In Anticipation: Watch out for what’s on the horizon

The Express Tribune rounds up a list of what 2014 has in store for you.

Sana Safinaz webstore

With three retail stores operating in Karachi and another one in Lahore, all these fashion queens need is a web presence to make them accessible to the world. Technicalities may have kept the fashion duo from launching the online portal sooner but as they say, it’s better late than never! We can hardly wait to see the sheer volume of orders for their beautiful lawn joras when the store is up and running.

The Shaan-factor

Appearing in Ishq Khuda, Waar and a host of regional Punjabi films, Shaan maintained his status as one of the more dominant personalities in Pakistan cinema. In the coming year, he is set to star in the film Operation 021, directed by Summer Nicks and produced by Zeba Bakhtiar and her son Azaan Sami Khan.

Our expectation is that Shaan will be making a comeback as film-maker and producer under the banner Riaz Shahid productions. His last film Zill e Shah, which he both directed and starred in, was probably one of the most important films of 2008 and 2009.

His production company Riaz Shahid productions has signed an understanding with ARY Films, which will guarantee four feature films each year. Two films have been announced under this arrangement. The first is Arth 2, a remake of the Mahesh Bhatt’s 1982 film Arth, which will star Shaan and Humaima Malick. The second offering will be action-thriller Mission 5, which is being written by Shaan and Waar 2’s director Hassan Waqas Rana. Don’t expect Shaan to be lifting his foot off the pedal anytime soon when it comes to his output of films in the coming year.

Ali Zafar gearing up for B-town



After debuting in Bollywood with the film Tere Bin Laden, Ali Zafar, who had achieved recognition in Pakistan because of his outstanding vocals, charming demeanour and good looks, moved onto starring in Bollywood films with big name like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and London Paris New York. Following the success of these movies, the actor has become a familiar face in the Indian film fraternity. Ali Zafar’s upcoming Bollywood flicks that we are looking forward to in 2014 are Total Siyappa, Kill Dil, a cameo in Tere Bin Laden 2 and Golmaal 4. He will be starring alongside leading Bollywood actors in all these movies. The year 2013 turned out to be super successful for Ali, he managed to become the first Pakistani ever to top Eastern Eye newspaper’s list of the 50 Sexiest Asian Men In The World. Here is wishing him even more success in the coming year.

A shift towards visual effects and animations

This year the film Waar received positive reviews due to its ambitious cinematography. The film used Karachi-based Ice Animations to enhance action sequences through visual effects and animation technology. The company has an impressive resume, dealing with International feature films in the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle-East.

Head of production at Ice Animations, Muhammed Bilal, told the Express Tribune that almost all films include some sort of visual effects. In context of the local industry he saw the boom as something that his firm was going to benefit from.

“Waar and similar action-oriented movies, will demand much more VFX work than dramas in general, and all of this sounds very healthy for VFX Industry. Considering that Waar is going to set a high standard for both film-making and VFX, I would expect other film-makers to follow in the footsteps of Bilal Lashari and keep the bar high,” says Bilal.

To top all cinematic achievements is the arrival of IMAX in Pakistan. The Lahore-based project, with a budget of Rs300 Million, is one we can’t wait to visit in 2014.

Over 50 films in the pipeline

The term ‘new cinema’ is relatively debatable. But the film industry today is connected to the advent of two things; one is the international standard multiplexes which have continued to add screens since 2006 and the other is that the affordability of film-making driven by digital technology has created an opportunity for both new and old film-makers. Veteran actor and director Javed Sheikh who has two films in the pipeline estimated that approximately 50 films are in the making.

“ We have new cinema now; this is something the old cinema has not seen and its due to the introduction of multiplexes, it is reintroducing both new and old film-makers back into the [scene] with a more educated background. It’s the first time in a while I can say that everybody is making films,” says Sheikh.

Some films to look out for in the coming year: Operation 021, Kambakht, Hijrat, Gidh, Moor, The System, Poora Chand, Manto, Sultanat, Tamanna, Swaarangi, Kites Underground.

Co-productions

Despite the drive by local filmmakers to ban the import of foreign films, there is a genuine interest in films for larger markets. There are already three films in the pipeline which can be termed co-productions: Sultanat, directed by Bhai Log director Faisal Bukhari, The System by a Norwegian production company, and finally, India Mein Lahore which was announced last month.

Some films to look out for in the coming year:

Operation 021, Kambakht, Hijrat, Gidh, Moor, The System, Poora Chand, Manto, Sultanat, Tamanna, Swaarangi, Kites Underground.

International invasion!



For the past two years, Pakistan has seen a lot of development in terms of international brands creating a foothold in high-end malls. In 2012, locals and their wardrobes welcomed clothing brands like Mango and Debenhams. However, this last year was more about food franchises – Burger King took everyone by storm with their rather secretive launch, followed soon after by Johnny Rockets. Giordano also had an official launch in Pakistan recently, with a fashion show at Dolmen Mall. Continuing its string of global collaborations, companies like Al-Karam and Team A Ventures will be adding more international names to the growing list in 2014.



Women who sobbed over the abrupt disappearance of La Senza have good news in store – Al-Karam is all set to bring European brand Women’s Secret to Pakistan this year. Apart from this, they are also actively involved in introducing an array of major international brands, including a food/beverage one that they are keeping tight-lipped about at the moments that has us oh-so-intrigued. For those of you that are addicted to shoes, Team A Ventures will be making our lives a whole lot easier by officially launching UK-based Fit Flops in Pakistan. Make space in your closets ladies and gentlemen.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2014.

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