A plane nosedives. Gulaab, played by Fahad Mustafa, the cop whose existential crisis will probably form the crux of Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad (QAZ), tries to catch his balance as he lurches backwards. Apparently, he is inside this plane that makes multiple appearances in the movie’s trailer.

QAZ’s makers, the Filmwala Pictures duo Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza, have pitched the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha release as an action entertainer, and the careening airplane offers a glimpse of one of the more ambitious sequences. It is also, according to director and co-scriptwriter Nabeel, a very expensive one.

“We got the interior of the plane specially made,” he describes. “It’s an 80-foot prop which was made in three different parts in a workshop. Then, we took it to another location and put it together to shoot the scene.”

The swaggering, wisecracking, bad-turned-good Gulaab is going to be throwing himself into plenty of stunts throughout the movie, and actor Fahad Mustafa opted to do them all on his own. The plane sequence required him to jump in at a particular angle.

A lot of passion and dreams are riding on the Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan-starring Eid-ul-Azha release Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad. Not only for the team behind the film but also for Pakistan’s stuttering film industry…

“We don’t have that many stuntmen in Pakistan and, besides, I really wanted to do all the stunts myself,” says Fahad. “This particular stunt was a tricky one. I jumped in and my ankle got displaced. I was in a lot of pain and my foot has been bandaged ever since. I just hope that, after all the effort, the scene turns out well. This movie has been the answer to my dreams of playing an action hero.”

Passion and dreams are the fuel propelling QAZ. They are also the wheels that the Pakistani film industry runs on right now, as it stutters towards an ever-elusive brighter future in a post-pandemic world. Nabeel and Fizza’s cinematic debut, 2014’s Na Maloom Afraad, is remembered as one of the biggest hits back when Pakistani cinema had only just revived. The producer-director duo believe that their latest, QAZ, can prove to be just as potent a landmark moment.

Certainly, blood, tears, money — and even ankle bones — have been invested into the making of QAZ. When the movie’s release had stalled due to the coronavirus, rumours had circulated that Filmwala Pictures were considering selling QAZ to an OTT platform. At a time when Covid-19 clouds still loomed heavily over cinemas all over the world, it had seemed to be a good way to gain back the money invested. Who knew when the pandemic would end and cinemas would reopen? The only hitch was that Nabeel and Fizza were insistent that this was a movie meant for the big screen.

The OTT deal wasn’t struck and, looking at the trailer, one can understand why Filmwala Pictures opted to wait it out until cinemas reopened. QAZ, at a cursory first glance, promises to be a grand, action-packed, banger of a cop movie that is meant for the cinema rather than a TV screen at home.

Beyond the action, though, the trailer offers a glimpse of a long-awaited filmi jorri — this could be the movie’s other trump card. Two of the country’s biggest stars, Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan, will be seen working together for the first time.

Back when QAZ’s cast had been revealed, the news had triggered plenty of buzz. “There have been so many times in the past when Fahad and I were offered movies together, but things would never work out,” says Mahira. “I am glad that we finally got to act together. This movie has everything: action, music, fun. Most importantly, you feel certain emotions by the time the movie ends.”

Patriotic emotions, you mean, I ask. As the name implies, QAZ is obviously meant to inspire strong nationalistic sentiments. “There are a lot of messages within the plot,” Mahira observes. “It’s a very strong storyline.”

But is it a male-dominated storyline, as is the case in most cop movies? Does Mahira’s character have much to do or is she a nominal part of the plot?

“My role is an interesting one,” she says. “This is first and foremost Gulaab’s story, and I am just happy to be playing a part in it. It’s a different character from the ones that I have enacted in the past. Jiya, my character, is outspoken and carefree. She waves about pepper sprays. She says her dialogues in a certain way. People expect my movies to revolve around my character to a large extent, because my past projects have been that way. This time, though, I have just enjoyed being part of this complete entertainer.”

Did she click easily with Fahad? “We had a blast together. He’s an effortless actor. Neither of us overthink our characters, we would just come in and do the scenes. I remember this one particular scene, when he and I were atop a rock and had to scream our lungs out. Nabeel left us on our own on that one. I really enjoyed that scene.”

