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    Film Review: 'Raasta'

    Film Raasta Review

    Written by: Sana Shahid
    Posted on: April 03, 2017 | | 中文

    'Raasta', Sahir Lodhi's big screen debut

    There was an era not long ago when Pakistani movies only focused on a “Gujjar and Gandasa” culture, with the hero boasting supernatural powers and the heroine performing inappropriate dance routines. It is safe to say that we are past that period, but a new epoch has emerged where adding item songs in a film seems to be a compulsion.

    Raasta is a new film written, directed, produced by and starring Sahir Lodhi, which was released on 31st March. The first half of the movie is surprisingly not as disappointing as its trailers suggested, but it takes a U-turn after the intermission. There are certain moments in the beginning where you get emotional and actually feel the pain that was meant to be depicted, but the second half takes all of this feeling away, and replaces it with utter confusion and at times hilarity.

    Sahir Lodhi as Sameer - Film Raasta by Sahir Lodhi

    Sahir Lodhi as Sameer

    The movie begins with the protagonist Sameer (played by Sahir Lodhi) narrating the story of his brother Sultan (Aijaz Aslam), a successful and honest police officer who is happily married with a kid, whereas Sameer has been unemployed for years despite having a qualified degree. Sultan’s wife (Sana Nawaz) looks after the house and cares for Sameer like her own son. The two villains, Shahnawaz (Shamoon Abbasi) and Sherry (Naveed Raza) are influential drug dealers of Karachi who have never been caught because of their connections in high places. The rivalry between Sultan and Shahnawaz starts when Sultan gets posted to Karachi, making it difficult for Shahnawaz to carry out his deals. This is where the story starts to progress in a predictable manner, and could have benefited from better execution.

    Aijaz Aslam as Inspector Sultan - Film Raasta by Sahir Lodhi

    Aijaz Aslam as Inspector Sultan

    The film gives out a confusing message, emphasizing on how unjustly the world works, and suggesting that if you don’t put your connections to use then you will always lose. While this is true to some extent in the context of Pakistani society, the same plot could have been executed differently to make the story more interesting. It feels like a lot of people in the industry are making movies just for the sake of it, without paying much attention to the script, acting, or even direction.

    Shamoon Abbasi as Shahnawaz Rajpoot - Film Raasta by Sahir Lodhi

    Shamoon Abbasi as Shahnawaz Rajpoot

    Sahir Lodhi is already famous for trying too hard to be the Pakistani Shah Rukh Khan, and the fact that he completely reproduced the setting of SRK’s song, Suraj Hua Madham for his picturisation of the song Dil Faqeer, seems to cement that fact further. Moreover, it seems like item songs were more of a priority in the movie than the actual story. The film comprises two item songs, both of which lack the standard to even be considered bearable. The actresses struggle to make moves that they are simply not cut out to perform, making their whole routine look repulsive.

    Abeer Rizvi and Sahir Lodhi in the song 'Dil Faqeer' - Film Raasta by Sahir Lodhi

    Abeer Rizvi and Sahir Lodhi in the song 'Dil Faqeer'

    Dialogues throughout the film are clichéd and unimpressive. In particular, there is a line, “Duniya main do kism ke loag hotay hain. Aik meri tarha, aur doosray tumhari tarha. Aur mujhe dono se nafrat hai”. This is repeated so many times in the movie that you will leave the theatre with it imprinted on your brain. Some important subplots are also left incomplete, which confuses viewers as to whether the movie will get a sequel, or whether the writers are just trying to be mysterious about them.

     

    But in all fairness, and as stated earlier, the film is actually not as bad as expected. What ruins it is not the story itself, but the overall execution of it. Couple that with unnecessary show of skin and repetitive dialogues, and you have a movie that you’d rather just not spend money on. Even though it was released just a couple of days ago, the turnout at the cinema was underwhelming, with the hall almost empty. Sahir Lodhi’s foray into the film world has not been off to a good start.


    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