The Legend of Maula Jatt: The Pakistani Film Sets a New Standard
Days before The Legend of Maula Jatt October 13 global premiere, the proprietor of the IMGC cinema hall in Burewala, a provincial town in Pakistan, worked nonstop to prepare his new theater for the eagerly anticipated action-drama movie.
The Legend of Maula Jatt, a Pakistani film, sets a new standard
Sheikh Amjad Rasheed declared, “This movie is making history, and I want to be a part of that history.”
Written and directed by Bilal Lashari, The Legend of Maula Jatt is Pakistan’s most expensive and ambitious film to date.
The Pakistani film industry is hopeful that this remake. Which is a remake of a hyper-masculine Punjabi film that altering the direction of the industry 43 years ago, would lead to the industry’s revival.
“There are movies that perform better than other movies, and then there are movies that boost the performance of an entire industry. The producer of the movie, Ammara Hikmat, told Al Jazeera that this would be the latter.
“I hope filmmakers stop playing it safe after this,” said one commenter. “I think it will affect the way investors look at Pakistani films.”
The movie had a record-breaking production budget of $4.6 million in a nation where the largest movies typically cost less than $1.5 million. In its first weekend, it brought in $2.3 million worldwide.
GANDASA IN PUNJABI
Based on the 1979 movie simply called “Maula Jatt,” The Legend of Maula Jatt. The plot centers on intergenerational strife, a tortured hero, a stunningly attractive villain, and themes of vengeance and honor.
In a world where bearded men on horses employed gandasas (axes) and guns to terrorize others and defend their own, the book’s title character is a Punjabi farmer who wields an axe. The original movie was outlaw by Zia ul-regime Haq for “violence and subversive culture,” but when it was releasing again a few years later, it gave rise to the “Gandasa culture,” a joyfully violent and hypersexualizing Punjabi film subgenre that flourished for almost two decades.
Many nations have introduced a certain type of film to the world, whether it is Hollywood’s Western, Bollywood’s musicals, or samurai or kung fu movies. I have explored and reimagined the genre known as “Punjabi Gandasa,” which is distinctly Pakistani, according to Lashari, who spoke to Al Jazeera.
To establish a presence on global marketplaces, no expense, effort, creative endeavor, or marketing approach was spared.
Some of the biggest names and most prestigious actors in the nation are represented in the film’s cast. It was released on 400 screens in 23 nations besides Pakistan, which was a historic gesture. The Gandasa action has the heightened intensity and polish of the best Hollywood productions, and the staging is slick and big in scale.
Dialogues:
The dialogue and playwright Nasir Adeeb, who authored the original Maula Jatt and the conversation for The Legend of Maula Jatt, said of Gandasa: “Gandasa was and remains a weapon versus injustice, a symbol of honor.”
Adeeb’s speech, the actors’ performances, and Mustafa Qureshi’s frightening yet honorable villain, Noori Natt, all contributed to Maula Jatt’s cultural phenomenon.
The Legend of Maula Jatt’s writer, director, cameraman, and editor Lashari, 38, doesn’t recall watching the original as a child, but he has lived with it throughout his life, just like the majority of Pakistanis of his generation.
It is thoroughly ingrained in our popular culture. You can hear the speech from the movie at some dhabas, on TV, in some graffiti, and politicians frequently use it as one-liners while speaking to one another, he added.
Adeeb recalls former president Asif Ali Zardari said, “Maulay nu Maula na maray tay Maula nai marda [Unless Maula kills Maula, Maula can’t die],” in response to a question about whether he faced any threats, and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto using Noori Natt’s catchphrase, “You must be new here, darling,” during a campaign rally.
‘GOOSEBUMPS’
Waar (The Strike), Lashari’s debut film from 2013, became the highest-grossing movie in Pakistan at the time. He claims to have “hard rebooted” the original Maula Jatt by taking everything that made it a cult classic.
Moreover, He had a clear idea of the type of movie he intended to make, who he wanted to play the lead roles in it, and when and where it would take place (in a fictional universe he calls “Parallel Punjab”)
He abandoned outmoded ideas like men settling disputes by marrying off their sisters, developed archetypes by providing them with interesting backstories, and heightened the animosity between Maula Jatt and Noori Natt. Furthermore, He revised the screenplay 80 times while creating comprehensive illustrations of the characters and scenes. He was aware of the reaction he intended his movie to elicit in viewers: “Goosebumps.”
It was a goosebump-inducing decision to choose Mahira Khan as the female lead, as well as a superstar and subcontinental heartthrob Fawad Khan as Maula Jatt. “That aspect of Fawad—the chocolate hero, the lovely boy side—has been seen by everyone. But I was aware that there was some sort of restrained aggression inside. And the idea of alpha in the new world isn’t necessarily a beast, according to Lashari.
