Project Ghazi — The first superhero film of the millennium | Film

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A number of Pakistani films have been released in the last two years, including social commentaries such as Khuda Ley Aur Bol, romantic comedies (Karachi Se Lahore), love stories (Bin Roy), social satires (Unknown) and bio-minto and Shah. Like pictures among others. The modern cinemascape, though young, has been quite diverse and experimental. However, the superhero genre seems relatively untouched, with the closest thing to a superhero movie being 3 Bahadur, an animation.

When you think about international cinema, it’s hard to ignore or underestimate the impact and relevance of superhero movies on the landscape. Not a single summer has gone by without a big release. With a history spanning more than 80 years, Hollywood has set the bar high for superhero movies, thanks to their excellent casting, sharp writing and ability to transform decades of comic books into fun, accessible adventures.

However, Pakistani cinema has been deprived of this unique genre from the beginning. There was hardly any space for superheroes in Lollywood and it is easy to believe because the average Punjabi hero was born with supernatural tendencies. The first superhero film made in Pakistan (or the closest to one; it was probably a ‘special effects’ film) was Saeed Rizvi’s masterpiece Shaani (1989), which was praised for its special effects and won an award. . . Then came Sherman Obaid Chinoy’s 3 Bahadur, which tapped into two unexplored territories: animation and superheroes. But we are about to see that change.

A film titled Project Ghazi is in progress. Directed by Nader Shah and produced by Ali Raza, the film is based on Ek Mission (Project Ghazi) and stars Humayun Saeed, Shahryar Manwar and Saira Shahroz in lead roles while Adnan Jafar, Aamir Qureshi and Nusrat Hidayatullah are supporting roles. are in the characters.

“Superhero films are very successful internationally,” Nadir Shah told Instep about his upcoming project. “[And] There is definitely an audience for this genre in Pakistan. With the first film, our aim is to introduce people to the world of superheroes and there is always the potential to play with the genre in the future.”

Nader Shah and Ali Raza, who also co-wrote the script, came up with the idea of ​​a superhero film that would be a mix of action and emotion.

“It’s a two-hero film,” Humayun Saeed, who plays veteran soldier Salaar, shared with Instep. Saeed noted, “I am playing Shehryar’s mentor and my role in the film is an influential one as I am only left to carry forward the mission, Project Ghazi.”

The actor will be seen as a colonel who takes a young soldier (played by Shaheer Yaar) on board to complete his mission. “I [am] Doing undercover work allows me to be a soldier as well as a common man at the same time,” explained the veteran actor.

On bringing Saeed on board, producer Ali Raza noted, “Humayun is one of the few A-list actors we have in our industry. He is the older of the two in the film. Makes it perfect for the role.”

It is an action-packed film and the actors need to undergo some training before shooting for it. While Saeed worked out for just 8-10 days to tone his muscles before starting the shoot, Shehryar Manoor underwent intense martial arts training for five months to look the part. “Since this is an action film, I am focusing more on the physical appearance of my character,” Manoor shared in an earlier interview with Instep. “It’s completely different from the character I played in my previous film (Ho Min Jahan). It’s a bit more serious; a character that people can watch.”

Both Saeed and Manoor will play the lead roles as superheroes in Project Ghazi while Adnan Jafar will be seen as the antagonist Qatan who also possesses superpowers in the film.

Actress Saira Shahroz, who recently wrapped up the shooting of her upcoming film Chalaye Ha Saath, has been roped in to play the female lead opposite Manoor. The actress will play the role of a scientist who goes on a journey to learn about Project Ghazi. “Saira has her own narrative line in the story,” shares the director. “Her character is a progressive one and she has an essential role in the film.”

Amidst the action sequences and a strong story there is a sweet love story between Manoor and Shahroz but it is not an ordinary love story. “The film has romantic elements but it is not the main part,” explains Shah. Saeed is also interested in the film but the actress has not been finalized yet. She will play a guest role in this film.

From the sets to the costumes to the overall aesthetic of the film, the filmmakers ensure that everything is Hollywood standard. “The look and feel of the film is close to Hollywood,” maintained Raza. “We have stuck to the superhero genre and have made a conscious effort to stay away from the Bollywood style of shooting.”

Since the infrastructure in Pakistan is very different, the makers had to come up with things from scratch. “We’ve created a whole universe for it,” Raza observes. “Nader (director) and I had been working on the idea for some time and then we started writing it; coming up with a narrative was a big challenge. Everything is purely original; the script, the costumes and the sets. In Pakistan The costumes were designed by our own team, it was very difficult because it was completely different to work on and no one was willing to do it,” he explained.

Costumes play a huge role in the production of any superhero film, details the director shared: “First we created the designs and then our creative team produced them as per the requirements. The masks were made by a 3D printer. Ensure high quality special effects.

Although the film has an ‘army factor’, it is being said that the film is not like the typical military stories we usually see. “The film has no political agenda,” shares Raza. “The story line is very strong; it’s basically a classic fight between good and evil. Usually, the evil is from outside but in this, the problem is local. Project Ghazi deals with a lot of intolerance. Which is in our Pakistan,” he added.

The project is going to be Ghazi Shah’s first feature film for which he has come up with a solid narrative. “It’s not a hollow narrative with no stakes involved,” the director noted. “It’s a hero’s story; the story is symbolic and can be interpreted on multiple levels.”

Explaining what drew him to the superhero genre, Shah explained that it is easy to take a broader perspective in the genre and in films, in general, when one considers a broader perspective. Being talkative as well as factual is allowed. At the same time he observed that “films have their own world and, unlike television which mainly focuses on domestic topics, there is more margin for exploration.”

With the film expected to release sometime in 2017, the makers are confident that audiences will get to see what they do from a superhero film. Although it is too early to say how this film will turn out, we hope that it will only add to the diversity and scope of Pakistani cinema and set a benchmark for future films.