After Hours: Sanam Chaudhry and Noor Hassan

Sanam Chaudhry and Noor Hassan get candid

It’s the year of comedy and Shoaib Khan has just the film to make it even better; Jackpot! Being the first Pakistani film to be shot in James Bond Island along with many other scenic locations, the movie is setting new standards for the film industry. Lead actors Sanam Chaudhry and Noor Hassan share what the audience can expect from the movie along with some interesting memorable moments from behind the scenes of Jackpot



What did you think of Jackpot’s script when you first read it?

Sanam: I was literally cracking up, I was too curious to get to the climax. It was a love at first sight kind of situation with this storyline.

Noor:  More than the script what appealed to me was the storyline. When my director spoke to me for the first time he was simply narrating the story to me and I was laughing. I was thinking how funny it would be if it turns into a movie. It’s not truly life altering but it’s hilarious and mindless.

How would you describe your character?

Sanam: My character Chandani is a receptionist with big dreams. She also wants to build a happy life with the man she loves.

Noor:  It is a little exaggerated but at the same time it is very relatable. The character’s name is Lucky and he is a guy who has a lot of dreams. He thinks he can acquire without resources, he truly believes in his dreams and the trajectory of the story kind of feeds in a way where he sees a possibility that sets him in place to fulfill his dreams and luckily the love of his life is already there.



How did Jackpot challenge you as actors?

Sanam: I am known for playing serious and emotional characters, Jackpot on the other hand is from a completely different genre, it’s comedy! I had to act differently than what I was used to previously. There was a lot of pressure on me but in the end we were able to get it done pretty neatly.

Noor: It really challenged me because I have been acting for almost 10 years now and I never have done something truly hilarious. I had heard that comedy was difficult to perform but I always thought how difficult could it be? Sadness is easier to portray but comedy is not so it took me a couple of days to grab the pace. It was really outside my comfort zone.

What should the audience expect from the movie?

Sanam: A lot of fun, laughter and complete entertainment!

Noor: Entertainment entertainment and entertainment! If you want to forget about your misery and worries for at least two hours then this is the right movie for you! It’s beautifully shot; the music is great so I think you’ll have a good cinematic experience.



Are there any exciting projects in the pipeline for you? Anything we should be looking forward to?

Sanam: Of course! I am a drama queen! That is my space to perform. I will be seen in Ab Deikh Khuda Kia Kerta Hai, Noor Bibi and Haiwaan. I am hoping that these dramas will have people sticking to their TV sets in excitement!

Noor:  Yes, after this I have another movie lined up. I just signed a contract so I’m pretty excited about that. Besides that I have two more dramas coming up. I am working on them so I am really on a roll.

What did you enjoy most while shooting this film?

Sanam: The thing I enjoyed the most was my best friend Noor Hassan’s company in Thailand and being a part of the movie promotions. I got to experience so much love which was so overwhelming.

Noor: I haven’t done that many projects where you have to travel to another country to shoot. I was really excited because I was told half the movie will be shot in Thailand with beautiful scenic places and then some in Lahore and in Balochistan. I was thrilled and truly excited about that but the thought died down pretty quick because when you are working you realise that your mind is so focused towards the work that you don’t even get to enjoy anything else.  However, I really did enjoy the amalgamation of TV and film actors because we have some veterans working with us like Sana Fakhar,  Javed Sheikh, Rambo and people who haven’t done much TV. It all gelled in pretty quick.

A trait your character has that you wish you had too?

Sanam: Her luck maybe?

Noor:  As it is a comedy movie no situation is taken seriously so I wish I had the ability to just laugh it off and move on with life.



What was the most memorable part for you while shooting the movie?

Sanam: I can’t ever forget the beautiful locations that we shot in!

Noor: We were shooting for a song sequence in Balochistan and had to go to another location which was five minutes away from where we were already shooting at. There was some miscommunication between the driver and the team, they told him, you will see us somewhere on the highway so just stop there so we can get on to work. The guy started driving and didn’t stop until we were close to Gawadar which was almost a four-hour drive. It was dark and there was no service, we were stuck on our own completely clueless. So we had to drive all the way back and never really got to do the sequence.

A character from any movie you wish you could play?

Sanam: Sohai’s character from Motorcycle Girl. Woman power!

Noor: I am a huge fan of Daniel Day-Lewis; I wish I could play his character in Phantom Thread. It’s very subtle and intense at the same time.

What song did you enjoy shooting the most?

Sanam: Shukriya it is! Noor and I look lit! (Giggles)

Noor:  Jojo Jaanta Hai was a lot of fun. There was a bit of dancing and moving around in the water and there were so many different locations as well. I enjoyed shooting for that song a lot more than my own romantic sequence Shukriya which most people think would be my favorite one but it isn’t.