World needs more role modelling of healthy masculinity: Adnan Malik on 'TLOMJ'

Actor has lauded the film for its brilliance while also offering his two cents about its ending

The battle field is still ringing with chants of Maula, the night sky is still echoing with a tale that is here to stay, the applause hasn’t died down. Bilal Lashari’s magnum opus, The Legend of Maula Jatt, which reimagines an age-old legend that has been picked apart, piece by piece, only to be written in a new light, under the shadow of a dark, dark cloud, continues to grow on people.

And in awe of its greatness, another Pakistani celebrity has penned an elaborate note to praise the recreation. Actor Adnan Malik took to Instagram on Saturday to share his take on the Punjabi actioner which he recently watched.

“What an intense, fantastical and well-integrated spectacle Maula Jatt is. Our first truly international, mainstream Pakistani film! A film that doesn’t pander to an audience or dumb itself down, and stays true to the vision of the director,” he captioned a post featuring the poster of the Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi starrer.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Adnan Malik (@adnanmalik1)

Commending the screenplay, which he described as being “seamlessly” tied together, Malik continued, “Gorgeous mise-en-scène with the locations, lighting, costume design, shot and production design.” The Sadqe Tumhare actor continued, “I loved the world building: creating a mythical Punjab outside the referencing of contemporary life.”

And of course, the actor was more than impressed by Nasir Adeeb’s wordplay, calling it the “Shakespearean plot twists!” He went on, “Nasir Adeeb’s pathos filled dialogues, lovely scenes of jugat bazi (quibbling). I loved the relationship between Daro and Noori Nat and the strong feminist theme running through that arc. And the philosophical warrior of Noori and the broody, wounded masculine of Maula were well-fleshed out characters!”

Malik then shared what many have previously observed before – the film reminding him of the likes of Gladiator. “Incredible casting and playful cameos with many nods to the original film. (As well as Westerns, Gladiator and fantasy films). Bravo! everyone involved and for the auteur vision that tied this all together to create an incredible spectacle!”

To conclude his appreciation note, he also delved on what he felt could have been rewritten – the ending. “Not a critique but my personal desire would have been to see displays of a healthier, resolved masculinity. To change the ending of the original story. I wish the two worthy adversaries could have risen above the generational violence and transcended the needless killing. To show a way forward.”

The celebrity felt that more healthier projections of masculinity are a need of the hour. “A healthy truce between warrior men. A brotherhood of respect, if not alignment. The world needs more role modelling of healthy masculinity. And there would have been something deeply satisfying and oddly titillating to have Maula and Noori to ‘live to fight another day,’” he wrote.

“But maybe that’s not this film. The ending is the only thing that left something to be desired for me in this almost faultless film! Thank you for all the blood, sweat and tears team Maula Jatt! This was epic!” Malik concluded.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.