Son of Pakistan disappoints

The film revolves around two brothers who are in the police force and are struggling to fight terrorism in Pakistan.

KARACHI:

In the recent past, Lollywood has tried to redefine its identity by producing films pertaining to numerous genres and experimenting more in terms of storylines. From the issue-based blockbuster Bol to the melodramatic Love Mein Ghum to our very own gangster film Bhai Log, viewers got a taste of everything. However, the most recent one in the list, Son of Pakistan, directed by Jarrar Rizvi, takes away the little glimmer of hope that we had regained this year.

The film, which stars Babar Ali, Meera, Sana Nawaz, Shamil Khan, Laila, Babrik Shah, Sila Hussain, Alam Khan, Laiba Khan, Rehmat Ali, Shafqat Cheema, Laila Zuberi and Ghulam Mohyuddin, revolves around two brothers who are in the police force and are struggling to fight terrorism in the country. Their mission is to find the chief of terrorists, Abu Zahid, who is being supported by an American, Isaac (played by Shafqat Cheema).

Much akin to Bol, Son of Pakistan also tries to tackle a number of issues, but thankfully Rizvi restricts to either religious or political ones. Son of Pakistan shows that the depressing state that the country is in is largely due to a conspiracy waged by ‘goras’, who are entrenching themselves in Pakistan as they are interested in its natural resources and geographic location. Infact, it is the gora who pays these religious extremists to create chaos and terror in the country. The film also purports that the terrorists have been misguided by an adulterated translation of the Holy Quran provided by the gora.

Interestingly, the film also shows what these ‘religious extremists’ do in their spare time. These men have automatic operational zones built in caves where they chill out with Americans. Additionally, they often indulge in drinking while enjoying erotic dance performances.

Overall, the film is massively under-directed, with room for improvement in almost all spheres of production — acting, cinematography, editing and choreography, as well as research.

That said, one must give credit where it’s due. The music of the film is well-produced, although with poor visuals. The highlight of the film is a song sung by Ahmed Jahanzeb which serves as a breather.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2011.