2022 is not only the year when Pakistan turned 75, it also marks a milestone of extraordinary achievements for Pakistani creative all around the world. As our film industry picked up pace after two dull years, our multiple artists managed to make headlines for all the right reasons. Be it Arooj Aftab's historic Grammy win or an ensemble local cast starring in a Marvel project, this year has been rather fruitful for showbiz. Here are our biggest takeaways from 2022 so far that have made Pakistan beam with pride. Pasoori takeover With its catchy melody and stunning music video, The Ali Sethi and Shae Gill soundtrack from Coke Studio 14 has been winning hearts across the oceans since its release. With musical influences ranging from reggaeton to the soulful tunes of the rubab, Pasoori is fusion at its finest. Not just in Pakistan, but artists around the world lauded the hit number. The likes of Britney Spears, Arjun Kapoor, Armaan Malik among others gave a shout-out to Pasoori as they played it on repeat. The much-deserved track was also touted to 'bring together India and Pakistan', as per a New Yorker report. Needless to say, the song has managed to serve as a bridge between Pakistan and the rest of the world. Humayun Saeed takes the crown This year began with massive news for Pakistani fans. Humayun Saeed was roped in as Dr Hasnat in Netflix's popular drama, The Crown. Saeed, who has a huge following of his own in the country, became the first-ever Pakistani star to bag a famous Netflix original in a prominent role. The showbiz fraternity came together and lauded Saeed on this huge feat. Mahira Khan shared the news and congratulated her Bin Roye co-star on Twitter. "Finally, it’s out! So proud! So excited! Masha Allah Masha Allah! What a show! What a star." "Very proud of you my friend, Humayun Saeed! I am sure you will bring nuance to the character with your acting. Looking forward to it!" shared Adnan Siddiqui. "So excited about this! He is the humblest superstar there ever was. Well-deserved and well earned! Godspeed," wrote Anoushey Ashraf. "Congratulations to my friend Humayun Saeed on getting the role of Dr Hasnat in The Crown Netflix series. You make us so proud!" penned Frieha Altaf. Pakistan's first Grammy In April, the Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab won Pakistan its first Grammy, winning a prestigious trophy for her song Mohabbat in the Best Global Performance category. The 37-year-old - who has lived in New York for some 15 years - has been steadily gaining global attention for her work that fuses ancient Sufi traditions with inflections of folk, jazz and minimalism. Arooj Aftab at the 64th annual Grammy Awards. PHOTO: REUTERS "I am beyond thrilled," the artist told journalists, at which the vast majority of awards are handed out. "It feels great. I've been very nervous all day. And we're off to a good start." Born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia, Aftab spent her teenage years in Lahore before relocating to Boston's prestigious Berklee School of Music to study music production and engineering. She released her third studio album Vulture Prince to critical acclaim and gained even more attention after former US President Barack Obama included the track Mohabbat on his 2021 summer favorites list. Aftab has performed at a number of major New York venues including Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, also opening for Mitski at The Brooklyn Steel in 2018. Marvel-ous actors Apart from Saeed starring in The Crown and Aftab's brilliant Grammy win, several local artists bagged their first Hollywood project - that too, no less than a Marvel Studio venture. Fawad Khan, Mehwish Hayat, Nimra Bucha, and veteran star Samina Ahmed were roped in Marvel's much-anticipated project, Ms. Marvel. Not just this, Pakistan's Oscar-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, directed two out of six episodes of the aforementioned series. The artists and the director were ecstatic to star in a Marvel project. Hayat and Obaid-Chinoy often took to Instagram and shared glimpses of the BTS of the show. The London Nahi Jaunga star took to Instagram and shared a carousel of seen and unseen pictures with the cast and crew of the popular show. "I am truly overwhelmed by the love I am getting for ‘Aisha’ from around the world," Hayat penned in a lengthy note for the Ms. Marvel team. "But bringing a project such as Ms. Marvel to the screen is the result of true teamwork."         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Mehwish Hayat (@mehwishhayatofficial) In an interview with The Express Tribune, the Saving Face filmmaker had shared, “It was very important for me to tell an authentic story. From the very beginning, Marvel Studios was very clear about the fact that they want to bring authenticity to the life of Kamala Khan, which is why they put together a cast and a truly global crew that came from different parts of the world and brought in the kind of sensibilities that allowed us to tell this story.” Joy at Cannes Team Joyland has made the entire country proud after receiving a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. The film made history as the first feature film to be screened at the prestigious festival, which hosts some of the biggest directors and actors in the global film industry today. With themes of forbidden desire and rebellion, Joyland was widely adored by critics, with Deadline deeming it a “thoughtful, well performed and engrossing drama”. Joyland by director Saim Sadiq, a tale of the sexual revolution, tells the story of the youngest son in a patriarchal family who is expected to produce a baby boy with his wife. He instead joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for the troupe's director, a Trans woman. It is the first-ever Pakistani competitive entry at the Cannes festival and it also won the Jury Prize in the "Un Certain Regard" competition, a segment focusing on young, innovative cinema talent. "It's a very powerful film, that represents everything that we stand for," Queer Palm jury head, French director Catherine Corsini said.

