Abhay Deol-starrer 'Happy Bhaag Jaeygi' likely to have a Pakistan premier

Director Mudassar Aziz was recently in the country to finalise details

KARACHI: Up until now the only way through which Indian actors could make live appearances in Pakistan was through Skype. As of recent, it had become a trend for distributors and film-makers to organise Q&A sessions with Pakistani journalists prior to the release of a film. But the team behind one particular Bollywood project is about to break the norm. The director of upcoming Abhay Deol, Diana Penty and Momal Sheikh-starrer Happy Bhaag Jaeygi, Mudassar Aziz hinted at organising a premiere in Pakistan with the entire cast and crew of the movie.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, actor Javed Sheikh revealed that Aziz had recently visited Pakistan hoping to iron out the details for the movie’s potential premiere. “Happy Bhaag Jayegi is set to release on August 19 and the best thing about it is there are already plans to organise a premiere in Pakistan at least a day or two before the official release,” he told The Express Tribune. “The reason why the director was visiting Pakistan was because he plans to arrange a screening which the film’s Indian cast can also attend.”

Unable to mask his excitement at the prospect of a red carpet being rolled out for a Bollywood film in Pakistan, Sheikh shared that, should the event materialise it could be great for the country’s film industry in the long run. “Bollywood films have been doing tremendously well in Pakistan so it is great that Indian film-makers are also realising our cinema’s potential,” he said. “Not only will such events increase audience’s exposure to international stars, but can also help us establish a proper red carpet culture in our country.”



Happy Bhaag Jayegi is already a special project for Javed as he will be seen starring alongside his daughter, Moomal, who will make her Bollywood debut with the film. The veteran actor shared that such events could go a long way in improving relations between the two film industries, and countries. “A few years ago only Pakistani actors were working in Indian films but now Indian actors are also starring in our films, most notably stars like like Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah. Hopefully this will open the gates for joint productions and collaborations between both industries.” The actor also hinted at the possibility that of an Indian actor starring in his upcoming film Wujood.

Although Happy Bhaag Jayegi is being distributed by Eros International, Distribution Club is the official distributor for the movie in Pakistan. When questioned about the likelihood of the premiere happening in Pakistan, IMGC Media and Marketing Manager Sabina Islam said that they were keeping their fingers crossed. “The director and cast of the film have expressed an interest in coming to Pakistan but it is still too soon to say anything for sure,” she explained. “It depends on how the situation is at that time. Sometimes a controversial movie comes out and the relations are soured.” Suppose a premiere did end up getting confirmed in Pakistan, where was it most likely to take place, Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi? Islam replied that she was not sure as it hadn’t been decided yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2016.

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