Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad (Movie Review): An Eid Firecracker You Can Enjoy With Your Family

I’ve been a fan of Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza since the first ‘Na Maloom Afraad’. I watched ‘Actor in Law’ 3 times in theaters, each time to packed houses. So, when the teaser for ‘Quaid e Azam Zindabad’ came out, I was excited to see what they could do with what looked like an action film.

‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ follows the typical beats of Nabeel and Fizza’s ventures. It has lots of flashy sequences, plenty of humour, and an overarching social theme. In ‘Na Maloom Afraad’, it was the riots and chaos of Karachi, in ‘Actor in Law’ it was the failure of the legal system to give the common man justice. In ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ it’s about corruption, plain and simple.

The film touches upon corruption in the police force, political greed, and features a riveting climax. Yet, this time it feels like there’s something missing, even though the ingredients are all there.

Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad Wastes a Lot of Time Getting to the Point

The first half of the film dawdles a lot and wastes time beating about the bush. Fahad Mustafa is a corrupt cop, Gulab who has built a career on taking bribes, but has his own code of ethics when it comes to social crimes. It’s a plot that we’ve seen many times before in Bollywood films.

His whirlwind romance with Mahira Khan’s character is sweet, but again, we’ve seen this before. However, all of this seems like a padded out plot with distractions until the interval. That’s when the film really gets going.

The Core of the Plot is Fantastic; Literally

Nabeel Qureshi has taken a risk with the core plot of ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’. With his other social commentaries, he’s tackled issues to make them palatable to the public, but he’s more or less stuck to the reality of it all. Here, the plot veers into the fantastic, as in the unbelievable.

This is the kind of plot which once worked wonders during the golden era of Pakistani films, like a modern day fable out of Alif Laila. If the writing were a little better, and the issue of corruption was more thoroughly explored, I would’ve enjoyed the twist even more.

And that’s my advice to Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza. Get better writers. The reason that “Actor in Law” and “Na Maloom Afraad” were so strong is that they rarely veered away from the plot.

The Climactic Action Sequence Breaks New Ground for Pakistani Cinema

The final action sequence of the film, which we saw in the trailer, is brilliant. After “Teefa in Trouble”, there hasn’t been this sort of work done in the Pakistani industry till now. Building on this, wilder, more ambitious stunts are possible.

‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ is a family entertainer through and through. There are no lewd jokes or awkward scenes, and the social message is strong. The opening and closing action sequences are well shot and riveting. However, to say that this is Nabeel Qureshi’s best work would be a lie.

If you want a commercial entertainer you can enjoy with your children or your spouse, get a ticket today.