2013 – the year it all got better! | Film

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The year 2013 will go down in the history of Pakistani cinema as one of its most successful films. The opening of new multiplex cinemas in the country not only boosted the industry, but the success of Pakistani films became a regular feature of the change. And yes, Gundasa had no role in the revival of local films. In fact, his absence was a big help!

Bilal Lashari’s War ended the year as the most successful Pakistani film of all time and grossed Rs 2000 crore. 23 crores is proof of this. The second language of Falak was Urdu. Despite this, he beat Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (Rs 5 crore) and Chambeli (Rs 2.5 crore) by a huge margin. Although Vaar had its moments (both good and ‘bad’), it must be credited to Ismail Jilani’s Chambeli that made people realize that even a Pakistani film can give its Indian counterparts a hard time.

Chambeli competed with Aashiqui 2 (which crossed the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide) and came out with flying colours. It had perfect dialogues (as a feature film should), amazing cinematography (locations never look so good!) and above all Najam Shiraz’s music which was loved by many, if not all. The film was single-handedly responsible for making people realize the importance of voting and Chambeli’s impact will surely be there the next time polls are held in the country.

As for Shahid Afridi, I liked this movie because it had the perfect blend of Pakistaniness. It was the story of a village boy who plays like Shahid Afridi, dreams big and achieves the impossible with the help of his coach and friends. Unlike Humayun Saeed’s three previous film efforts (in Pakistan, he also worked in the Bollywood film Jashant), this film has something that they all lacked – actor Humayun Saeed.

People called the film Chak De India rip-off, but the Bollywood blockbuster itself was a mixture of miracle and mystery Alaska. He termed MHSA as a below average effort but the way it was constructed it managed to keep house full for a long time. And it gave margin to all the actors unlike Vaar where the film was based on only one character. Veteran actors Nadeem Sahib, Javed Sheikh, Shafqat Cheema and Ismail Tara were praised for their outstanding performances, besides this film gave the cinema industry newcomers like Hamza Ali Abbasi, Gauhar Rasheed and Nauman Habib, who Played the title role.

And then Zinda Bhaag was Pakistan’s official Oscar nomination despite the talent coming from across the border. Mazhar Zaidi’s film was directed by Menu Gur and Farjad Nabi which was loved by all as its screenplay showcased the acting talent of the legendary Naseeruddin Shah and tackled a subject that was relatable to the masses. No, it was from the public. The performance of model Amna Ilyas was also appreciated by the film’s critics, as she was not the ‘Hai Allah’ type of heroine we are used to.

It’s not all about local movies. Shahzad Rafiq’s Ishq Khuda, Aram Parveen Bilal’s Josh, Mansoor Mujahid’s Lema (aka Seedling) and Azfar Jaffrey’s Siya also graced the screen. While the Punjabi-language Ishq Khuda (featuring Shaan, Ahsan Khan and Meera) did well in the Punjab region, the rest went without making a mark. Josh and Lamha won many international awards for tackling serious issues, but such arty films fail to create magic at the box office. Black could do it because it was based on black magic but people don’t go for it anymore, not when life in the country is a horror story.

If you talk about films coming from across the border, this year has seen many amazing films. So many surprise flops and so many surprise movies that should never have been made! Surprise hits include the high-grossing Aashiqui 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express which are yet to cross the 100 crore barrier. The success of Akshay Kumar’s Special 26 was also surprising but it had all the ingredients needed for a hit – it was fast paced, based on a true incident and you never knew what would happen next! Comedies like Chashme Badoor (featuring Ali Zafar) and Fukrey were commercially successful as they allowed people to forget their daily routines and smile for a change. Vakil flicks Jolly LLB and Shahid did not disappoint with their storytelling while excellent Lootera and politically correct Satyagraha also managed to attract crowds to the theatre.

The last quarter of the year brought Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela and Rajkummar Santoshi’s Patta Nikla Hero. While the former was massive and inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the latter style was one of the many incarnations of Apna Apna, and fans were not disappointed with her offering.