Only a few days after the release date for the highly-anticipated The Legend of Maula Jatt was announced, excited movie-goers were treated to another surprise – the first theatrical trailer for the Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan-starrer! Everyone was glued to their seats as the two-and-a-half-minute-long video presented moments from the forthcoming film in an enticing, enchanting, and beautifully put-together way. Of course, the trailer of the long-awaited film has caught the eyes of many, including that of Indian filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap. "Finally the film I’ve loved so much and the film you really want to see, the trailer is out!" the Gangs of Wasseypur director tweeted along with the link to the trailer on YouTube. https://t.co/CieDpEwi6w Finally the film I’ve loved so much and the film you really want to see , the trailer is out! — Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) August 14, 2022 The film, also starring Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malick, and Mirza Gohar Rasheed, has left social media users in a frenzy. One user called the film the "Punjabi Game of Thrones", while another user said they've never seen a trailer better than this one. #TheLegendOfMaulaJatt is just Punjabi Game of thrones. pic.twitter.com/eKLrykVeFi — Afshan Tayyab (@QueenAfshan_) August 15, 2022 Never saw a better trailer than this!!! ❤️🙌🔥#TheLegendOfMaulaJatt pic.twitter.com/3fO9Q4MLOV — Muhammad Waheed (@WaheedViews) August 14, 2022 Film critic Joginder Tuteja tweeted, "This is as huge as it gets! Imagine, the action drama was made before K.G.F! This can become one of the biggest blockbusters ever! Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Bilal Lashari, Ammara Hikmat – you have indeed made something spectacular!" This is as HUGE as it gets! Imagine, the action drama was made before #KGF! This can become one of the BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTERS ever! #FawadKhan @TheMahiraKhan @blashari @AmmaraHikmat - You have indeed made something SLECTACULAR! #TheLegendOfMaulaJatt 13th Octhttps://t.co/j9IzjJ8x3s pic.twitter.com/IlN4dnhMiu — #TutejaTalks (@Tutejajoginder) August 14, 2022 The Legend of Maula Jatt is the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. This intense and epic hero origin story, with a screenplay by Bilal Lashari and dialogues by Nasir Adeeb, is a hard reboot of the 1979 cult classic Maula Jatt. The film is directed by Lashari as well, known for his directorial debut, the box office mega-hit Waar, and produced by Ammara Hikmat under the joint venture of Encyclomedia & Lashari films in association with AAA Motion Pictures. The film, which was initially announced in 2011, has seen many hurdles along the way. Be it the prolonged legal battle or a pandemic, The Legend of Maula Jatt kept getting delayed for one reason or the other. Now, fans and critics are hopeful that the film will finally see the light of the day and will release on the recently announced date, October 13 of this year. Watch the trailer here: Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

A BTS from August 14, shared on The Legend of Maula Jatt’s official Instagram account, sees the cast and crew of the film celebrating its trailer release. The much-awaited preview came out on Independence Day and took the internet by storm. Presenting moments from an intimate meet and greet, the shared clip kicks off with filmmaker Bilal Lashari welcoming the likes of Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, and Gohar Rasheed, among other cast members who helped make his magnum opus grander and grittier. Mahira Khan has tuned in via a live video call to celebrate with her fellow co-stars. Ammara Hikmat announces, “We have with us Fawad, Hamza, Mahira, and Humaima are joining us virtually.” It goes on to show the reactions of each celebrity as they witness the trailer goes online. “Kaanpen taang rahi hain,” quips Gohar. “It’s on. I’m the first