Maalik is Ashir Azeem’s second coming as a writerand his debut venture for the big screen. Given his past work for PTV, one has high expectations from the film but the trailer has left us underwhelmed.
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The trailer of the film was launched on Monday evening, at Karachi’s Ocean Mall, amidst a selected gathering.
Karachi: Ashir Azeem has long been away from the limelight but his serial Dhuwan, a PTV classic from more than two decades ago, still remains etched in our memories for its realistic storyline, crisp action sequences and clever use of camera. The director, who is said to have persuaded many youngsters to join the police force with his realistic depiction of drug abuse and the efforts of the narcotics team, is all set return to his story-telling roots with upcoming film Maalik.
The trailer of Maalik was launched in an intimate gathering of media reps, cast and crew, and selected members of the film fraternity, including Saba Hamid and Yasra Rizvi, at Cinepax theatre in Ocean Mall, Karachi. Before the unveiling of the official trailer of the film, Azeem took to the mic to share his philosophy behind making this film. “Maalik is about taking ownership of the country we live in. For long, we have waited for someone to take a stand when, in fact, we hold the power to change the system,” Azeem said. “My team believed in this philosophy and that’s why we didn’t really have to act on screen; whatever we did came from within and I am sure that the movie will also make you rearrange your priorities.”
In what was a surprise display of patriotic fervour, the director then took an oath (which is actually a scene from the film itself) in an attempt to evoke a sense of patriotism amongst those present.
From the get-go, this seemed like yet another movie that cashes in on the nationalistic sentiments of the Pakistani audience. Army’s efforts, threats to sovereignty, corruption and undercover agents – we have already seen a string of those in Waar and Operation 021 and are expected to also witness them in the long-delayed Yalghaar. In this respect, Maalik doesn’t seem to be bringing anything new to the table at face value. However, the fact that the film is meant to stress on the importance of a common man may just be what sets it apart. To add to this are Azeem’s story-telling capabilities that are evident in his previous work and are what will be pulling film fanatics to the cinema screens.
That said, the trailer is not without flaws. While the fight sequences seem thrilling and visually engaging, the dialogues are memorable and the hard work on cinematography is evident, the final product isn’t as impactful. The flaw basically lies in the knitting together of the scenes; the trailer, which is a mix of real-time scenarios and flashbacks, doesn’t have enough of a flow to offer the viewer some sense of the story. A little more work on editing could have made the trailer more potent. One hopes that this is not the case in the film which seems to be a promising venture. In comparison, the teaser, which was released last year, was more stimulating.
Post the unveiling, the audience was introduced to cast members Hassan Niazi, Adnan Shah Tipu, Farhan Ali Agha, Ehtisham Uddin, Faizan Shaikh and Lubna Aslam, who all seemed very proud of being part of the film.
Actor Farhan Ali Agha, who is one of the central characters, was all praise for the film and Azeem’s way of working. “I am glad to be a part of the film because a) Ashir has done a wonderful job as a director and b) the film has a message for the public that in order to change the destiny of your country you don’t have to be in the armed forces; if we take ownership, we can bring a change,” he told the audience.
Veteran actor and director Ehtisham Uddin, whose character of ‘Master Ji’ is pivotal to Maalik, said that he accepted the role because it gave him a chance to display his acting capabilities. “I loved working in Maalik and although the patriotic theme was enough to get my attention, it was the powerful script that convinced me to accept the role,” he shared. “Ashir has done a great job and he is a wonderful person to work with. Since he is both the writer and the director of the movie, he was always in command. Rarely does that happen in Pakistan because the writer and director aren’t on the same page. I am sure that the film will do well in cinemas once it is released.”
Maalik is scheduled to release next month, on April 8.