Meera and Rabi Pirzada play lead roles in Shor Sharaba. PHOTOS: FILE
The film has completed shooting in just about 55 days, with Indian director Hasnain Hyderabadwala and choreographer Reshma Khan working day in and day out to stick to their schedule. The final editing and post production of Shor Sharaba will be completed in Dubai.
Nonetheless, producer Sohail Khan remains apprehensive about releasing the film on Eidul Azha, lest it loose out to competition. According to him, it would be wiser to release the romantic comedy after the festive season has died down as he wishes for the film it to become a super hit.
A joint production of Indian and Pakistani artists, Shor Sharaba is particularly important for not just its crew members but also for Lollywood in general as no other film has emerged successful from the city since the beginning of the year. Lahore, once the hub of the Pakistani film industry, has been on the downward spiral for a while, with three back to back films – Blind Love, Ishq Positive and Pyaasi – failing to generate much traction at the box office.
Shor Sharaba’s crew, however, believes their film will rectify the situation. Not only have Hyderabadwala and his team given Shor Sharaba their all, Sohail Khan Productions has also made sure the film’s music, cast, script and the technology used are in line with modern trends. In fact, Khan has taken things up a notch by employing both director and choreographer from across the border. “The film industry in Pakistan, especially here in Lahore, is facing grave issues due to the non-professionalism of its inhabitants. They do not seem to understand that no one will come to the cinemas to watch their films if they are not made according to demands of the modern viewer, especially the younger generation’s,” he explained. “I have produced Shor Sharaba for all classes of Pakistani society, for those who want to see good art. That’s why, I made sure to include both new and old faces while finalising the cast. We have seasoned artists like Mustafa Qureshi, Meera and Bahar Begum, as well as young ones such as Rabi Pirzada and Mebal Khan.”
Khan has indeed gone to great lengths to ensure Shor Sharaba is state of the art production. “I focused on the music and dances a lot and so, invited Reshma to help me depict them,” he said. “The songs have also been sung by new people and the script will appeal to the audience.”
When asked about his decision to collaborate with Indian film-makers, Khan revealed that this is not the first time he is taking up such a project. “I actually began a co-production with India about 10 years ago. After that, many new, modern studios started springing up around the country but the situation didn’t really improve as such,” he shared. “I realise now that there was a need for us to strengthen our industry first. So, I have decided to produce a series of films and Shor Sharaba is the first of those. Its director and choreographer may be Indian but the film is Pakistani through and through. After its release, more artists and investors will want to come to Pakistan.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2016.
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