2024 wasn’t a great year for Pakistani cinema; let’s be honest about it. There were no huge commercial successes, and nothing you could point to, to say that Pakistani cinema was flying high. However, there were some silent experiments this year which bode well for the future. And there were also some unexpected surprises from foreign film industries which gained a foothold in Pakistan.
Commercial Disappointments Galore
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first. There were no big winners at the Pakistani box office this year. January began with the lackluster performances of Faryal Mehmood starrer ‘Wakhri’ and Yumna Zaidi starrer ‘Nayab’. Both films espoused a feminist message, in very different ways, but neither managed to strike a chord with the masses. Neither was a critical hit either, with critics citing uneven writing and unimpressive direction as the root causes.
However, both films were lauded for their performances. Faryal Mehmood as the titular ‘Wakhri’, and Mohammad Fawad Khan as “Akka”, Nayab’s elder brother and coach in ‘Nayab’ won a lot of praise all around.
More of the same followed the rest of the year. The most promising commercial releases, ‘Daghabaaz Dil’ and ‘Umro Ayyar: A New Beginning’ didn’t live up to expectations. Both fell short and couldn’t even manage a 20 crores total either at home or worldwide. Whether it was a general lack of interest from the audience or unexciting execution, no one was raving about them both films failed to leave a mark..
‘Daghabaaz Dil’ was the winner on Eid-ul-Fitr, but by all accounts, its total fell short of 15 crores. Mehwish Hayat’s performance aside, it was a film that many audiences had seen too many times before, even with the presumably supernatural twist.
The most disappointing of the lot was of course, ‘Umro Ayyar: A New Beginning’. According to its makers, the most expensive film yet made in Pakistan, ‘Umro Ayyar’ didn’t generate enough excitement, nor was it as well plotted or executed as one would’ve wanted. Based on the fictional character from the Dastaan-e-Amir Hamza and Tilism-e-Hoshruba series’, the film also starred Usman Mulhtar, Sanam Saeed and the venerable Faran Tahir. Yet, with all the expensive special effects and action sequences on screen, the film was oddly lackluster.
The Silent Experiments
Now for the good stuff. There were a few films this year that surprised audiences and critics, not just with their stories, but with how they defied convention.
First up is ‘The Glassworker’; a personal favourite. Pakistan’s first hand drawn 2D animated feature made a splash this year. The Miyazaki-esque animation and its poignant plot focusing on war, art, and the fragility of existence resonated with audiences.
While its total collections were not very impressive, international acclaim and its eventual nomination and longlisting for the Oscars has made ‘The Glassworker’ a landmark in Pakistani film history. Usman Riaz will go down in history as the man who made it all happen.
‘Na Baligh Afraad’ is next, as the film which put Filmwala Pictures and the duo of Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza back on track. A lean, 90-minute feature starring young talents, Aashir Wajahat and Samar Jafri, definitely made an impression on audiences.
Also starring Mani, Saleem Meiraj, and Aadi Adeal Amjad as “Jugnu Bhai”, the film took us back to the 90s in Karachi. Made on a small budget and shot in a few months’ time, ‘Na Baligh Afraad’ showed all Pakistani filmmakers that they could make a good film for cheaper and faster than any of them though. Not just that, it was a return to form for Nabeel and Fizza; the film was their best since ‘Actor in Law’.
Finally, we come to ‘Taxali Gate’. Abu Aleeha’s most polished and message oriented film yet, ‘Taxali Gate’ mixed the dark reality of casteism in Pakistan with some dark humour to make a delicious cocktail of wit. Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain, Nayyer Ejaz, Babar Ali and Mehr Bano starred in this social satire about the Kanjar zaat in Pakistan, and their lives near Taxali Gate.
The film delivered a lot of great performances, but also perhaps the best soundtrack of the year with two solid tracks: “Aakhir Jind Hai Apni” by Yashal Shahid and “Haq Kidhar Hai” by Eva B.
The film also received a re-release with a director’s cut later in the year.
Horror Reigns Supreme?
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year was not any local fare, but the success of foreign horror films in Pakistan.
It all began with ‘Sijjin’, an Indonesian horror film about black magic. It raked in PKR 4 crores in four weeks and blew past all expectations. And with that, the deluge of horror films began.
Apparently exhibitors in Pakistan realized that Pakistani audiences would resonate with horror films from fellow Muslim countries.
One after the other, ‘Waktu Maghrib’, ‘Pemandi Jenazah’, ‘Jagad Alam Gaib’, etc. kept making their way to Pakistani theaters. While none of them were as successful as ‘Sijjin’, their plots, closely dealing with folk stories or horror stories familiar to Pakistanis due to a shared religion, kept audiences interested.
One must note that this isn’t a local phenomenon. Horror films have been making a huge comeback worldwide. The success of directors like Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, and Robert Eggers in the past decade proves that there is an interest for different types of horror films. In 2024, ‘Terrifier 3’, ‘Talk to Me’, ‘Smile 2’, and now ‘Nosferatu’ are hooking audiences. Some of them just push the envelope with gore, others go deeper into the human psyche.
Bans Are Still Here
In 2024, some films still faced temporary bans. The two that stood out the most were ‘Manju Mariya’, a horror film about a Jinn lusting after a woman, and ‘Jee Ve Sohneya Jee’, a Pakistani-Indian co production from Indian Punjab.
‘Manju Mariya’ was initially banned since its plot apparently involved a hybrid human-Jinn offspring. That film, originally slated for release on Eid-ul-Azha, later got released in October.
‘Jee Ve Sohneya Jee’ was banned temporarily since Imran Abbas’ character in the film faces certain terrorism charges. However, the film was eventually released in Pakistan, but didn’t gain success at the box office.
There were no big bangs at the box office this year, either locally or from abroad. 2025 is just days away and no one knows what the new year will ring in. With no immediate major releases planned for January, Pakistani cinema is currently in a slumber state. Hopefully with the promise of a new year will come new releases, and perhaps even new successes.
Comments
0 comments