Bol set to release in India on Eid

NEW DELHI:

Maestro Shoaib Mansoor’s hard-hitting social drama titled Bol is set to release in India on Eid, August 31.

The film, which is the first by the talented director after his critically acclaimed and award-winning Khuda Kay Liye, released in Pakistan on June 24. According to indiaglitz.com, the film has been declared a super hit as it has received a tremendous opening and grossed about Rs4.9 million on the first day, which is more than Ready and My Name is Khan grossed on their first day in Pakistan.

Khuda Kay Liye — a film is about the life of Muslims after 9/11 — was the first Pakistani film to be officially released in India after many years, and now Mansoor is confident that Bol will also hook the Indian audience.

Bol features the talents of Humaima Malick, singing sensation Atif Aslam, VJ Mahira Khan and model-turned actor Iman Ali, along with many other popular Pakistani actors. The film tells the tale of a girl who and challenges the age-old societal norms of treating women as the lesser sex. Based in Lahore, the film aims to highlight the plight of women, who are often treated as burdens by a large percentage of society. The movie also treads no-go areas like homosexuality and the life of eunuchs, in addition to talking about Shia-Sunni dynamics.

Bollywood has rejuvenated dying Pakistani theatres and now Pakistan’s film industry is looking to Indian audiences for survival. Bol is just the third film produced this year in Pakistan. “The film industry has to cater to larger markets, which are very different from those that existed in past. Now you have lesser cinemas, so making profits is difficult. Film-makers have to think about markets, like India, Dubai and Britain, which can potentially improve sales of the local films,” Pakistan Film Exhibitors’ Association Chairman Zoraiz Lashari told The Express Tribune.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2011.