Moor: bringing Balochistan back on track

Cast and key crew members discuss what all went into the making of Pakistan’s most awaited film

KARACHI:

Of all those involved in Moor, actor Samiya Mumtaz perfectly summed up the anticipation surrounding the release of the movie: “I think the pregnancy of this film was quite long and with its birth around the corner, it feels quite nice.”

All queries surrounding the releases of the film were put to rest in a press conference held by the team of Moor on Thursday. Shot in some of the most scenic locations of Balochistan, the director of the movie, Jamshed ‘Jami’ Mahmood, described it as a film “about Pakistan”. Moor is set to release in cinemas on August 14.

Director Jami, Lead actor Samiya Mumtaz,

Lead actor Hameed Sheikh

Having conceived the idea for the film in the pre-Waar days, Jami had initially titled the film as Wahid (One) but changed it to Moor on producer Nadeem Mandviwall’s insistence. Hameed Sheikh, who will be seen essaying the role of a patriarch Wahidullah Khan, recalled how he was accidently cast while showing the work of other actors from Quetta in a British film called Kandahar Break. “Right when I made my entry in Kandahar Break, Jami paused. It’s every actor’s wish to see people watching his performance but Jami just looked at me and went into a different chain of thought, at the end of which he offered me the lead role in Moor,” he said. Earlier, Shabbir Rana was supposed to play Wahidullah Khan but because of the sub-zero conditions and physically-gruelling filming schedule, the director requested him to opt out of the film.



 

Although Sheikh has major releases like Khuda Kay Liye and Operation 021 under his belt, the opportunity to act in a film about Quetta, Balochistan, was one he couldn’t refuse. “I’m very inspired by spaghetti westerns, Sergione Leone films. I had always wished to preserve the railway tracks of Balochistan so that someone can someday make a movie featuring them,” stated Sheikh. With a cast of local actors, including Samiya Mumtaz, Shaz Khan, Ayaz Samoo, Shabbir Rana, Sonya Hussain and Ayaz Samoo, the Pride of Performance recipient, Abdul Qadir noted how being part of a film such as Moor was a new experience for him.

He compared the people of Quetta to mountains; and like them, they stay where they are. But a director like Jami has brought them out of their comfort zone making them perform tasks they aren’t usually accustomed to. “As people, who live in the mountains, we know how to glide but we do not know how to swim and Jami made me swim,” said Qadir.



When asked to classify Moor as a commercial movie or an art-house film, Mandviwalla, quipped that any movie you invest in, eventually becomes a commercial film. “People make films with a budget of $200 million but not with the intention of a few people coming to watch it. Everyone strives to make a movie which people will watch and appreciate.”

The soundtrack for the film has been composed by Jami’s frequent-collaborator Strings. “We have around 150 (edited) versions for the film and Strings worked effortlessly every time I asked them to change the soundtrack or a score,” said Jami. The music of Moor is expected to release right after Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2015.

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