one to watch it!” informs Hamza. “This is beautiful, I am very…” says Humaima, making an emotional face. Everyone is then seen clapping as they mutually rejoice over their child (read, film) finally being introduced to the world. The actors then do a “dramatic reading” of the comments pouring in for the trailer on YouTube. “Fawad as Maula Jatt is so frikkin amazing,” reads Gohar. “Damn, damn, damn. This is what the Pakistani industry is capable of,” adds Bilal. “Hamza as Noori Nath is nothing but spectacular,” continues Gohar in a theatrical fashion. “Wow, wow, wow, amazing, wow… wow…,” delivers Hamza.         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by The Legend of Maula Jatt (@maulajattofficial) “Gohar Rashee… they forgot to add ‘d’,” notes Gohar. “Literally owns the screen in the whole trailer, but Humaima is seriously the best,” he continued reading. “I thought the trailer would take excitement levels to huge, but this took me to very huge,” says Bilal, chuckling, prompting a huger laugh. “My favourite one is ‘I’m getting goosebumps all over my body,’” shares Hamza. “All over Hamza’s body,” adds Bilal, jokingly. The reading is interrupted by a call from Humayun Saeed, who informs Ammara, “Bohat kamaal trailer hai yaar, sorry I just woke up and watched it. Mazaa agaya.” The video concludes with someone asking Hamza what he’s been doing for the past five years, to which he replies, “For the past five years, I’ve been waiting. Thankfully, that wait is finally over,” he says, breathing a sigh of relief. We feel you, Hamza. Here’s to waiting till October 13 for the actual showdown! Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

Faisal Qureshi has released the teaser trailer for his much-awaited directorial debut Money Back Guarantee (MGB) and we have to say, it has exceeded expectations! The teaser begins with the ideology adopted by most action thrillers, “Agar daro gey, to maro gey … agar maaro gey, to aghey barhon gey (If you get scared, you’ll die … If you kill, you’ll move forward).” As a fast-paced amalgamation of luxury cars, masked heists and large safes full of cash ensues, the 30-second teaser has us gripped. And with the teasing glimpse of Fawad Khan at the end, the film’s release could not seem farther away. After The Legend of Maula Jatt, Money Back Guarantee will feature Khan on the big screen. It will also see cricketer-turned-cricket-commentator Wasim Akram and, in a first, his wife and social worker Shaniera Akram making her acting debut. Television mainstays Mikaal Zulfiqar, Ayesha Omar, Javed Sheikh, Jan Rambo, Gohar Rasheed, Hina Dilpazir, Mani, Ali Safina, Adnan Jaffer and model-turned-actor Kiran Malik, among others, will also be playing pivotal roles in the upcoming star-studded entertainer. Taking to his Instagram earlier this week, Qureshi had shared the first look of the flick – a poster – to announce: “Unveiling the first look of the most awaited multi-starrer movie Money Back Guarantee - MBG.”         View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Faisal Qureshi (@faisalqureshi_fq) The filmmakers haven’t exactly broken their silence over Money Back Guarantee, keeping most details well under wraps. According to Gulf News, albeit, Wasim has a small but pivotal role in the film — he plays nemesis to Fawad’s hero. A bank robbery is part of the plot and interestingly, the female actors won't be playing the love interest of any of the male leads. "There are other important cameos to speak of — for instance, George Fulton, senior actor Mustafa Qureshi, and wheelchair-bound artist and activist Muniba Mazari. Mimicry artist Shafaat Ali is also part of the ensemble," added the outlet. The film is set to release in theatres worldwide on April 21, 2023. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

