Well, well it seems like this Bari Eid is shaping up to be a smorgasborg for film fans. Along with ‘Umro Ayyar: The Beginning’, cinemas will be packed with a total of 6 films from local talent.
Umro Ayyar: The Beginning
Let’s begin with the biggest film of the year. Azfar Jafri’s adaptation of the Persian epics “Daastaan e Amir Hamza” and “Tilism e Hoshruba” stars Usman Mukhtar, Faran Tahir, Sanam Saeed, Manzar Sehbai, and Ali Kazmi.
Based on the central character of the trickster, Umro Ayyar, this is a modernized adaptation that will bring audiences into the magical realm that so many children have grown up reading.
‘Umro Ayyar: The Beginning’ features incredible special effects, action sequences, and it looks like a huge milestone in the history of Pakistani Cinema. Take your entire family to this one.
Na Baaligh Afraad
Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi have returned with a surprise entry for Eid Ul Azha. The title is a callback to their original hit ‘Na Maloom Afraad’ and seems to focus on a couple of college students. There is no teaser or trailer yet, just two posters. One with just the title written on a video cassette and the second with a view of a classroom with two students and what looks to be an angry man in the background.
The film will star Aashir Wajahat, Samar Jafri and Aadi Adeal Amjad in the lead. Hopefully Fizza and Nabeel can tap into the zany style that made their original feature such a hit with the masses.
Abhi
A love story featuring the fight for Kashmir at its center, ‘Abhi’ stars the Jal Band co-founder Goher Mumtaz with Kubra Khan in what seems like a whirlwind romance. The film seems to be about the choice between duty to your motherland versus your artistic or creative calling.
‘Abhi’ also seems to present the conflict from the perspective of a Sikh family rather than a Muslim one. The feature is being distributed by HUM Films.
Bhediya
This one’s been pushed and pushed for release for months. It stars Shahzad Billa as the titular animal who stalks and kills young women. The motive for the killings nor the impulse is explained in the teaser, but there is bound to be a lot of blood in this one.
Written and Directed by the lead star himself, this film follows in the footsteps of ‘Zibah Khaana’ and ‘Durj’ as a horror film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Agent Anila
Agent Anila is another late entry on this list. An old teaser of the film dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the film is finally being released now.
Centered on the pandemic itself, the film is about an evil cabal that is behind the coronavirus spread. Starring Meera as the lead villain, and introducing Rida Isfahani as Agent Anila.
The trailer immediately provoked a lot of strong reactions online. The film is typical old lollywood. So if you’re hankering for that flavour, you can catch Agent Anila in cinemas.
Manju Mariya
‘Manju Mariya’ was also supposed to be released on Eid Ul Fitr 2024, but was pushed. This one stars Asad Ali and Kiran Kazmi in their lead debuts. This one is about a holiday gone wrong. The lead couple head to the north for a trip prepared by an old friend, but things soon start to go awry.
So which film (or films) are you going to watch this Eid? Share with us in comment.
