To make or not to make?

With Bilal Lashari’s ‘Maula Jatt 2’ cruising ahead, film-makers unsure if remakes of classics are a good idea

LAHORE:

The practice of remaking hits of the past goes a long way in the region’s cinema. Few film-makers would agree that reinventing a cherished classic with finance and prestige at stake is an easy task. Across the border, there are plenty of examples for both ends of the continuum. Ram Gopal Verma’s Aag fell flat on its face and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas became a critically acclaimed remake.

Still basking in the commercial success of Waar, when Pakistani director Bilal Lashari announced his next project – the multi-million dollar remake of arguably Lollywood’s most influential film, Maula Jatt, eyebrows were raised for many right reasons. How will a newcomer bridge the much-scorned past of Pakistani cinema with one that is being constructed bit by bit by the trust of the modern cinemagoer? With the film set to go on floors in February, the question for Pakistani film-makers really is: is the remake model sellable in our cinema?

If you ask director Syed Noor, his answer will be a no, for now at least. Being one of the most successful film-makers in the country, Noor had once decided to re-dig his 1998 gold mine, Choorian, in shape of a remake. However, he no longer fancies the idea. “Remaking Choorian is not part of my plan now. I am now working on another project while Bhai Wanted and Price of Honour will also be released this year,” he told The Express Tribune.





With this decision, Choorian joins the ranks of several films that were fetched from the DVD library by ambitious hands this year, only to be returned safely. The trend was being pushed by design. Director Javed Butt said associations of film-makers had planned to make a series of remakes, in a bid to revive the dying industry. “Remakes of Naukar Vohti Da, Challenge, Dil Da Jani, Sher Khan and Jind Jaan were planned initially. Even writing veterans like Pervaiz Kalim and Kamal Pasha were roped in. But then we begun to realise perhaps the people are not interested in remakes anymore,” he said.

Fellow director Pervaiz Rana holds the success of Karachi’s film industry responsible for this change of plan. “After the success of those films [made in Karachi], we realised times have changed,” he said. Rana said that doesn’t mean Lahore’s directors have hung their boots for good. “We are working on films but it is the remakes that we aren’t sure of.” The director was not able to hide his admiration for Lashari’s ambitious venture. “He is doing a great job. However, we cannot afford to make them [remakes] in this crisis,” Rana added.



Karachi-made 2014 film Na Maloom Afraad turned out to be a major game-changer for the industry. It was widely appreciated for its entertainment value. The film’s producer Fiza Ali Meerza was of the view that remakes are not viable for Pakistani cinema at this point. “We have so many new stories to tell,” she said, adding if she were to make one, she’d choose the 1973 film, Insan aur Gadha.

Additional Input By Hasan Ansari

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.

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