The ultimate heartthrob and uber-talented singer and actor, Fawad Khan, made a name for himself in Pakistan with projects like Khuda Ke Liye (2007), Dastaan (2010), Humsafar (2011) and Zindagi Gulzar Hai (2012). He then went on to make his Bollywood and Hollywood debuts with Khoobsurat (2014) and Disney’s Ms Marvel (2022) respectively. While in India, the actor also starred in Kapoor & Sons (2016) opposite Alia Bhatt and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) opposite Anushka Sharma. After remaining absent from film and television screens at home, however, Fawad has now returned to his roots with a bang by taking on the titular role of Maula Jatt in Bilal Lashari’s magnum opus. And as he embraces Pakistani cinema once again, his fans in India can’t help but wonder if they’ll ever see him return to mainstream Bollywood. Speaking to Variety about the same, Fawad maintained that while he enjoyed his stay in B-town, the political unrest between Pakistan and India makes him wary of even answering a controversial question like this. “The collaboration with the people that I got to know and the kinds of people I was exposed to there was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. The political fallout [between India and Pakistan] has not influenced our relationships, but it’s definitely made us very wary of answering such a question,” he said. Fawad shared that he realises the magnitude of hate celebrities receive at both ends for collaborating with artists from their arch-rival country and he wouldn’t want him or a co-star of his to face the brunt of either. “It’s a good question but I can’t give a definitive answer until things stabilize and there are a lot of issues that need to be answered. I hate confrontation, I really avoid it. I don’t like controversy either,” said the Jutt and Bond actor. “I think it’s more of a question of whether someone else would like to work with me, instead of me working with others because fingers will be pointed at them. I’ll do my work and go away but then the people who’ll have to suffer are those who are who want to collaborate with me. And I care about that because they are going to live there, and they’re going to suffer the consequences.” He added, “Similarly if I were to work [in India] and come back [to Pakistan], I’d have to suffer the consequences of what the people or the government or whatever bodies that are involved think about it.” While the current political climate makes it difficult to collaborate, Fawad’s heart is fond of the friends he made. “I have a great relationship with the people that I’ve worked with and made great friends. I would love to see them again someday, and maybe work with them again. Whether it be for an international platform, a Pakistani platform, or for an Indian platform. Mainstream Bollywood is a different ballgame altogether,” he said. After Bollywood, Fawad gained international prominence with the series Ms. Marvel, where he appears in flashback as the lead character’s great-grandfather. He told Variety that he made great friends with everyone on that set, especially with the producers. The statement sparked a discussion about whether the superhero series will reprise his character for a second season. “I think the track of the character has ended and sometimes the shortest and the simplest things in life are the sweetest,” he held. “But I don’t know what Disney would think what they want to do in the future.” Apart from the much-awaited The Legend of Maula Jatt, Fawad has several projects lined up. Co-produced by the actor himself, Neelofar, a love story between a writer and a blind woman, will see him star, once again, opposite Mahira Khan. The romantic film is due for a theatrical release in early 2023. Aside from that, Fawad will be seen in another star-studded film, an action-comedy titled Money Back Guarantee which is due for a release in March 2023. The Faisal Qureshi directorial will see him onscreen alongside Ayesha Omar, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, among others. Fawad is also coming back with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed in Barzakh, directed by Asim Abbasi for Zee5.

