KARACHI: At a time when cinemas need good content to keep the ball rolling, Zee Kay Film’s Talash comes out as a saviour, one that aims to take the industry forward.

Directed by Zeeshan Khan, the film had its red carpet and premiere in Karachi’s leading multiplex, which was attended by renowned faces of the industry.

The film’s biggest draw is its three debutants — Ahmed Zeb, Noaman Sami and Fariya Hassan — who are not just leading the way but also enthusiastic about their project. They play doctors who are sent to the interior of Sindh to set up a medical camp. What happens there not just opens their eyes to the lack of facilities but also changes their perception of malnutrition, the film’s core subject.

Talash is dubbed as the first Pakistani venture to tackle the subject of ‘malnutrition’ and the cast members feel that ‘working for a cause’ will open new doors for others.

It also features veteran actor Mustafa Qureshi as a progressive feudal lord, who aids the youngsters in helping the local population. The Maula Jatt actor also came to the premiere alongside his son actor Aamir Qureshi, co-stars Saleem Meraj, Asfar Khan, Adnan Shah Tipu as well as the three newcomers.

The core subject of the film released last week is about malnutrition

When asked what made him go for a film with an unknown leading cast and a first-time director, Meraj said that the character of a feudal lord suffering from a short-term memory loss excited him.

“It is not for the first time that I was approached by a director who hadn’t done anything. From Nabeel Qureshi (Na Maloom Afraad) to Kamal Khan (Laal Kabootar), all were newcomers, [they] approached me and I agreed to work with them depending on the script, and the character offered to me. I always look at the impact of my role and that’s why I chose to be a part of this flick, which had more new and less established actors,” said the actor, who will be seen in Lafangey and Dum Mastam next.

Advertising man-turned-actor Asfar Khan, who plays a police officer in the film, also added his two cents about Talash.

“Acting in a film was a new experience for me but since it tackled a very difficult subject, I had to be a part of it. Since the director of the film and I go a long way back, I accepted the role of a police officer, which comes for a short period but makes his presence felt.”

Talash was released last week on Nov 15 all across Pakistan and will be competing with Hollywood films Ford vs Ferrari and Charlie’s Angels. Interestingly, the local film features a Ford that is integral to the plot as the cast. Let’s hope the film with new actors manages to keep up at the box office, and stay in the race for a long duration.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019