At a recent meet and greet in Karachi, the cast and crew of the upcoming indie film revealed interesting details about their roles.
Karachi: One film we are eagerly waiting for this December is Pinky Memsaab, written and directed by the Dubai-based writer, director and producer Shazia Ali Khan, who is tapping into Pakistani cinema with this one. Shazia has studied films while she has several short films including New from Heaven, Only by Chance and The Pistachio Nut to her name. We got hold of her, along with the cast of Pinky Memsaab, at an intimate press junket held in Karachi earlier this week.
“When I wrote Pinky Memsaab, I had no idea that I’d be directing it as well,” Shazia told Instep. “The story is very close to my life; I have lived most part of my adult life as an expat, away from my country. Everyone has a story to tell and I chose to do it through my film. When I took my script to directors and producers, they suggested me to direct it myself so as to do justice with the story because I am familiar with the nuances of every character in it. I’d admit that I didn’t feel like giving it to anyone else either. I feel my story might become an inspiration for those who think their time is over. As they say, ‘it is never too late’.”
The writer-director believes that ‘audience is the king’ and they might accept or reject the film. “It’s a different film and I would want people to watch it at least and see whether they like this genre or not,” she added. “I think exhibitors and distributors should give the film a fair chance and then let the audience decide. If cinemas open doors to a different genre, it will be good for Pakistani cinema in the longer run.”
Pinky Memsaab highlights the hustle and bustle of life in the modern age and how people struggle to achieve big and lead a peaceful life at the same time. The film aims to present life as it is and stresses that things are not always the same as they appear to be; one must never give up. Also, life in Dubai looks very luxurious but the film attempts to break the stereotype attached to it while serving as a light-hearted social commentary simultaneously.
The film features Hajra Yamin, model turned actor Kiran Malik, Adnan Jaffar, Indian actor Sunny Hinduja and Hajra Khan – most of whom are fresh faces, which according to Shazia, are important for cinema. “Most of them are theatre actors and they fit the characters really well; their stories are similar to the roles they are playing in the film,” she explained the casting.
The film has mostly been shot in Dubai since it is a Dubai-based story and it was easier for Pakistanis and Indians to work together there (the crew is Indian) while 20 per cent shooting is done in Islamabad. There is no lead character; every character is integral to the narrative and their stories are intertwined.
Playing titular roles are Hajra Yamin and Kiran Malik who will be seen as Pinky and Memsaab, respectively, and will share a strong bond in the film. Pinky comes from a non-privileged background; she works as a maid but wishes to achieve big and her journey to Dubai and ahead is an interesting one.
Memsaab on the other hand operates in high society and apparently has everything that a woman could wish for. She is a writer, named Mehr, and is married to a banker; however, she has her insecurities and weaknesses.
“90 per cent Mehr is Kiran Malik,” Kiran Malik admitted, adding that she relates to the character in so many ways. “It is difficult to play one’s self on the screen. I would like to tell people that we are normal people, we have good and bad days and things aren’t as they seem.”
She also shared that she learnt a lot from this project and she felt like she was doing theatre. “I had my auditions, followed by acting workshops prior to shooting for the film,” Kiran revealed.
Essaying the role of Mehr’s husband, Adnan Jaffar informed that Pinky Memsaab is a “realistic reflection of life in Dubai,” in which he will be seen as an arrogant, ambitious banker who has a busy, hectic routine. This leads to some internal and external conflicts around him and has serious impact on his surroundings.
“Dubai is a pool of various ethnicities so there is a bunch of characters belonging to different nationalities. The film portrays an inclusive society and it will cater to a wide range of audience. The story is inherently female oriented but it is narrated from a male’s perspective; male characters add an interesting angle to it,” Adnan said on a parting note.