The long wait to see Fawad Khan on the big screens, especially in Pakistani cinemas, was worth the wait. The handsome hunk, known for his die-hard romantic avatar, aptly fit the gandasa holding Maula Jatt in Bilal Lashari’s reboot of the 1979 cult classic. However, what you see on screen wasn’t the first look of Maula that the makers settled for and some of Fawad’s suggestions also made the cut. From a barbarian fakir to a one-eyed prize fighter to a tassel of red hair and a long scar on the face, the outlook of Maula was polished over several stages. Fawad spoke to Rolling Stone India about his ravenous eating habits, failed kidneys, and needing a separate pillow for his hair. “We have this set interpretation of heroes being muscular and sculpted like Greek gods. Maula is just a prizefighter, a Punjabi pahalwan. He’s brute force, a rock. He’s not a sculpture,” said Fawad about his character. “When we were embellishing and crafting the look of Maula Jatt, it went from one brief to another, and in the end, we thought that we should make him look somewhat like a barbarian fakir.” He went on to share another “silly” suggestion he had that the makers thought was “going a bit too far” and gross. “One disfigurement that I really wanted for the character, but everyone said, ‘No, no, now you’re going a bit too far,’ was that I wanted to sew one eye shut, as if he had lost an eye in one of his prizefights, somewhat inspired from Mads Mikkelsen’s Valhalla Rising. We settled for just one scar that goes down from his eyes to his cheek.” But that wasn’t the “dumbest” suggestion he made. “I thought that would be like really cool [but] adding a tassel in his hair with a red ribbon was probably one of the dumbest suggestions I could have made because during the fight scenes it would come and whack me in the face. There was like this long piece of metal that was tied to the ribbon and to the lock of hair. It looks really cool, but it would hit me every time we would do a take.” The suggestion not only slapped Fawad in the face every time he shot a scene but also made it hard for him to go to sleep. “Whenever I’d lie down, I’d experience some kind of vertigo, dizziness because the weight of it would pull on my scalp. So even when I would lie down, there would be a separate pillow for my hair. It would be lying on my side; you couldn’t just let it hang. I had weight.” Moving on to how his health was affected while gaining up to 25kgs in less than two months, Fawad said he wishes he took professional advice before going through that. “This physical transformation, for me, was a bit taxing because of a condition I’ve had since the age of 17 – I am a Type 1 diabetic. Any kind of transformation, even when it comes to changing my diet and lifestyle, has a profound effect on my health and my physiology. And this was something else. I mean, I went from a horse to a rhino in a matter of one-and-a-half months.” But Fawad didn’t care at that point. “I went in all guns blazing. It was aar ya paar. I didn’t think of the consequences and I guess, maybe, that’s how I’ve been most of my life. Once I get into something, I may pre-calculate it, but once I get into it, then it’s inconsequential what will happen. Call it bravery or being stupid on my part, but I think it paid off in the end, didn’t it?” It surely did and the love The Legend of Maula Jatt is getting worldwide is proof of it. The original Maula Jatt wreaked havoc in Pakistani cinema and culture in a way that allowed many action-packed Punjabi films to follow suit and take risks. Upon what the remake will do for Pakistani cinema, the Khuda Ke Liye actor added, “I feel that this is the most ambitious film made in recent Pakistani film history, or if I’m not being conservative, I would say in the entire Pakistani film history because of the sheer scale of it. Maula Jatt ignited a gandasa culture, for better or for worse, after which Punjabi films were coming out one after the other. The Legend of Maula Jatt, it’s a bit different because I feel this film takes from that culture, but it presents a new identity, a diverse identity of Pakistani mainstream cinema. ” He continued to highlight the wild, high-budgeted side of the film that made a regional language film considered as a mainstream one. “I feel Maula Jatt adds to Pakistani cinema’s diversity and it will encourage filmmakers to be brave, to make something that is not in line with your conventional mainstream films of today, which are just paisa vasool. However, the most ambitious part of the film was that we kind of broke the stereotype of what a hero and a villain should look like, at least, right now in this industry. ” Fawad also acknowledged that the “game” has already changed for local cinema with a Cannes-winning film Joyland being made alongside the mainstream masala-tadka films. Concluding, Fawad shared how living with Maula Jatt for two years affected his lifestyle, for the worse. “I remember a habit that stuck with me was that I’d be done with my food in 30 seconds flat. I used to eat ravenously. Not because I was hungry, but because it had kind of become a habit. I actually started walking like Maula Jatt even when I was at home.  When I saw myself eating like an animal, I realised it wasn’t a pretty sight.” Upon whether Maula got to keep a gandasa post the film, Fawad said it was the director’s well-deserved trophy. “If they give me a replica they have, then its fine, otherwise it’s okay too. Bilal deserves it.” The film is already minting millions worldwide. Upon how much money Fawad hopes for the film to make, he laughed, “If you ask me, I hope it makes 2,000crores, 3,000crores.” 

