‘Jawani Phir Nahi Ani’ locks Eidul Azha for release

Writer-actor Vasay Chaudhry says comedy film isn’t a no-brainer, has a meaty story arc

KARACHI: “It’s a full-blown comedy and family-entertainer.” That’s how cast members of the soon-to-be-released Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (JPNA) describe the film. And, judging by the teaser of the movie, audiences should expect nothing less from a film, which boasts an all-star cast, comprising Humayun Saeed, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Vasay Chaudhry, Mehwish Hayat and Ahmed Ali Butt.

Chaudhry, who is also the writer of JPNA, spoke to The Express Tribune about he conceived the idea for the movie a long time ago. “I had the idea for JPNA even before Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (MHSA) happened and I had spoken to Humayun Saeed about it in December 2011,” he said. “But then we put the project on the backseat and started working on MHSA. After we completed that, we decided to revisit this project,” he added.

Without divulging any details about the storyline, Chaudhry shared that around “30 to 40 per cent” of the film has been shot outdoors in Bangkok, Pattaya and neighbouring areas. According to Butt, JPNA is about “friendship, marriage and life.” A common misperception, comedy films are often predetermined to be no-brainers, but Chaudhry clarifies his film is not one of those run-of-the-mill comedies and has a meaty storyline. “JPNA is not just a slapstick comedy. It has a proper story arc to it,” he noted.

JPNA will mark the feature-film directorial debut of Nadeem Baig, who has previously directed sitcoms, such as Family Front and Dolly Ki Ayegi Baraat, in addition to directing the popular TV serial Pyaray Afzal. Chaudhry and Butt, who are also making their feature-film debut with JPNA, credited Baig for getting the best out of them. “Baig was very thorough in terms of preparation for the film. We had multiple script-reading sessions before the movie went on the floors, so that actors could get into the skin of the character,” stated Butt.

Butt revealed the soundtrack for the film comprises songs produced by different artistes, including Shuja Haider, Sahir Ali Bagga and Shani Arshad. He has also recorded a song for the movie, which has been produced by Hasil Kurashi. JPNA is set to release on Eidul Azha this year along with another Pakistani film, Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan, starring Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui and Adeel Hussain.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.