Alamgir to be immortalised in upcoming biopic starring Fawad Khan

Film's Director Sultan Ghani said decision to cast the Khoobsurat-star was a rather straightforward choice

KARACHI: Pakistanis tend to have a very unique relationship with their heroes. While they leave no stone unturned in celebrating achievements and performances of notables during their career, and lifetime, once they move away from the spotlight they are immediately forgotten.

The story of Alamgir is not any different – the artiste who was once considered the heartbeat of the nation and is often regarded as its first ‘pop star’ was all but reduced to a footnote in the country’s entertainment history following the arrival of the next generation of musicians.

But the turn of the decade marked a revival of sorts for the musician when he re-emerged onto the scene by revisiting his yesteryear classic Keh Dena (in 2012). It seems like the musician is now all set to be immortalized on celluloid as a group of aspiring filmmakers set out to make a feature film centering on the life and time of the legendary singer.

Even though this is not the first time that a biopic is being made revolving around the life of a local hero, the project will be a little different given its unique subject matter – retelling the story of Pakistan’s pioneer of pop music.

PHOTO: THINKTWICEPAKISTAN

Stressing upon the need to remember and honour contributions of the past greats, the film’s director, Sultan Ghani told The Express Tribune that it was “high time” we started celebrating our own heroes. “We as a nation tend to forget the contributions of some of our greats when they are no longer active within their fields,” he stated.

“Alamgir’s story is made for cinema – like how he came from East Pakistan and then had to put in the hard yards to make a name for himself. It’s a great story,” he added.

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The movie which has been titled Albela Rahi after one of Alamgir’s most popular singles is expected to go on floors in May this year. While the project may still be in its infancy, the producers have already managed to pull off a major casting coup by roping in Fawad Khan to essay the role of Alamgir.

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Even though Khan has made a name for himself portraying upper-class and princely characters on both sides of the border, this role will be a first for the musician-turned-singer. Reposing his faith in the actor Sultan said the decision to cast the Khoobsurat-star was a rather straightforward choice.

“Who better to play Alamgir than Fawad Khan? At the height of his success Alamgir enjoyed a lot of fame. He literally had to go out in a burqa veil in order to avoid attracting the public. And Fawad being the star that he is today can relate to that element,” noted the ad-filmmaker-turned-feature film director.

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All of these factors coupled with the fact that Fawad Khan himself had put together a very successful career as a musician – front man of the nu-metal band Entity Paradigm (eP) – led to a much easier decision to cast him in the lead role.

According to Sultan the project has been in the works for almost two years and had Sultan Ghani and his co-writer, Faisal Hashmi, pester Alamgir for information at different stages.

“When we first approached Alamgir in regards to the project he thought that we were just fans wanting to meet him or that we wanted him to do a television commercial with us. But when we briefed him about the movie and the biopic he was completely on board and gave us his blessings,” recalls Sultan Ghani Afzal.

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While no release date has been earmarked for Albela Rahi so far, the director confirmed that the movie will most likely hit cinemas in 2017. Written by Faisal Hashmi and Sultan Ghani Afzal it is being produced under the banner of Fog Catcher Films.

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Renowned cinematographer Rana Kamran will serve as the Director of Photography (DoP) whereas the producers are already in talks with musicians in regards to the soundtrack.