Bol. Finally

Bol, the much-awaite­d film by Shoaib Mansoo­r, is likely to be releas­ed after the cricke­t World Cup.

LAHORE:

The film which was earlier set to be released in February is now likely to hit cinemas in mid April. The release was delayed to settle matters related to distribution. It was cleared by the Film Censor Board in November last year. It is the second full-length feature film by ace director Shoaib Mansoor.

Film pundits desperately await the release of Bol, the plot of which remains a hot topic of debate. Though it may have caused immense chatter in the film industry, the director’s lips stay sealed regarding the release date and the central theme of the said film. However, a reliable source confirmed to The Express Tribune that the movie is based on the plight of women — a sensitive issue in Pakistani society.

Based in the heart of Lahore, the story takes place in a house full of daughters, teeming with the vibrancy of life but restricted to bloom.

“Bol is a roller-coaster of emotions. It carries subtleties that make your heartbeat stop. It questions the worth of a human being, be it a woman or a person born with a birth defect. It questions the authority of reproducing human beings into this world without taking responsibility of acknowledging their worth,” a statement on the film’s website reads.

The soundtrack of the film is quite impressive, and includes the likes of Shabnam Majeed, Sahir Ali Bugga, Bina Jawad, Atif Aslam, Hadiqa Kiani and Faiza Mujahid. Mansoor has also written and composed a song “Sayyan Bolain” sung by Majeed, Bugga and Jawad.

The cast of the film comprises of Humaima Malick, Atif Aslam, Iman Ali, Mahira Khan, Shafqat Cheema, Manzar Sehbai and Zaib Rehman. Several students from the National College of Arts (NCA) filmmaking department have assisted Mansoor in the film.

Mansoor, who on principle does not market a project prior to its release, made an exception and issued the statement: “Having been so blessed in life, I often think of the things that I should be grateful for. The list seems to be never ending, but invariably it ends at one thing . . . that I was born as a MAN. Nothing in the world scares me more than the thought of being born a woman or a eunuch in a country like Pakistan, where obscurantism has deep roots. It is very unfortunate that we make tall claims, full of pride, about the rights of women granted by our religion and yet when I look around in the underdeveloped Muslim countries in general and Pakistan in particular, I find the ground reality to be the polar extreme. Tragically, our interpretation and application of religion seem to begin and end with women. Leaving the five per cent of the urban educated elite aside, women seem to be the playground (battleground) where we practice a medieval form of religion”.

The Express Tribune spoke to the actors regarding their experience and the delay of the release. Atif Aslam, who plays the character of a doctor wanting to become a musician in the film, said: “I am doing a lot of work and am not really relying as an actor on this film. I did this film because I wanted to do a film and didn’t want to play the ‘chocolate hero’. Bol gave me the opportunity to be a part of something substantial. I think it is for the director to decide how and when the film is to be released”.

Mahira Khan, who makes her debut with the film, said: “It was truly a learning experience for me, Shoaib saab is an institution in himself, we all are waiting for Bol; and I hope it brings great business to the cinemas”.

Mansoor’s first film Khuda Kay Liye went on to win several international awards and from the looks of it, Bol may well do the same.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2011.