Saqib Malik’s debut feature film “Baaji” has been one of the most anticipated films of the year. The film made it to cinemas this year on June 28 and garnered critical acclaim and box office numbers, successfully and just recently has crossed the 100 Million rupees milestone at Pakistani box office.
While this Meera and Amna Ilyas starrer continues it’s box office run, it now has added few more feathers to its cap. The film recently got screened at 7th Mosaic International South Asian film festival (MISAFF), which is one recognized North America’s annual film festival for South Asian cinema. Festival included feature films, short films and documentaries from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Italy, UK and Canada.
“Baaji” has won two accolades, one the “Jury Award” to the film and second, the “Best Supporting Actor Award” to Nayyer Ejaz. Saqib shared the news on his instagram handle with a dialogue from his film, “Sapnay tou hotay hi sach honay k liye hain”. And there could not have been a better way to announce it..
We got ahold of Saqib to have his word on this exciting win. “I am thrilled and honoured that Baaji has won such acclaim at a renowned international film festival like MISAFF in Canada. First the award for Best Supporting Actor was announced for Nayyar Ejaz. I was elated and just grasping the magnitude of this honor, when the coveted Jury Award was announced for Baaji. This completely took me by surprise. The applause seemed surreal and I felt as if I was transported to a moment in a movie and not real life”, said Saqib, sharing his joy while speaking to Pakistani Cinema.“So all I can say is that the incredible hard work and belief in the film on the part of everyone paid off. It’s one thing to succeed at the box office; it’s another high altogether to gain recognition at an international platform like MISAFF. Baaji was the first Pakistani film many festival goers saw and the response has been overwhelming. More than anything, this is first and foremost an honour for Pakistani cinema!”
Well this definitely is a huge honour for the country and it’s emerging cinema industry. We at Pakistani Cinema, congratulate Saqib and everyone involved in this film for representing Pakistan at such prestigious international platforms and making us all proud and we also wish him all the good fortune for his future endeavours.
