Son of Pakistan

Jarrar Rizvi’s new film is set to be released nationwide on April 1.

LAHORE:

Lollywood has produced tens of dozens of films portraying the Pakistan police force as a corrupt and inefficient arm of the state. Police along with the security forces have suffered the most in the wake of ‘The war on terror’. In Son of Pakistan, director Jarrar Rizvi’s upcoming film, he portrays police officers as heroes — breaking that stereotype.

The film is set to be released nationwide with 15 prints on April 1. In Lahore the movie will be premiered first at Metropole Cinema. “Our policemen have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. My film shows that Pakistanis are not terrorists; they are in fact the victims of terrorism. The plot of the film is based on nationalism and whosoever works for the betterment of the country is a son of the soil. The image of our police force has been tarnished in the eyes of people and our films played a vital role in propagating this. It’s time to acknowledge their services and sacrifices,” said Rizvi while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The cast of the film includes Babar Ali, Meera, Shamil Khan, Laila, Babrik Shah, Sila Hussain, Alam Khan, Laiba Khan, Rehmat Ali, Shafqat Cheema, Laila Zuberi and Ghulam Mohyuddin and a few new actors.

Shamil Khan is playing the role of a police officer while Babar Ali plays a cleric in the film. Ghulam Mohyuddin is playing the role of a Sikh in the film. Sana and Meera are the police officers’ wives, the director revealed. He said that this was the third time when Ghulam Mohyuddin had played a Sikh, adding that his performance has been amazing.

The script is written by Muhammad Tariq while the music is composed by Wajad Ali Noshad. Asim Raza, Sooraj, Nasir Ali and Syed Gillani have written the lyrics and the singers include Humaira Channa, Ahmad Jehanzeb, Humaira Arshad, Saima Jehan, Amir Ghulam Ali, Sara Raza, Imran Nashad, Razmi and Amir Ali. The film has been choreographed by Jabbar Samrat.

Rizvi said that the approximate budget of the film is Rs 30 million, adding that the post production was done in Bangkok. “The film will be released in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Sargodha. The film will also be screened at multiplexes including DHA Cinema and PAF Auditorium Cinema in Lahore,” he said.

“I am hopeful that my film will help bring the audience back to cinema houses to watch a Pakistani film. The story and the subject both are relevant,” Rizvi maintained.

When asked his view on the plot of the film, Zahid Akkasi a film critic said: “It’s good to break stereotypes. So far we have glorified dacoits and criminals.  It is refreshing that a film is being based on pertinent issues in the face of terrorism. I hope the technicalities have been dealt skillfully in the film and it does well at the box office”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2011.