When slapstick humour meets a case of mistaken identity, puns and quirky word play, a comedy of errors is born. Faisal Qureshi’s Money Back Guarantee creates a broth using the same ingredients and peppers it with social messaging and political satire to savour the taste. The now director’s brand of humour isn’t new to fans of his writing in Teen Bata Teen. But perhaps the world has moved on since… Qureshi’s directorial debut, Money Back Guarantee (MBG), which premiered in Karachi on Thursday, was the most-awaited film to release this Eidul-Fitr. With a star-studded ensemble cast featuring the likes of Fawad Khan, Hina Dilpazeer, Gohar Rasheed, Javed Sheikh, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Kiran Malik, Adnan Jafar, Ayesha Omar, among others, alongside debut actors Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, Muniba Mazari and George Fulton – it was touted to be a full-blown entertainer. Set in a strange land that feels part-Pakistan and part-New Jersey – actually shot in Karachi and Thailand – the film explores the dichotomy of capitalism and socialism as it dabbles in numerous societal problems, such as corruption, VIP culture, stereotyping, theft, political point-scoring, injustice and discrimination. It sets the tone for a certain brand of dramedy that is both satirical and ridiculous. The great thing about Money Back Guarantee is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously as it gathers a motley crew of degenerates to carry its plot forward, while mocking the very values it tries to instill. These degenerates represent the various ethnicities of Pakistan as they attempt to shun while ironically perpetuating stereotypes the society propagates about them – such as Pushtoons being “dumb”, Christians being “Karanta, Choora” (slurs), Punjabis being “hungry,” and more. Symbolism has been used at a stretch in the film, with the setting taking jabs at the core values of the subjects it inhabits. SPOILERS ALERT! Majority of the film has been shot in Pak bank – a fictional bank that hosts the wealth of all the corrupt politicians in Pakistan – with our crew of degenerates planning to rob it. Everyone’s blood has turned white – quite literally, the Pakistani flag is represented by a WiFi signal, Pak bank’s design mimics the map of Pakistan with minor alterations to suit the rich, as it ingeniously represents how each province and part of the bank operates – or not. The “most secure” bank of the country has been designed by a lawyer, not an architect. The only way to access the millions of rupees inside its cells? You guessed it; biometric! A painting of The Last Super hanging inside the bank has been beautifully morphed to feature the greedy politicians of the country, feasting on the poor. And the politicians have been played by the same actors playing the robbers-cum-rebels to signify “Jesi qoum, wese hukumran.” The plot of the film revolves around the heist that our gang of amateurs set out for with the purpose of reclaiming the people’s money. The plan, however, is not foolproof and keeps on changing as the robbers fail successively. While that is meant to be hilarious, it leaves the film appearing chaotic, almost struggling to find a center. It also leaves much to the imagination, and not necessarily the things that should have been left unattended. The plot isn’t seamlessly weaved together. There are, in fact, cause and effect issues and one can never decipher how or why somethings are happening. The characters, albeit, are well fleshed out. Fawad’s role as a cheapskate bank manager, Bux, who caters only to the wealthy and listens only to the powerful is written to perfection. The actor also wears it like a glove as he finally embodies a non-romantic, non-emotional, grey character, widening his acting scope and career graph. His dialogue-delivery and maniacal expressions are beautiful, to say the least. Kiran, Gohar, Mikaal, Ali Safina, Afzal Khan – part of the robber gang – display exceptional acting chops too. Sticking to his usual sidekick energy, Gohar plays an unemployed goon that struggles to provide for his wife. But somehow, his Sindhi accent doesn’t grow on you as the film progresses. It is also quite painstaking to watch each of the robbers struggle to speak in a particular accent to represent a particular ethnicity. It is because of the demand to do so that the film reinforces another stereotype about the ethnicities represented. And while that may be a creative choice, given that MBG also takes a dig at the way brands are promoted in Pakistani films to appease sponsors by doing the same thing, the audience’s ability to connect with the characters is compromised. Wasim and Shaniera’s roles aren’t very demanding. So as debut actors, they shine. Mani tries too hard to play circuit from Munna Bhai, or so it seems, while his accent also continues to annoy. There are moments in the film that could have been cut short, and moments that the film could have done entirely without. The opening scene, for example, is too long and boring to grip the audience in. The closing scene, or scenes, are too many to call the film well-rounded. It’s as though the editors struggled to prioritise what to keep and what to do away with. Something films directed by writers often struggle with is that they leave little room to breathe in terms of dialogues. Becoming too verbose at times, with each character falling in love with the sound of their own voice and every character having something to say. At times, there is so much social messaging that the message is lost. And instead of relying on the actors’ comic timing, the characters are made to give ques to laugh. All in all, Money Back Guarantee can be watched for the variety it offers in terms of cast and characters, the awami comedy, the political jabs and definitely the scope of production. But the film could have been shortened at least half an hour, doing away with extensive social commentary, announcing of intentions and unsought resolutions. I was actually afraid ‘Umeed ki Kiran’ will grow old -- If you know, you know. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.