It was a year of sequels though, with Krrish 3 and Dhoom 3 dominating the scene since Race 2. In fact, by the time you read this, Dhoom 3 will have become the highest-grossing Bollywood film, surpassing Krrish 3 (Rs 220 crore) and Chennai Express (Rs 208 crore). Aamir Khan’s film earned crores of rupees. 200 crores in just three days, a feat never done before! Another sequel – Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again – had potential but did not fare as well as Vishal Bhardwaj’s Metro Ki Bijli Ka Mandola, John Abraham’s Ai, Me Aur Me, Mickey Virus, Ek Thi Dayan and Aurangzeb. What did Karan Johar’s Gauri Tere Pyaar Main achieved success partly because of the temporary ban on the import of Bollywood films and partly because of the presence of Kareena Kapoor Khan!

As far as films that should not have passed the ‘common sense’ board are concerned, we had Ajay Devgn’s Himmatwala which was mediocre by all standards. The film had a lion (for crying out loud!), a heroine with thunder thighs (who wears oriental clothes after becoming a bitch) and Ajay Devgan at his worst! Films that tried to live up to his folly included Sunny Deol’s Singh Sahib The Great, Akshay Kumar’s Boss, Ranbir Kapoor’s Beshram and Zanjeer’s remake. All these films were extremely silly, especially Besharam as it featured Kapoor (son Ranbir with parents Rishi and Neetu) for the first time. How the director did it, remains a mystery!

Let’s move on to Hollywood … Fast and Furious 6 topped the list of Hollywood movies with a business of (approx.) Rs. 7.5 crore The film was screened exclusively at Karachi’s Nuplex cinema even after the death of its star Paul Walker later that year. Man of Steel, Wolverine, Iron Man 3 and Thor – The Dark World also did well at the box office in Pakistan. I don’t have anything against other movies but when you have a superhero in a movie people flock to it!

Films like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, RIPD, Ben Affleck-starrer Runner, Runner and the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs flopped while Ron Howard’s Rush was screened by popular demand every time. Did you do business? Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the screen for the first time with Escape Plan (not including The Expendables!) and created the magic that had eluded them for the past decade. The Lone Ranger, The Hangover III and World War Z were moderately successful but the biggest surprise hit of the year was Now You See Me, which surprised audiences.

There were Hollywood films of the Moula Jut variety – A Good Day to Die Hard, Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down, Elysium and Oblivion. Science fiction with stunning graphics – Pacific Rim, Gravity, Riddick, and Ender’s Game; Also plays – Captain Phillips, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Prisoners, Diana and The Great Gatsby.

Sequels like Star Trek Into Darkness, Percy Jackson Sea of ​​Monsters and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire also did well, while The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug was a success in theaters thanks to the growing number of multiplexes across the country. has been There were several animated films that were also shown along with The Croods, Epic, Despicable Me 2, Jack the Giant Slayer, Free Birds, Frozen, Monsters University.

Entertainment with theater in Pakistan was excellent, especially in Karachi where Anwar Maqsood gave three successful plays that were loved by all. His debut play Angan Thira hit the stage in Karachi on February 8 and completed 101 consecutive shows in one city – a record – after which the cast performed in Lahore and Islamabad. His next theater drama Sawa 14 August 14 opened on August 14 and ran till early November with performances in three major cities of the country. Anwar Maqsood’s latest half-play is currently being screened in Karachi (it opened on December 10) and judging by the public response, it looks like it will do just as well as its predecessor. Kudos to Director Dawar Mehmood and his team at KopyKats Productions!

Renowned actor Salman returned to theaters with Shahid Abdullah Farhatullah’s Sultana Daku, which managed to enthrall audiences across three cities later this year. The musical comedies Dhani and Andhera Ujjala also attempted to follow the ‘Anwar Maqsood path’ but could not achieve the same level of success despite Mrs. Anwar Maqsood being one of Dhani’s writers (a tribute to the title strings song). does, is a poem on Venus gaze).

Overall, 2013 was a year that we should list as a benchmark. Karachi got two new multiplexes – CinePex at Oceans Mall and Nuplex at The Place – while Ayesha Manzil’s City Auditorium was converted into ‘CinePex’ for the convenience of those on the other side of the bridge. Those in Islamabad got their first multiplex at the Centaurs Cineplex, while Singold Plex in Rawalpindi ensured that the capital got a regular dose of movies. The scene is finally on!

Omair Alvi works for Geo TV and can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com.