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After much anticipation, leading television actor Yumna Zaidi is finally making her foray into cinema with Nayab. Helmed by director Umair Nasir Ali, the upcoming film’s synopsis promises “a girl’s cricket dreams, her brother's past and the family’s deep journey converge in this relatable coming-of-age story.” A catchy tagline appears recurrently across Nayab’s promotional material which reads ‘Naam Yaad Rakhna’, calling upon fans to remember Nayab’s name.
The Tere Bin actor will be essaying the titular role of Nayab, a Karachiite who has a passion for cricket but is hesitant due to society’s pressure and a lack of opportunities. On Saturday, Zaidi took to Instagram to reveal her film’s first official poster. The post was accompanied by a short caption that read, “Enter Nayab’s world with our first official poster, as we run into excitement like our fearless protagonist! Join the sprint towards dreams, where chaos meets ambition. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of resilience, joy, and drama!”
The official Instagram handle for Nayab named December 10 as the release date for the film’s trailer on the same day. The account has been running in overdrive since the project was first teased in January, with grid posts revealing its early poster, cast and crew. With images of cricket accolades and gear juxtaposed with interactive posts quizzing fans about Nayab’s team and Pakistan’s cricket, Zaidi’s debut is successfully building hype.
Ambitiously branding itself as “the future of Pakistani cinema”, another Instagram post asked fans to join the “revival of Pakistani cinema”. While more details about the story are yet to be unveiled, the teasers and behind-the-scenes snippets predict a mixed bag of ambition, romance, camaraderie and family.
Apart from Zaidi, the cast also includes Jawed Sheikh, M. Fawad Khan, Usama Khan, Ehteshamuddin, Huma Nawab, Noreen Gulwani and Hani Taha. The script is written by the famed Laal Kabootar duo Ali Abbas Naqvi and Basit Naqvi.
In an earlier interview with Independent Urdu, Zaidi shared that she had been offered many films before Nayab but she had refused them and stuck to TV. However, the “strong content” of Umair’s directorial won her heart. “It’s a brilliant story and it is meaningful. The whole team is trying their best to execute it the way it should be. Now that we’ve chosen good content, we want to do justice with it so that the audience also enjoys it when they go to the cinema.”
She further added that she doesn’t follow Pakistani cricket at all. “When you’re trying to perfect an accent for a role, or representing a tribe in a drama, you have to work very hard to avoid stereotyping them. It’s the same with this role. All of my attention, my focus has been here. I want to do justice to this character, to this girl who worships cricket.”
Talking about her role, she said that Nayab is a “daring” girl who knows no bounds when it comes to her passion. “There are rivalries in the film as well. One thing I know for sure is that people will not only enjoy it but also relate with my character.”
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