and Adil Murad’s acting does nothing to make him stand out. Adil, who is the son of Waheed Murad, comes across as just another mediocre villain.

    Film 'Chain Aye Na' - Atiqa Odho as Ruba's mother

    Atiqa Odho as Ruba's mother

    These three are new in the film industry, but what is truly appalling is that veteran actors like Atiqa Odho, Nadeem Baig and Behroz Sabzwari agreed to be part of the film. As the negative reviews pour in, one wonders if any of them read the entire script.

    Yet, it was a film that could have been turned around. For one, it could succeed phenomenally as a satirical take on clichéd romantic films. Hilarious moments, such as when the hospitalized Rayyan ran to Ruba’s house while still wearing scrubs, occur throughout. Moreover, having spent eighty percent of the film rejecting Rayyan and hating Murad’s lifestyle, Ruba could have made the intelligent decision to get rid of both men. Even editing out the unnecessary slap scene, would have saved the film from being a complete disaster.

    Film 'Chain Aye Na' - Shehroz Sabzwari and Nadeem Baig

    Shehroz Sabzwari and Nadeem Baig

    In 2017, with the Pakistani film industry improving each day, a regressive movie like Chain Aye Na will not find an audience. The typical formula of a weak plot and a star cast, with some violence and romance thrown in, simply doesn’t work anymore. Chain Aye Na teaches us what Pakistani cinema should never stoop to again. Let us hope future filmmakers pay heed, for they can all learn from Syed Noor’s drastic mistakes.


    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.

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    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
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    January 2021