In an exclusive reveal, the first posters for “Aasman Bolay Ga”, Shoaib Mansoor’s latest film, have been released on the Instagram handle of Pakistani Cinema. The film is the veteran’s return to the world of the Armed Forces since PTV’s serial “Alpha Bravo Charlie”. Based on Operation Swift Retort, the Pakistani Air Force’s retaliation to the Indian Air Force’s attack on Balakot.
The film stars Maya Ali as an Indian journalist and Emmad Irfani as Squadron Leader Hassan Siddiqui. The first teaser of the film, released in July of 2022 very cleverly stitched together the titles of Shoaib Mansoor’s other films to spell out: “Khuda Kay Liye Bol Verna Aasman Bolay Ga”.
Now, with the release of the film’s poster’s the release date is not far off. With 2023 just around the corner, and hardly a few films lined up for tentative release, “Aasman Bolay Ga” provides a major theater attraction.
Will Aasman Bolay Ga Harken Back to Alpha Bravo Charlie?
It will be exciting to see Shoaib Mansoor venture back to the armed forces again after “Alpha Bravo Charlie”. Others have tried to emulate the authenticity and depth with which he had shown the lives of young cadets and their trials and tribulations. However, all have failed to live up to that reputation.
Armed Forces-themed films like “Waar”, “Yalghaar”, “Project Ghazi”, and even shows like “Ehd-e-Wafa” and “Sinf-e-Aahan” lacked a certain depth needed for their characters. On the other hand, the trope of a soldier or agent who has seen action and suffered trauma has been done to death.
If Shoaib Mansoor delivers us not just a patriotic film, but a personal story, it would elevate Aasman Bolay Ga above the rest.
What About the Dogfighting Sequences and Special Effects?
As far as dogfighting is concerned, both “Parwaz Hai Junoon” and “Sher Dil” have showed the Pakistani audience what its filmmakers are capable of. Unfortunately, the effects and the sequences are nowhere near up to par with those of Hollywood. Of course, that’s a limitation of budgets as well as skills.
Yet, with the recent release of “Top Gun Maverick”, which employed real jets instead of special effects for the dogfights, the stakes have been raised even higher. We don’t expect that Shoaib Mansoor will deliver a grand finale like that which Tom Cruise did this year, but we do hope that “Aasman Bolay Ga” lives up to its name in story and in its cinematic appeal.
We hope the day the film comes out, the theaters roar just as much as the sky did on that fateful day. “Aasmaan Bolay Ga” will release in cinemas by Distribution Club.