Unfortunately, there are few film releases aside from Eid, and it appears that the festive season is the sole occasion that can ensure a large audience in our cinemas. The reason for this is that probably filmmakers fear being rejected by the audience, which is a nightmare for them, after all their projects are at stake. This may explain why the advice to avoid releasing films on Eid is not taken seriously, and hence recently four Urdu films Money Back Guarantee (MBG), Dor, Huwe Tum Ajnabi (HTA), and Daadal were released in cinemas to bank on Eid audiences. Now, that is quite a number for an industry that hardly churns out one movie a week or four films a month. It felt like every filmmaker wanted to cash in on the opportunity, despite affecting other films’ business, which makes one wonder what is meant by ‘support Pakistani cinema’ when such a fierce competition is created between our films. Anticipation for MBG Faisal Qureshi is a well-known actor, writer, director and entertainer in the world of television commercials and sitcoms. His humorous ads were a source of entertainment for many people during the 90s and 2000s. His team has established a niche for a particular kind of comedic theme that is similar to their previous shows such as Agent X and Teen Bata Teen. This style resonates well with audiences, and has become a signature feature of their work. I was excited to watch Faisal Qureshi’s recently released film MBG that is also happens to be his directorial debut on the silver screen. There are or let’s just say there were many reasons to be excited for MBG which include, but are not limited to ― the ensemble cast featuring Fawad Khan, Waseem Akram, Kiran Malick, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Javed Sheikh, and many others. Although from the trailer of MBG, it was not clear what the film would offer to its viewers that actually work both ways as it lends an element of surprise. For a moment, poor me, I thought that this is the kind of trailer that Pakistani filmmakers needed i.e. not to give away the story yet intrigue the audience. Sadly, that was not the case. A plot that must be amazing on paper The story of MBG deserves applause for being well-conceived and one that highlights the current scenario of Pakistan that we as a nation are witnessing since forever. The film revolves around seven to eight main characters that represent the provinces and minorities living in Pakistan. There is Ghaffar Ali Muhajir aka G.A. Muhajir who needs a white collar job, Irfan Pathan wants respect, Sanam Baloch needs gas, Ilyas Kashmiri needs freedom, Christian Bail is looking for equality, Nawaz Sindhi wants water, and Munda Punjabi wants everything and too in abundance. All these losers, as depicted in the film, plan a heist to rob a bank where corrupt politicians deposit their black money. The bank is going through an election between a power hungry, chaotic, joker-like Bux and a calm, composed and experienced Akram. What happens during the heist and how they manage to execute the plan is not all that MBG is about as a story. It is also about the people living in Pakistan and what they crave, desire and dream about. The idea, on the paper, looks fantastic and very much relatable, as it highlights the integral parts of Pakistani culture, lifestyle, residents, minorities and their aspirations along with the power hungry rulers obsessed with power play as they have been and continue to make lives miserable for citizens. What went wrong? Faisal Qureshi made sure that he has a lot of punch lines in every scene, and that is when he starts to stuff them with bland and boring. There comes a point where punches fall flat and sound more like way too preachy and overstressed. That’s where the beauty of the script loses its grip and audience start to feel bored. Satire is not easy, not everyone can be Anwar Maqsood or Kamal Ahmed Rizvi. Right? It felt strange that with such an ensemble cast, it’s hard to find noticeable and impeccable performances in MBG. That is probably because the element of direction was half-baked throughout the film. From start to finish MBG offers nothing but overacting, super-excited dialogue delivery that has no subtlety infused and the diction (dialogue delivery) is a mess. In some scenes it looked like kids from school are mincing lines of Pathaan, Balochi, Sindhi etc, which is sad to witness from some brilliantly capable actors. The biggest letdown, among others, was its super-loud and idiotic climax. It became ridiculous when dialogues repeated constantly in the desperate hope that at least any single line would get a clap