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The 5 people you meet at Pakistani film premieres

SONIA ASHRAF

From the stars to the freeloaders, here's who you'll see at every premiere

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It's a fun event, a movie premiere.

Red carpet, free snacks, celebrities... free snacks. (Sometimes they don't have free snacks and we do not appreciate that at all, but that rant is for another time.)

All in all, it's a pretty happening event and eventually you detect a method to the madness — the showtime is rarely ever when they say it is, the major celebrities often don't turn up on the red carpet until you're already seated in the cinema, etc etc.

After a while, you also start noticing a pattern to the people who attend movie premieres.

Here are 5 kinds of people you're bound to spot at a Pakistani movie premiere.

1) The 'mufta'

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Anyone who asks Iss film may hai kaun? at a movie premiere clearly just had some time to kill... and a free movie ticket. This person is often a more important person's plus one and tends to lose their partner who is busy schmoozing with other VIPs.

The mufta is spotted lounging about, phoro-ing on free popcorn and drinks, and expects to be entertained in the next few hours.

Let's hope they didn't get a premiere pass to Raasta...

Better yet, let's hope they did. #ThatWillTeachThem

2) The PR phupho

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Now this person takes movie premieres far more seriously. She (or he, you'd be surprised) turns it into a family excursion.

The said phupho probably has an aisle booked in her name and gets offended when organisers didn't think to keep a seat for her sister's brother-in-law's best friend's son's possible fiancee. If she can't demonstrate her connections, how else will the poor lad impress the girl.

You'll immediately recognise this person as they'll be the one yelling at some staffer about not letting in their family. You can't miss them — they're loud and screechy, we're talking "Who gives you that right!?" screechy.

3) The celeb swarm
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Lots of people are invited to movie premieres 'cos they're famous. Not the actors in the film but just the stars of the industry. Together, they are there to support their friends, but end up hogging the seats. This is a problem when cinemas are overbooked. #Scowl

It's easy to spot these guys, even if you're not good with faces. These celebs (who insist that they are 'just like us') show up in gowns and tuxes, blending in oh so well with the rest of us in a kurta and jeans (pick any outfit you guys, you know what we're saying).

But hey, we don't mind, selfie please!

4) The star-struck
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Some people just show up to take a picture of Mahira Khan.

Those people have zero qualms about stepping on toes, elbowing people squarely in the chest and brushing against unmentionable areas to get to the right spot near the red carpet to accomplish said task.

These fellas don't care about the movie. In fact, most will leave after the first ten minutes because they've Snapchatted their proof of being there. They only want a couple of selfies with the stars and are so desperate for them they'll take pics with anyone and everyone in the movie just for connections.

Sometimes they're a lil' creepy. Distinguishable features include heavy breathing, a leering glare and a hoarse whisper saying "Selfie pliss." These people should be sent home without popcorn or movie.

5) The over dressed

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These pretty folks are not in the movie, and probably not there to cover it. They are there because they got the last HSY direct from ramp ensemble and need to flaunt it. And no, they aren't models either, although they do look like they catwalked all the way here.

Usually socialites who have to be where the party's at, these people have enough couture on them to have a mobile exhibition right there on the red carpet. The media usually confuses them for some celebrity, not because of any resemblance but because their outfits make it difficult to look anywhere else.

We might be jealous, but when we see their painful shoes, we feel more pity.
 
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Mah-e-Mir' wins big at Dada Saheb Film Festival in India



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Fahad Mustafa starrer also features Iman Ali and Sanam Saeed in key roles. PHOTO: MAHEMIR

Fahad Mustafa and Iman Ali starrer Mah-e-Mir won the Best Film and Best Music awards at Dada Saheb Film Festival this year, held in Delhi.

Indo peace activist Harsh Narayan collected the award on behalf of the cast and crew.

Produced under the banner of Hum Films, Mah-e-Mir features an ensemble cast of Alyy Khan, Manzar Sehbai, Paras Masroor and Sanam Saeed. The film was released on May 6 alongside Captain America: Civil War.

Mah-e-Mir was also chosen by Pakistan’s Academy Selection Committee as it was shortlisted as the nation’s official submission for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film Award category at the 89th Academy Awards.

