Yalgaar, the war saga from Hasan Waqas Rana has released in Pakistan and is supposedly doing well but for Shaan Shahid, who is a prominent member of the film’s cast and was conspicuous by his absence during the film’s promotional tour including its premiere at GHQ in Islamabad, the focus is on his own production, Arth 2.
Apart from the emergence of a short and sweet video featuring Shahid as he teases to finally give us a peak into his upcoming film that he isn’t distancing himself from, the first look is unveiled in the form of five unique posters and we have to add that it is good to see Shahid shed the tough guy image (seen in Waar, 021 and Yalgaar) for a softer character, that of a musician. Though the acting legend also played the role of a musician in Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye , Arth 2 is a remake of Mahesh Bhatt’s cult classic Arth from the eighties and therefore should differ from KKL in terms of ideas and execution.
While the initial cast also featured Humayun Saeed, the film’s final cast, apart from Shahid, includes actors Mohib Mirza, Humaima Malick and Uzma Hassan in lead roles. With Shahid also taking on direction duties, the film is a contemporary adaptation as is palpable when one takes a close look at all the posters that showcase its lead star in slick, suave avatar. It is also clear that music will play a strong role in the film and its soundtrack features, among others, the inimitable Ali Azmat.
Releasing in December 2017 and containing the tagline ‘Decisions Determine Destiny’, Arth 2 looks very promising. Watch out.