but instead of creating an impact they fall flat. Every one of the actors seems to compete with one another as to who overacts more than the other. Songs in MBG hardly make sense, in fact they are fillers added just for actors to perform weird dance moves that the director thought might make people laugh. How well they achieved that is an embarrassing story. Standing out of the crowd Besides Jan Rambo (Afzal Khan), Javed Sheikh and Hina Dipazir (although loud again) no one excels. Gohar picks the tone right but his dialogue is below average. Fawad Khan tries hard to give a different performances, but the way he is directed, makes him look anything but impressive. Watch Fawad Khan go loud in MBG, if you want to see that for some odd reason. Mani gets on audiences’ nerves. Shayan Khan is totally lost. Toilet humour It’s 2023 and filmmakers are not done with potty jokes. In a scene to show Fawad Khan’s evil side, he is shown torturing a hacker in the toilet by drowning his face in the commode, during the scene he realises that the gum hacker was chewing goes down the flush and Khan picks it up and makes the hacker chew it again. Do people find this funny? If yes, then MBG is simply brilliant, if not, well you can decide yourself. The film is hardly 122 minutes long yet it seems never ending because of the mediocre script, forgetful and unimpressive performances and too much stupidity. Calling names and fat shaming are other totally lame aspects that I prefer not to discuss at all. MBG is a undeniably and earnest attempt to make a political satire as it highlights some very genuine, realistic and hard-hitting facts from the societal happenings, but the way this film is dealt and executed is below par. It could have been better in so many ways, but unfortunately the film makers’team are in a 90s’ and mid-2000s’ hangover, who obviously think that the audience has the same intellectual level after 20 plus years. MBG is a good opportunity that is lost. Using nuances of political parties and leaders at places are impressive, which reflects the ability of the filmmaker, but the very next scene would point at amateurish filmmaking. The balance is severely disturbed. One man army Faisal Qureshi either seems inspired by Naya Din Nayee Raat’s Sanjeev Kumar or is super inclined to appear on screen that he appears in eight or nine different characters ranging from a chai walla, truck driver, beggar, fish monger, night guard, welder, and what not. Needless to say, in almost all the getups Qureshi remains Qureshi and is does not embrace the character. It reminds us all of his mobile-phone network TV commercials. Impressive production quality The production quality of MBG is impressive. Sets, lighting, camerawork and colour grading are all topnotch. The film looks grand in theaters. This perhaps is the only takeaway to cherish from it. Overall, the film offers no takeaways. Jokes do not have recall value, performances are mediocre and narrative is ineffective. It feels like a lot of things are happening at the same time and neither of them get a decent closure. The impressive moments are far-fetched and the wafer-thin plot makes MBG an undercooked meal that perfectly has all the required ingredients, but something went wrong during the cooking process, as the taste is anything but delightful. The take home If you have an inclination towards movies with slapstick humor, similar to the ones seen in Bollywood films such as Humshakal and Tees Maar Khan, then MBG is definitely worth your watch. The movie takes a lighthearted and entertaining approach, filled with situational comedy (gone off-track), over-the-top performances, and comic dialogues that keep the audience engaged initially and later groaning throughout the film. The film features some noteworthy actors like Fawad Khan, Mirza Gohar, Mikaal Zulfiqar, and Ali Safina, who bring their own unique style to the characters they portray. The actors showcase plethora of their loud performances, adding a layer of humor and absurdity to the narrative. However, it is important to note that while MBG offers an entertaining watch at least for kids, it does not attempt to be anything more than that. The movie is a lousy attempt to tickle the audience’s funny bone and does not aim to offer any deeper insights or philosophical revelations. In fact, it may even cause headache, agitation, and a regret for waste of money and time. Shafiq Ul Hasan Siddiqui is an avid movie buff, and film and drama critic and a digital inbound marketer. He tweets as www.twitter.com/shafiqulhasan81. All information and facts are the responsibility of the writer