Written by Sarmad Sehbai, Mah-e-Mir is set in contemporary times. The film chronicles the life of a young anarchist poet who experiences the suffering that accompanies love, separation and poverty while denouncing tradition. Driven to madness, he discovers celebrated 18th century Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir.

The movie also won big at Guam International Film Festival last year.
 
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ARI film festival

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Engaging discussion on very innovative topics on films by the panelists; the CEO of ARY Digital Network Mr. Jerjees Seja, Film producer/Cinema Owner Mr. Nadeem Mandviwala, Writer, Director Jack Mcdonals,Director Wajahat Rauf, The famous director Nadeem Baig, Rafay Mehmood (Tribune) and others.



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Maria Memon as the host taking forward the panel discussion. The panelist in this seminar the CEO of ARY Digital Network Mr. Jerjees Seja, Film producer/Cinema Owner Mr. Nadeem Mandviwala, Writer, Director Jack Mcdonals,Director Wajahat Rauf, The famous director Nadeem Baig, Rafay Mehmood (Tribune) and others.
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Bahubali is way better than these jhankar beats movies
 
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How have Pakistani films fared in 2017 so far?


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Balu Mahi has been directed by Haissam Hussain

KARACHI : 2017 has been an interesting year for Pakistani film industry so far. We bounced back from the ban on Indian films in an attempt to recover financially. Meanwhile, Pakistani film-makers continue to practice and improve their craft.

The first four months of the year have passed and we have seen five film releases so far: Thora Jee Le, Balu Mahi, Whistle, Raasta and the latest Chalay Thay Saath.

The Express Tribune spoke with exhibitors in order to find out the success-failure ratio of these films and whether the business situation has improved since the ban on Bollywood films was lifted.

“There hasn’t been a successful Pakistani film so far in 2017,” noted Cinepax General Manager Marketing Mohsin Yaseen. “Thora Jee le and Whistle didn’t do anything. Raasta, as everyone knows, bombed as well. Balu Mahi was a visually better film but it didn’t work either. Chalay Thay Saath is also doing just okay.”

Atrium Cinemas managing director Nadeem Mandviwalla agreed on Chalay Thay Saath doing slightly better. However, he said, “But things haven’t changed much business-wise from last year. The ban took such a toll on cinemas that we have yet to recover.” With all local films failing to gather significant business at the box office, only recent foreign films like Fast 8 have contributed in helping the financial situation of cinemas.

Yaseen said while the local films have slightly improved, there is a long way to go. “We have to understand what makes a quality film. Pakistani films are becoming visually better, but they still lack in storytelling.”

Super Cinemas general manager Khorem Gultasab echoed the sentiment that locals films are not yet up to the mark. But he said he saw improvement in the quality of films this year. “We have to understand the psyche of the masses. They like item numbers but we have to entertain and educate them about quality films. If they knew films like Chalay Thay Saath, which is a feel-good film and shows our culture beautifully, would perform much better.”

He noted that we were currently going through a transition phase. “It’s not a revolution; it’s an evolution in process. We should encourage new writers and storytellers, who would tell great stories, keeping in mind and remaining within our social fiber.”

But while the first third of 2017 has been disappointing, exhibitors are hoping things would pick up sooner than later. Yaseen said he was hoping big things from Eid releases such as Yalghaar. Mandviwalla felt the same regarding Eid releases. Gultasab anticipated Shoaib Mansoor’s comeback film Verna.

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It’s to be noted that Out of five, there have been only two significant films, Chalay Thay Saath and Balu Mahi, to come out in 2017 so far. But even they have not been able pick up the momentum, although they had the star power of Osman Khalid Butt, Sadaf Kanwal (Balu Mahi) and Syra Shehroz (Chalay Thay Saath). It’s safe to say that the ban on Bollywood massively affected the momentum and even films which could’ve done well earlier have been affected by it.

But with Eidul Fitr only a couple of months away and films such as Hassan Rana’s Yalghaar (which boasts of a star-studded cast of Shaan, Humayun Saeed, Ayesha Omar and others) and Yasir Nawaz’s Mehrunnisa We Lub You planned for release, exhibitors are hoping the rest of the year will definitely bring back the biz to cinemas.

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