JPNA isn't inspired by Bollywood or Hollywood: Vasay Chaudhry

Screenwriter/actor opens up about comparisons between JPNA and Masti

KARACHI: If there's one thing that REALLY irritates Vasay Chaudhry, it's comparing his upcoming film Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (JPNA) to Bollywood film Grand Masti.

Vasay is not only playing one of the main characters in the film, he has also written it. And he isn't happy when people say JPNA is inspired by Bollywood. "When the teaser came out people said it's a copy of [Hollywood blockbuster] Hangover. And after the trailer was released, all publications started comparing it to Masti and Grand Masti. What if it doesn't turn out to be either? Will they write an apology letter to me?" he said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Read: Trailer release: Will Jawani Phir Nahi Ani be a hit or a miss?

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The talented screenwriter/actor -- who has also written Humayun Saeed's Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi  -- says it's absurd how the younger crop of film critics, reporters and bloggers never do any research before making such claims. "Everyone keeps saying dancing and singing isn't part of Pakistani cinema. How many Pakistani films have these people seen? Was Noor Jehan singing for Raj Kapoor? Did Ahmed Rushdi lend his voice to Rishi Kapoor? Who was Waheed Murad? He danced his way into women's hearts!" he asserted.

And he has a point doesn't he? After all, singing and dancing has been part of Pakistan's film industry since its inception. "Approximately 2,600 feature films have been released in Pakistan, of which 2,589 have songs in them. Who did Adnan Sami Khan sing Zarra Dholki Bajao Goriyo for? Did Waheed Murad not sway the audience with Meray Khayalon Mein and Akailay Na Jana? You may not like it but do not try to tamper with history. Who did Noor Jehan sing 20,000 songs for?"

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Vasay says if anyone has to define JPNA's genre, they must do so by comparing it to older Pakistani films. "Yes, we have taken inspiration but not from Bollywood. We were inspired by Urdu films like Chor Machai Shor and Punjabi films, such as Naukar Voti Da, Soura Tay Javai. But no one ever talks about that. Even our song Khul Jaye Botal is an ode to Disco Dildar Mera from Punjabi film Dhee Rani but people compared it to Disco Deewane from Student of the Year," he continued.

Speaking about the storyline, he says JPNA is a coming-of-age story of four friends. "It's an out and out comedy. I am not claiming I have written Gone With The Wind. It's a very basic story and a Pakistani take on that story. But it's not Grand Masti either. There are no vulgar jokes in the film."

When asked how difficult it was to fit into a character that he has written himself, he said, "It's very easy actually. Even when I am not playing a character in a story, I have all these character sketches in my head. How they walk or how they speak. So I think it's easy for me to take up a role I have written."

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Read: 'He is being paid': Humayun dismisses Hamza's claim of not taking money for JPNA

Does this mean Vasay gets the best lines? "Very good question; no! I'll tell you an incident. Once I saw a PTV host read fan mail for Teen Batta Teen. Someone had asked why Lucy's character was the funniest. 'Because Adeel Hashmi -- who was playing that role -- was also the scriptwriter?'

For some reason this got stuck with me. And when I started writing in 2000, I made sure no one would ask me the same question. I think I have proven to be fair and just to my characters, otherwise Fawad and Ahmed Butt wouldn't be heroes in Jutt and Bond or Ahmed wouldn't have given hits like Rubber Band or Inspector Khojee."

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And finally, when asked what's the one expectation the audience should have from JPNA, he said,"It's a slightly different taste of comedy from what you have experienced in the last two years. It's not similar to Na Maloom Afraad, Karachi Se Lahore or Wrong Number. It's not in the same zone. People will get to see a different kind of humour."

JPNA will hit cinemas on Eidul Azha. Here's wishing Vasay and the rest of the team good luck!