'Lafangey will breathe life into a genre that has been dead in Pakistani cinema'
Ever since the filmmakers took charge of entertainment during festive holidays, no Eid goes without a trip to the cinema. We’ve had a whole year of cinematic pause due to the pandemic but to compensate for the missed entertainment opportunity, filmmakers are back with not just one or two, but three local releases for Eidul Azha this year.
What makes it even more interesting is that there’s something for everyone. The Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat’s romantic comedy London Nahi Jaunga will be showcased along with Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa’s crime thriller Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. To top off the genre list, a horror comedy starring Salman Saqib alias Mani along others titled Lafangey will also be staged for fans of this particular genre; a relatively lesser explored genre in Pakistani cinema.
Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi began promotions with a trailer launch of the scary and humorous film Lafangey. The event was attended by showbiz bigwigs. Actors Mani, Mubeen Gabol, Behroze Sabzwari, Gul Rana, Ismail Tara, Tariq Habib Rind, Waqar Ali Godra, and the young star Hooreen graced the stage. Renowned actors late Sohail Asghar and late Rashid Naz who passed away during the making of the film will also be seen in their last role in this film.
At a time when both the film and cinema industry in Pakistan is going through a tough time, the trailer release of Lafangey can be seen as a welcome change. The film is not just a horror-comedy that might revive the stagnant genre but is also set to give a tough competition to other local releases, considering Eid is the most profitable period of the cinema calendar.
Set in modern-day Karachi, Lafangey revolves around the lives of four out-of-luck youngsters who dare to spend a night at a mysterious house that might or might not be haunted. The guys (Sami Khan, Saleem Meraj, Mani and Mubeen) encounter both natural and supernatural beings during their stay but remain adamant, leading to hilarious situations that occur within the vicinity, especially after dark.
Produced by Tariq Habib Rind at Al Wafiq Studios, written and directed by Abdul Khaaliq Khan, and co-written by Jahangir Hussain and JK Reddy, Lafangey boldly goes where not many filmmakers would dare to go. Not only does it deviate from the successful romantic-comedy format but also dares to stand to big-budgeted Hollywood and local films like Thor: Love and Thunder, London Nahi Jaunga, and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. With its relatively lesser budget, it is likely to change the mindset of the filmmakers and make them more dependent on good content, instead of a big budget.
Featuring an ensemble cast, Lafangey is all set to make a mark at the box office this Eidul Azha. The story may revolve around comedy and horror genres but its biggest draw will be its special effects, which are prominently visible in the trailer.
The title track, launched a couple of days before the trailer, shows that the film has something for everyone. Adding to that, Sonia Nazir’s striking item number, the temperature is likely to rise inside the cinema when the film is eventually released on Eid day, according to a press release.
Writer and director, Khan believes that his film is good enough to stand its ground during the festive season, and will breathe life into a genre that has stayed ‘dead’ for a long time. “Not many horror-comedy films have been produced in Pakistan in recent years and that’s why chose to revive a genre that is quite popular around the world. The film features both the seniors and the rising stars in the country, and includes those actors who should be doing films for the big screen. I am hopeful that people will visit cinemas during the Eid holidays and watch our film, because we have put in our heart and soul in it, literally,” he concluded.