PHOTO:HIDAYAT KHAN
PHOTO: HIDAYAT KHAN“Project Peshawar is the first international film from Peshawar and has been filmed in three different countries and in three different languages,” Irshu Bangash, the director of the film told The Express Tribune.
About 70% of Project Peshawar has been filmed in Peshawar, while the remaining parts were shot in Canada and England. The film will be released in Pashto, Dutch and the English language.
PHOTO: HIDAYAT KHANThe film’s producers are of the view that Project Peshawar will be a step towards the revival of local cinema - however, Project Peshawar will not be released in any cinemas in the city due to a lack of audience. Nonetheless, Project Peshawar is believed to be highlighting the city at national and international levels, alongside showcasing the talent of the actors, directors and producers who are based in Peshawar.
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Irshu himself has been associated with Peshawar’s musical sphere for the last 15 years. According to him, the prevailing conditions of the city make it risky to invest in or work on a production like Project Peshawar. “We have no output source but we believe that it will guide big productions of Peshawar and K-P and promote local producers,” he assured. “It is very hard to work here and distribute films as there is a lack of sponsors and investors. There is more support for commercial videos than features films,” he added.
PHOTO: HIDAYAT KHANThe story of Project Peshawar, according to writer and producer Junaid Kamran Siddique, is full of thrills and suspense, based on real life incidents. It depicts the kidnapping of women and girls, focusing on the lead character of Shoaib, a Pakistani-Canadian who has to return to Pakistan due to some extenuating circumstances. Everything he experiences post moving back, forms the crux of the film.
Junaid also added that Project Peshawar contains a solid message for its viewers. The film spreads awareness as to how some people use social media negatively. “The movie will not let me down,” he said. “Soon, you will see big banners associated with it. Project Peshawar has been made multilingual to target the viewers from different parts of the world. A purely Pashtu film would not have generated much traction. If your product is good and worth watching, surely, it can do wonders,” he specified.
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Lead actor and consultant producer Shoaib Lodin revealed that Project Peshawar will be exhibited at the Rotterdam, London, Switzerland and Toronto film festivals. Shoaib is an Afghani-Dutch citizen who left Peshawar back in 1997. He graduated from the Anupam Kher Acting Institute and has been doing various Bollywood films and TV serials for the last nine years, while studying film-making at the London Metropolitan University.
PHOTO: HIDAYAT KHANOther than Shoaib, the cast of Project Peshawar comprises Navishta Sahar, Sally Ingry, Moiez Mohmand, Mihela Bursc, Arbab Izhar Ahmad, James Ryan, Mustafa Khan and Mariyam Dilawar Jan. Its soundtrack includes songs by Sajid and Zeeshan, and Khumariyaan the band, amongst others.
“It will be the greatest achievement of my life to make an international film in Pakistan,” alleged Shoaib, adding, “We believe that this film will bring a good name to the Pashtu film industry and to Peshawar as a whole.”
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