Pakistani cinema needs a Bhansali to rescue us from male-centric films: Amar Khan
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial Gangubai Kathiawadi has been breaking records ever since its release in 2022. The film has garnered a bevy of fans who laud its filmmaker for creating a project based on a female lead and following a storyline that details the hardships faced by women in forced prostitution.
Pakistani actor Amar Khan also took to Twitter to appreciate Bhansali's work and expressed her desire for a filmmaker like him to be born "on this side of the border." She further stated that there is a dearth of women-centric storylines in Pakistani cinema.
"The success of Gangubai Kathiawari dispelled two myths: that heroines cannot be box office heroes. And that good old-fashioned dialogues are not appreciated by everyone. Sanjay Leela Bhansali made his simplest film infusing it with deep emotion and complete drama," a fan wrote on Twitter.
Following suit, Khan shared the fan's post by reflecting on the lack of similar projects in Pakistan. "Hopefully in 2023 someone like Bhansali is born on this side of the border too, or we will be doomed to watch only male-centric films! We have never made female-oriented films that are commercially successful, it's just the same old repetitive storyline circling a man," lamented the Daraar actor.
— Amar khan (@iamamarkhan) December 28, 2022
Many fans, however, disagreed with Khan's view and were quick to point out how there are plenty of women-centric projects in Pakistan, such as Shoaib Mansoor's much-acclaimed film Bol and Sarmad Khoosat's directorial Kamli.
"Amar, how can you forget Kamli made by Sarmad Khoosat? It was a purely female-centric film that was also a box-office success! We also have made many successful and blockbuster dramas revolving around strong women," noted one fan.
— Mesmerizing Muzzamil (@mesmerizingsays) December 28, 2022