And the show went on in Abbottabad

The first hindko film festival in Pakistan launched in the pictorial valley was shadowed by the May 2 incident.

The first hindko film festival of Pakistan, organized by Hazara productions, happened in the quaint and peaceful town of Abbottabad, from May 14 to May 19. The event that was planned about a week before the Osama operation , went as scheduled despite the unfurling of perhaps the biggest intrigue of the past two decades.

The organizers of the event did not let it dampen their spirits and started preparing with even more rigour. However the efforts made by the entertainers to assuage the locals’ apprehensions, were impeded by the immense media coverage of the most sought after man in the world.  The festival featured six locally produced hindko films, each of about 1-2 hours in duration.

“Friends from Peshawar and other cities called to ask us if it was safe to visit the city”, were the words of one of the directors, Amjad Khan when asked how the incident had affected the festival. He said” Lesser people came than expected due to the military operation”. However director technical assistance of Zoom in productions, Faisal Salem believed the turnout was quite satisfactory despite people’s apprehensions. The first movie show was attended by ex-Commissioner Hazar and DCO Abbottabad.

The six movies featured were: Rat jhandray Tay ( A night at the mill) directed by  Sajid Shah, Ariyan ( strong headedness) ,Sarkari ( official) Order, Neli Tarar (Stone hearted) by Amjad khan,Wadian(Vallyes) by Zulfiqar Qureshi  and Yaaran naal baharaan by (Taseen Javed). The production team comprised of about 200 members, including, directors, actors, writers, technicians and support staff.

The films were well appreciated by the audience and got their fair share of criticism. “Hazara production has done a great job, it is not only providing entertainment but also promoting the region’s culture and its’ language (Hindko)”, said Noman, a spectator. Irfan Khan, another viewer said they could have been executed in a better manner and there was a lot of room for improvement.

Khan, who directed four out of the six plays, informed the Express Tribune that despite it being the first Hindko film festival it did not get enough media coverage. He said“It upset us to see Hazara being promoted as a sanctuary for terrorists while an arts and entertainment event was simultaneously launched and was a welcome distraction”. Khan said the purpose had become to entertain the terror stricken people of Abbottabad who were not only shocked but also angry at the foreign invasion. He also said it was quite sad that the festival, which managed to attract 400-500 spectators despite the May 2 incident, did not get ample publicity.

The directors said Hazara, which is home to a number of popular tourist destinations such as Kaghan Naraan, Nathia Gali and Thandiani, which attract a throng of tourists from all parts of the country. However this year comparatively lesser people visited the region.

The festival was held in Jalal baba auditorium, a 70 canal complex that seemed to have seen better days. Ex- Commissioner Hazara ,Sahibzada Anis, let the young artists use the facility for free, for which the whole team was very grateful. The care taker and secretary who worked as a volunteer at the Abbasin council of Arts, Khalid Waheed Quresshi also said the American operation affected the number of visitors .He said about 100-150 people showed up on average every day, the majority being male.  “People are scared after the Osama incident, but the Abbasin National council of arts is supported by both religious scholars and academians ‘

He said “It is hard for females to come to such functions in K-P but our council normally has almost a 50% female turn up.