“This was an important story that needed to be told,” Adnan Sarwar said about his second cinema venture, after the screening in Karachi.
Having made his directorial debut with a biographical sports film, Shah (2015), Adnan Sarwar has returned to the big screen with his latest cinematic outing Motorcycle Girl that is also a biopic of sorts. Taking inspiration from the life of Zenith Irfan, the first female motorcyclist to travel across Pakistan alone, the Sohai Ali Abro-starrer premiered in Lahore and Karachi earlier this week, followed by its nationwide release yesterday.
The film’s premiere in Karachi was a star studded event with the film’s cast and crew and multiple celebrities and media personnel in attendance. Aside from Sohai, Ali Kazmi, Meher Bano and Daniyal Raheel (who feature in the film), Zenith Irfan, writer-director Adnan Sarwar and co-producer Jami, the list extends to Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ayesha Omar, Adnan Siddiqui, Wajahat Rauf, Mohammad Ehteshamuddin, Rafay Rashdi and others.
Speaking to audience post the screening, Adnan Sarwar shared, “The kind of films we make, there aren’t many financiers who are willing to back it. You see it is a different kind of a film, it is a different kind of a subject and I am a different kind of a filmmaker. This was an important story that needed to be told. We starve, we suffer for these films because there are certain things we don’t compromise on; we have to pay a price for that. I would like to thank the supporting cast, Sohai Ali Abro, who delivered a groundbreaking performance, and Zenith, whose life the film is based on.”
On acknowledging the appreciation for the film after the premiere, Adnan also said that all the hard work was worth it, adding, “This is an important film for independent Pakistani cinema as it has been made with less money than it takes to make a television commercial.”
Motorcycle Girl is a film that a lot of young women in Pakistan can relate to. It portrays a true picture of how life operates in Pakistan, particularly, when your father is not alive. However, familial and societal restrictions don’t stop Zenith from taking on the challenge of fulfilling his father’s wish who had dreamt of travelling to Khunjerab on a motorbike. The film is about Zenith’s journey from a simple, hesitant, hardworking young woman to one with determination, persistence and confidence to conquer the world and the challenges it throws at her. She puts aside all her fears, failures and things people had to say against her and embarks on a journey to Khunjerab on a motorcycle to fulfill her father’s dream. Whether she is able to achieve her goal or not and what hindrances she comes across, you will find out once you watch the film.
Coming to performances, Sohai remains the major highlight of the film and steals the show with her impressive performance as she goes through various emotions. Ali Kazmi, who essays the role of her typical Pakistani husband to be, delivers a promising performance whenever he appears on the screen while Sarmad Khoosat packs quite a punch as her cruel boss. Meher Bano, who plays the role of her closest friend and well wisher, stands out even in the limited number of scenes she is a part of whereas Daniyal Raheel, as her colleague and crush in the film, has got good screen presence.
Those who were present at the premiere had all the good things to say about the film. Director Ehtesamaddin, director-producer Rafay Rashdi, Adnan Siddiqui and others were of the view that it is great film and a must watch.
Hamza Ali Abbasi, who recently posted his picture carrying the film’s poster on a bike, said on the sidelines of the premiere, “I have been a huge supporter of this project and what Zenith has done. It’s a brilliant movie; a movie with substance and the right inspiration. Do watch it, you will not be disappointed and will have a great time watching it.”
