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    Film Review: Teefa in Trouble

    Written by: Farheen Abdullah
    Posted on: July 23, 2018 | | 中文

    Ali Zafar as Teefa and Maya Ali as Anya

    As soon as Teefa in Trouble released on 20th July, quite a few cinemas became spots for public protests against Ali Zafar, with regard to the legal case that he has been facing. Much uproar was also created on social media to boycott the movie and hence, the movie seemed to be in literal trouble even before it released. However, upon watching the movie for the sole purpose of entertainment and keeping the personal lives of the stars aside, the project turned out to be nothing less than a treat.

    Ali Zafar as Teefa and Faisal Qureshi as Tony

    Ali Zafar as Teefa and Faisal Qureshi as Tony

    While Ali Zafar has worked for Bollywood before, Teefa in Trouble was his debut film for our industry, as well as the directorial debut of Ahsan Rahim. Shot in Poland and Pakistan, the story follows Teefa (Ali Zafar), who is sent to Poland by Butt Sahab (Mehmood Aslam) to kidnap his friend Bonzo’s (Jawed Sheikh) daughter Anya (Maya Ali), so that she can be married off to Butt’s son. Written by Ahsan Rahim, Ali Zafar, and Danyal Zafar, Teefa in Trouble proved to be a great mix of action, comedy, romance, and drama. The dialogues were witty, relatable and easy to understand for the local audience. The attention to detail was reflected in the Polish actor’s accents, dialogues and interactions with Pakistanis, which required minimal subtitles.

    Ali Zafar as Teefa

    Ali Zafar as Teefa

    The Zafar brothers also did a brilliant job with the music. Ali Zafar, also the producer of the movie, undoubtedly provided strong vocals. But the director also refrained from breaking the flow of the film with too many choreographed dance numbers; the only dance number was ‘Item Number,’ which was short and entertaining. Another song worth mentioning is ‘Sajna Door,’ sung by Ali Zafar and Aima Baig. Beautifully choreographed, it has been performed by the two lead actors besides a beautiful lake.

    Maya Ali as Anya

    Maya Ali as Anya

    Poland is evidently a picturesque country, but the way in which Zain Haleem, the cinematographer, presented it to the audience was breathtaking. He was even able to transform the streets of Old Lahore into a wonderful representation of local architecture, and make an ordinary neighborhood appear maze-like, where Teefa could perform his stunts. Additionally, Ahsan Rahim’s direction left little room for error, and resulted in great team work and a visual masterpiece.

    The team also did a great job with the film’s cast, as each actor seemed to fit in their role. Jawed Sheikh may be an old member of the industry, but he gave his all in the film, juggling brilliantly between his identity as a member of the Polish elite and a Punjabi. Maya Ali, who looked stunning throughout, is still growing as an actress. It may take the audience some time to adjust to her in the film, but eventually she turned out to be a good choice for the role of Anya. This is probably not what most people want to hear right now, but Ali Zafar really does take the cake with his performance as an actor, singer, producer, and writer. As a Lahori, Ali had the perfect Punjabi accent, the right build for action packed scenes, and the talent required to act. In one scene, where Ali is hallucinating with five different versions of himself, he proved how capable he is as an artist of creating a one-man show.

    Jawed Sheikh as Bonzo

    Jawed Sheikh as Bonzo

    Perhaps the only drawback of the film was its length, since it ran on for more than two and a half hours. While the film was certainly worth sitting through, a few minutes could have easily been cut in order to avoid dragging the plot. However, it is safe to say that Pakistani cinema has finally witnessed a project which is worth going to the theatre for.


    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