Shahzad Rafique’s ‘Salute’ delayed, once again

Distributors unhappy with repeated delays in film’s release

LAHORE: The release of film-maker Shahzad Rafique’s latest venture Salute has been postponed once again, this time till December. The crew has cited flaws in the final version of the film as the reason for the delay. In this connection, Rafique is now seeking assistance from film experts in both India and Pakistan.

It must be noted that this is not the first time Salute has come close to release and been pulled back at last minute. The film was initially slated to hit screens on August 5, which was later changed to the end of August. In fact, Distribution Club — the film group handling Salute’s distribution — had even begun marketing it.

“Rafique has been engaged with us for the last six months and this is the third time the release has been postponed. The delay has caused us much trouble and now we are expecting to see the film open on December 2,” shared an official from the company. “August is important for Pakistan and Eid is also a good time to release films. We have been pressing him to release Salute but the reason why it still hasn’t been completed is beyond us.”

Apparently, one of the issues the film’s crew faced while shooting was that Rafique had wanted to shoot at real locations that were not always available at the right time. The director, however, claimed that he is working on the post-production himself and everything else is fine with the film.

A seasoned film-maker, Rafique has previously delivered hits like Rukhsati, Ghunghat, Nikah and Mohabbataan Sachiyaan. While most of his projects have been love sagas, he has taken up the subject of terrorism this time around as Salute follows the real-life story of ninth-grade student Aitzaz Hasan Bangash, who sacrificed his life to save his schoolmates from a suicide attack in 2014. Rafique even visited Aitzaz’s hometown of Hangu and met with his parents, as part of the research for the film.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2016.

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