Film Release:
The anticipation for the film’s release increase when it was revealed that Khan will compete against Noori Natt by Hamza Ali Abbasi. And the Natts may be the source of the most of the movie’s strength. Evil has never appeared more alluring or seductive. Gohar Rasheed’s campy, wacky portrayal of the younger Natt sibling Makkha stands in stark contrast to Abbasi’s portrayal of Noori Natt, who is playing with a near-religious devotion.
The story of The Legend of Maula Jatt is telling in a series of episodes, each of which introduces a new character and advances the plot. The plot thickens, the action picks up, and the suspense builds as the movie goes along. It is both incredibly Sergio Leone-like and very Tarantino-like. Over a Zoom chat, Fawad Khan told Al Jazeera, “There’s a real Spaghetti Western flavor to it.
The Legend of Maula Jatt has the weight of a blockbuster thanks to Lashari’s vivid, precise imagination and careful execution, yet making a fantasy of this magnitude in a nation without top-tier studios proved challenging. For the choreography of fight scenes and actor training, an action team from the UK have to be flowing in. Collaborations with technologists and VFX artists came from different nations. On the outskirts of Lahore, in the settlement of Bedian, a sizable setting was building.
“GET A GRIP,”
Most Punjabi films uphold patriarchy, with women cast as helpless victims, seductive vamps, or distraught moms. This movie’s human drama has street credit and features women who boldly express and go after their ambitions while being set in a similar environment.
One of Pakistan’s highest-paid actresses, Mahira Khan, expressed her excitement about playing the role of Mukkho, a character who repeatedly hits or pursues men and defies gender norms, to Al Jazeera.
She recalled saying things like, “God, Mukkho, get a grip,” but Mukkho never did.
“It’s so uncommon to see a female character in Pakistani film or television just slapping people and kneeing bad guys in the balls, which I truly loved because I’ve never actually done that in my life,” the author said.
Actress Humaima Malik, who portrays Daro, the adored sister of Noori Nutt. Claimed that Lashari urged her not to see the original movie and only provided her with one example. Eva Green’s performance in 300: Rise of An Empire.
According to Humaima for Al Jazeera. “He wanted Daro to be sensual, confident, strong, scary, sexy, gorgeous, and frightening all at the same time.”
Her Daro lives in a world dominated by men. In her initial scene, she interrupts a conference of men in the opulent Nutt home and steals the show. Acting similarly to O-Ren Ishii at the board meeting in Kill Bill I.
“IF SOMEBODY CUTS ANYTHING FROM THIS MOVIE, I’M OUT,”
In The Legend of Maula Jatt, an enemy is threatening with. Or ordering to be slice into kebab-size pieces every few minutes. Alternatively said, the brutality is graphic.
“All these threats have played a significant role in Gandasa flicks. You’re this, you’re that, I’m going to do this to you. So it can’t just be chatter, right?” asked Lashari.
According to a source connected to the production, the censor board adored the movie. When it was submitt for certification and gave it a Universal certificate. Allowing for unlimit public exhibition without the requirement for parental supervision.
One woman, however, objected and asked, “What are you doing? Sharp objects are cutting off heads and piercing bodies… What gives, you? The Censor Board chairperson then declared, “I’ll quit if anyone cuts anything in this movie.
“I WANTED THEM TO ADORN THE MOVIE THEATERS LIKE A BRIDE.”
Prior to The Legend of Maula Jatt’s release in 2020, which would have coincided with Eid, the epidemic struck. The anticipation for the movie hasn’t lessened despite the delay, though.
The Pakistani distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla has high hopes for the movie. He says, “I have urged them (the theater owners) to adorn movie theaters like a wedding.”
Tickets:
6,000 tickets for the movie at Lahore’s exclusive CUE Cinemas were selling in advance. However, due to new commercial arrangements, such as the producers’ revenue split of ticket sales. Several of Pakistan’s largest theater owners have decided not to screen the movie.
Mandviwalla, though, has faith that the movie theaters will change. The Roxy Cinema in Gujranwala staged its inaugural showing on Friday after closing for more than three years. Due to a restriction on Bollywood movies during the India-Pakistan hostilities. Also an unsustainable stream of Pakistani movies — only 23 films in 2019. That prevents the theater from operating.
The founder of Roxy, where the 1979 Maula Jatt was screening for several months. Haji Tahir, is relying on Lashari’s audacious bet in the hopes. That Maula Jatt will once more alter the trajectory of Pakistan’s film industry. Also prevent his theater from being silent.
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