2013
– the year when Pakistani film making industry is waking up from a long slumber
(sorry but I refuse to use words like revival and arrival with regards to
cinema in Pakistan!!) and post the wreckage it has suffered from the disaster
called “Lollywood”
The
nation has already seen Chambeli, loved Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and rejected
Josh – and now it’s Zinda Bhaag’s turn.
In
a nutshell, Zinda Bhaag talks of the “Pakistani Dream” of an average Pakistani
youth – the one where he is willing to take any route to migrate from Pakistan
– be it to Doobai, Amereeka, Europe or Englaand!! – where all his life’s
problems will get solved, because that’s where his Pot of Gold is waiting.
The
story of Zinda Bhaag is based in the heart of a lower-middle class neighborhood
in Lahore, where 3 friends Khaldi (Khurram Patras), Taambi (Zohib) and Chitta
(Salman Ahmed Khan) are waiting to achieve their “Pakistani Dream” – while they
are enjoying life to a fullest.
From
all fun & frolic in the first half (where the characters & setting is
building and the story is going nowhere), Zinda Bhaag takes turn for serious
and dark in the second half. It is here as Mohsin Sayeed aptly put, “the film
leave(s) the viewers with many questions about the state of the country and dangerous
black hole of inertia, vision and lack of opportunities for our youth that
makes up about 63% of our population.”
Must
mention here that if you don’t know Punjabi you are not going to understand the
witty and well delivered dialogues – because Zinda Bhaag is over 80% in Punjabi
not Urdu (beware: no subtitles either).
Personally
feel the story is so any-town-of-Pakistan that the makers could have easily
made the movie in Urdu – but Mazhar Zaidi (the producer) said, “making it in
Urdu would have not kept the movie authentic to its setting!” Win for
authenticity over mass appeal …
Zinda
Bhaag – Performances
Performance
wise, all the 3 boys are simply brilliant, and not for a minute did one feel
that it’s a debut film for them. Amna Ilyas, playing the romantic lead and a
budding entrepreneur, is decent in her performance – just wished she looked
half as good as she does on the ramp or shoots!!
Naseeruddin
Shah is a powerhouse actor and is just flawless in a character of an area don,
which has been written with him in mind!
Zinda
Bhaag – Music
Zinda
Bhaag also boasts one of the best film soundtracks to come out from Pakistan in
the recent times and if the movie was marketed properly – this album would
already have been a massive hit!
Wish
the makers had taken the learning from our neighboring film industry (aka
Bollywood) and used the music more for promotional purposes and as adding depth
to the narrative. The songs in the movie (while enjoyable) just came across as
unnecessary deviation from the plot.
Zinda
Bhaag – Technical
Full
credit to Meenu Gaur & Farjad Nabi – the director/writer duo – who have not
just gotten solid performances from three newcomers, but also for making one of
the most technically sound Pakistani movie this year.
The
cinematography captures both the soul of inner city Lahore and the essence of
past in flashback sequences perfectly and even in styling and sets of Zinda
Bhaag catches the kitschy, loud and garish soul of Punjab.
On
the editing front felt the story could have definitely done with a snip of a
few songs, a shorter first half and a few less scenes of Naseeruddin Shah –
however the clever cutting of some of the shots, along with tight pacing in
places still makes Zinda Bhaag a well-edited movie on the whole.
Zinda
Bhaag – the final word
Have
been noticing some shock from people on social media on how serious the story
of Zinda Bhaag is – which they were not expecting I guess …
Zinda
Bhaag is not your mainstream masala entertainment – it is a film with a
message. The final scene of the movie will leave you with some very serious
questions about where our nation is headed – and rightly so!!
Go
prepared with your thinking hats on and if you don’t know Punjabi, with someone
who can translate the dialogues for you …
Direction:
Meenu Gaur, Farjad Nabi
Actors:
Khurram Patras, Salman Ahmad Khan, Zohaib, Amna Ilyas, Naseeruddin Shah
My
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)
Review
By : Samra Muslim
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