Friday, July 20, 2007

The Pakistani Movies that are making a Stir

When you think about movies, you usually think about Hollywood, or even Bollywood for that matter. However, there are a couple of movies that are making a stir around the world and in Pakistan.

Khuda ke Liye (In the name of God)



This is a movie produced, written and directed by Shoaib Mansoor, one of the most famous director in Pakistan. The plot involves a Pakistani student (Shaan), who finds himself at the wrong place and at the wrong time. After the fall of the twin towers during the tragedy of 9/11, Shaan's character is arrested. The other protagonist is played by Imaan Ali who is a British Pakistani girl and wants to marry a Non Muslim, she is shipped off to the homeland.

A lot of people have been anticipating this movie chiefly because it is a Shoaib Mansoor production. However, from the trailers I've seen and from what I've heard so far, this is probably going to be Mansoor's worst work. Since there aren't any worthwhile places to go and see the movie in Islamabad, I guess I'll be seeing it when it comes out on DVD. I'll be surprised if it's any good.


Zibakhana: Hell's Ground



Zibahkhana
means slaughterhouse in Urdu, but the English title, for some unknown reason, is Hell's Ground. This is probably Pakistan's first big horror movie and has been given cheers world wide. Unlike typical Bollywood/Lollywood movies, this movie has more of a western touch instead of just being a Hollywood ripoff.

The movie took just 4 weeks to make and a budget which according to Time Magazine "makes The Blair Witch Project look like a Hollywood Bankbuster". The movie is a production by Omar Ali Khan who is the owner of Hotspot, a cafe and popular meeting spot in Islamabad. The main cast comprises of school going teenagers instead of more prominent actors from the Pakistani movie scene. It features the typical gore and zombies that you'll find in most Western horror flicks with a more Pakistani touch.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd definitely vouch for Zibahkhana, unlike the former, Zibakhana is less cliched and a more original work compared to most Pakistani movies and television shows. And face it, the zombies just look really cool. Reminds me of my school days when people would talk about this tree at Hotspot with a leaf that had some sort of palpitation and would move repeatedly.

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