Glitter and Gloss

Islamabad : While politicians were holding their marathons at Islamabad and Lahore last week. film distributors and exhibitors were attending to Eid box office cash registers in cinemas nationwide, a step ahead of politics. With no serious intrusion from imports, three features released on August 22 fared well at the box office. Having absolutely no respect and regard to serious cinematic elements, the three films are bringing lots of fun for front-benches. The connoisseur stay home.

‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ (JPNA) 2, a sequel to JPNA from 2015 which minted solid 500 million, leads and collected 140 million in five days.

Director Nadeem Baig (Punjab Nahi Jaon Gi) walks down the lanes of JPNA three friends ,with addition of Fahad Mustafa this time. Support is readily available to him from Guru Humayun Saeed with sidekicks from Vasay Chaudhry, Ahmad Ali Butt and Mawra Hocane. Sohail Ahmad is hilarious with his transgender acts from ‘Hasb-e-Hal’. The little we comment about the music, the better.

Director-co writer Nabeel Qureshi(Actor in Law, Na Maloom Afraad 2) has pretty much mastered the gimmicks of what sells at the box office. Here, instead of mocking, he faithfully bows at the weddings and its outdated rituals(poverty and dowry are forcibly inserted only for social relevance). Fahad Mustafa is seen again ,now with Mehwish Hayat ( in an insulting insignificant minor role) and acid tongue Samina Ahmad as mother of the hope-to-be bridegroom who wants to marry his childhood girlfriend.

And now the biggie ‘Parwaz Hai Ganoon’ which grossed 100 million in the first five days. It is based on the life of PAF cadets at their training academy.

Directed by Haseeb Hassan, produced by Momina Duraid and scripted by Farhat Ishtiaq, Hamza Ali Abbasi leads as the martyred cadet.

The film would take care of the flashbacks as the heroine , following hero’s footsteps, wins awards. Romance has been added as cushion to winning box office. The air force support and funding enriches the production effects and ambiance (in this case, locations, wardrobe, aerial footage and lot more ).The film has been lavishly lensed around K2, Murree, Lahore, Sargodha and Karachi.

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