Lahore
Lollywood is so often wrongfully vilified, that it’s easy to forget its contribution to cinema in Pakistan. Firstly, the gujjar era sustained cinema during its slump, allowing for the now ongoing revival in which we see a relatively broader range of subjects being tackled. Secondly, Lollywood films introduced the trend of casting new faces, which is carried forward by young directors in films like Zinda Bhaag, Na Maloom Afraad, etc. Thirdly, Lollywood has been more accepting of female directors than Bollywood, and its golden era is replete with the shining examples of Noor Jahan, Shamim Ara, Salma Mumtaz, Mussarat Shaheen, Samina Peerzada and Sangeeta. Following in their footsteps and hopeful of reaching similar great heights is Aasma Butt.
Born in Gujranwala and currently based in Islamabad, Aasma started working in showbiz after getting a diploma in direction, lighting and production from Pakistan National Council of the Arts. She takes pride in having been trained by stalwarts like Sheema Kirmani, Sarmad Sehbai and Mustafa Sajjad Haider. For her big screen debut, Aasma has directed a romantic drama film Fiker Not. A love story with a social angle, the film addresses the problem faced by the young generation.
Earlier this month, Aasma organised a music launching ceremony for Fiker Not in Lahore. At the event, the audience was the first to hear Fiker Not’s soundtrack, including the title song, Sagar Ali Khan’s ‘Duniya Ko Tension He Tension Pari Hay (Fiker Not)’ and three different renditions of ‘Nadani’ by Maham Rehman, who is joined by the film’s music director Ali Badar Mia
One was surprised to see an item number ‘Naqab Utaru Tu Duniya Tabah’ in the mix, especially since female directors are expected to use their position behind the camera to steer the industry’s direction away from the salaciousness associated with Lollywood films. But Aasma was quick to defend her decision, saying that she needed an attention-grabbing title song that would pull in the crowd in the cinemas. She added that the rest of the film is free from any material that could be considered obscene, and that she hopes to make films in the future that don’t depend on item numbers for box office returns.
The evening ended with a free-for-all dance on the film’s soundtrack, which was greatly enjoyed by the audience. It was a jubilant moment for Lahore since it’s been starved of cinematic activities after the industry centre shifted to Karachi. “Mujhay logon nay bahut daraya kay Lahore main na karo, wo log ab taa’wun nai kartay (People discouraged me from organising the music launch in Lahore, saying that people here don’t cooperate anymore)”, Aasma shared at the event. “But I’m determined to revive Lahore’s film studios. So I still held it here.”
Despite her good intentions, she was disappointed to see that hardly any prominent filmstars made an appearance at her event. This disappointment was compounded by the fact that even Fiker Not’s lead actress and other cast members did not attend, despite Aasma having cleared their dues. Although she feels that there is little encouragement for young producers, she is still hopeful that setbacks like these are milestone of success in the future.
However, Aasma is not without her admirers. Producer Jarar Rizvisaid, “I’m happy to
Other people, such as writer/director Parvaiz Kaleem, are concerned about Aasma’s inexperience. “Aasma’s initiative is a good one, but if you have hired a fresh team, then they need an experienced director to manage them well. The big screen has its own demands. Still, I wish Aasma well for making a film for the youth rather than the blue collar class.”
When asked about her inexperience, Aasma is confident that her TV experience makes her capable of handling the demands of a film. “I feel I am encouraging young talent to come forward and take their chance on the big screen, like I have dared to do. This is the right time to try to get our foothold in the industry as it is right now an open field.” Fiker Not was initially planned as a February release, but Aasma postponed the opening till April due to the Cricket World Cup.
Fiker Not stars Shehla, Rubab, Sadaf, Hammad, Kanwal, Sheraz, Mudassir, Suleman Sunny and Durdana Rehman.
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Director Aasma Butt with cinematographer Amjad Bhatti