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    Film Review: Chupan Chupai - A Comedy of Literal Errors

    Written by: Noor Ul Ain
    Posted on: January 03, 2018 | | 中文

    Ahsan Khan as Babu and Neelam Muneer as Pari

    Dubbed as an action-comedy, Chupan Chupai kicks off with the story of three unemployed friends Feddy, Koki and Teeli, played by Zayed Razzaque Sheikh, Ali Rizvi and Vajdaan Shah respectively, who cross paths with Babu (Ahsan Khan) and Pari (Neelam Muneer) after a scuffle at a dhaba. While they all seem to make their living through petty crimes (after they are spewed out by the white-collar formal sector), the “gang” eventually find themselves embarking on their biggest job yet—the kidnapping of a minister’s son Bobby (Faizan Khwaja) who unexpectedly, has some nefarious plans of his own. The story that ensues is a comedy of errors, where a viewer is expected to suspend their disbelief as a sequence of ridiculous, outrageous events unfolds.

    The gang

    The gang

    Directed and co- written by Mohsin Ali (who previously wrote Wrong No.), Chupan Chupai offers some entertaining moments where the audience rippled with laughter, or giggled sheepishly at sly innuendos and pop culture references. It also offers an interesting cast line- up, where it pairs veteran actors like Jawaid Sheikh, Talat Hussain, Rehan Sheikh, Sakina Samo, Adnan Jaffar and Saife Hassan with new NAPA graduates, Faizan Khawaja, Ali Rizvi, Vajdan Shah and Zayed Razzaque Sheikh. This is rounded up with the inclusion of familiar stars like Ahsan Khan and Neelam Muneer, who are a draw in the theatre world with their star power.

    Vajdaan Shah as Teeli, Zayed Razzaque as Feddy and Ali Rizvi as Koki

    (L-R) Vajdaan Shah as Teeli, Zayed Razzaque as Feddy and Ali Rizvi as Koki

    The film also has a melodious original soundtrack, produced and composed by Adnan Dhool and Rabi Ahmed (from the band Soch), with catchy songs like ‘Jhoom Le,’ ‘Paanch Choohay’ and ‘Sadqa’. The placement of these songs in the film and why there needs to be two casual minutes of female objectification (especially in the case of Jhoom Le and Sadqa) in random parts of the story, are both questions left unanswered.

    The sudden jump to a club in Dubai with innumerable white women in the highly sexualized ‘Jhoom Le’ is just one example of the place allotted to women in Chupan Chupai. The entirety of Neelum Munir’s role as Pari in the film is as a product of Babu’s imagination, and as expected, he imagines her continually in scant clothing, constant costume changes and little to no dialogue. Her function in the film, then, is to mold herself as a desirable object for the male gaze, constantly shushed by Babu or placed literally as an accessory on his lap.

    The second female character is the quintessential soft- hearted mother (Sakina Samo), who sees no flaws in her scheming and perverted son, Bobby. Samo drives the plot forward to an extent, rather than being a vacant vessel like Pari, by vehemently opposing the ethical principles of her husband, Aijaz Durrani (Talat Hussain). However, blamed time and again for her “laad pyaar” that has spoilt Bobby, we notice that Samo’s character is also not very realistically portrayed.

    Talat Hussain as Aijaz Durrani as and Arshad Mehmood as the DIG

    Talat Hussain as Aijaz Durrani as and Arshad Mehmood as the DIG

    Lastly, the predatory role of Farrah, Feddy’s colleague, who gets him fired on false workplace harassment charges, introduces another version of reductive, dangerous femininity. If, through this sequence, Mohsin Ali was attempting to raise awareness for the harassment men experience, the way he does it is ineffective, insensitive and perhaps even offensive. All in all, the good, bad, ugly, entertaining are all parts played by men, while the women in Mohsin Ali’s world are either silenced or sidelined, if not entirely excluded.

    Another complex theme the director presents is the flipping of the binary of good and evil. In the film, evil constantly seems to trump good. Babu and his ‘gang’ continuously escape unscathed, Bobby too meets a fortunate end after all his scheming and betrayal, and his father, the honest, corruption-free minister, is constantly punished for being just that. Similarly, other seemingly honest characters turn to crime, as in the case of Feddy, because this seems to be the only way to secure a fortune. While this may be a representation of the way Pakistani society works, there is no convincing reason as to why good must necessarily end the way it does in this film.

    Ali Rizvi, Saifee Hassan, Vajdaan Shah and Zayed Razzaque

    (L-R) Ali Rizvi, Saifee Hassan, Vajdaan Shah and Zayed Razzaque

    Alternatively, there is no didactic lecturing, which might be the strongest element of the film, but neither is there a convincing plot and strong storyline to carry the film through. Instead, there is terrible editing, a distasteful portrayal of women and a yellow Volkswagen used by the gang that has never been reported to the police, which doesn’t just ask one to suspend disbelief but apparently, also logic. If this new genre of heist/ crime/ action/ comedy films is the way forward in the rejuvenation of Pakistani cinema, we can do better than Chupan Chupai.


    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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    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