And then there was the dancing. “Fahad’s a great dancer and the movie’s soundtrack is great. The song Loota Re just makes you want to move,” says Mahira.

Even when dancing live, Mahira and Fahad know their moves. As part of the pre-release promotions, the stars have been waltzing their way into crowds, from Karachi’s crowded Port Grand to malls and cinemas. Their moves are very well-synchronised. Have they practised specially for the promotions?

“No, we’ve just gone out there and had a good time,” professes Mahira. “We’re both pretty decent dancers, I think, and we’re in sync. If Fahad pulls out a new move, I just follow him and vice versa!”

QAZ wasn’t the only movie starring Mahira which got sequestered into the shadows thanks to Covid-19. The actress also has the long-awaited, ill-fated Legend of Maula Jutt as well as Neelofar — both movies co-starring Fawad Khan — waiting to release. The long wait possibly led to the actress confessing in a recent interview that she felt that her movies were jinxed. Is QAZ going to break that jinx?

“I should have never said that!” Mahira shakes her head, smiling. “Yes, I think the jinx will be broken!”

Aside from a strong ensemble cast — QAZ also stars Javed Sheikh, Nayyer Ejaz, Qavi Khan and Saleem Mairaj — a menagerie of animals form part of the storyline. There’s a lion — one wonders if there is a political implication here considering a certain political party has an inclination for the animal — a crocodile, snake, turtle, lizard, rabbit, hamster and a dog, which ended up relieving itself on the hero during the shoot!

Passion and dreams are the fuel propelling QAZ. They are also the wheels that the Pakistani film industry runs on right now, as it stutters towards an ever-elusive brighter future in a post-pandemic world. Nabeel and Fizza’s cinematic debut, 2014’s Na Maloom Afraad, is remembered as one of the biggest hits back when Pakistani cinema had only just revived. The producer-director duo believe that their latest, QAZ, can prove to be just as potent a landmark moment.

Fahad laughs, “There’s a romantic scene where I had to catch a hamster for Jiya, who loves animals. It’s a sweet scene, which took two and a half days to shoot!”

Did he also come in close proximity to the lion? “Yes, and I had my doubts!” confesses Fahad. “The team kept telling me that it was completely tame, but you never know with a lion!”

During the movie’s trailer launch, Mahira was asked to compare Fahad with Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, her co-star from all the way back in 2017, in the movie Raees. She had replied by praising how well Fahad danced. As a star who has paved his way solely on the weight of his work in Pakistan, did the comparison irk Fahad?

“It’s unnecessary but it’s also inevitable,” he shrugs. “We have all grown up watching Indian cinema, so we end up making references to Bollywood. For a long time, we didn’t have a cinema of our own. In my mind, the first movie that started off Pakistani cinema’s revival was Main Hoon Shahid Afridi. Before that, there was a long gap when there were no local movies.”

He expounds, “Still, I would never tell people to watch our movie simply because it is a Pakistani movie. I want them to watch it because it is a good movie. If it isn’t good, that’s okay. We’ll make another one and try to do better. This sentiment of watching movies as a patriotic duty needs to stop.”

Fahad is pretty sure, though, that he’s on to a winner. The trailer has had people pointing out similarities to Bollywood flicks such as Simmba and Dabangg. Fahad’s fitted, short-sleeved policeman’s uniform and his character’s wisecracking persona is being compared to those of a spate of recent Bollywood cops. Is QAZ ‘heavily inspired’ or does it have a plot of its own?

“It is a cop movie and there’s a certain set-up that it follows. But it’s not a nonsense action movie. There’s a strong plot and a moral guiding the story and that’s what drew me towards Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad in the first place. We’re not selling just the cop thing. And of course, it’s entertaining, over the top, larger than life! You’ll come to the cinema and say, yes, this is perhaps what I wanted to see on the big screen. At least, that’s what we’re hoping you’ll say.” He grins.

It’s good to be optimistic, especially since this Eid — as is customary in the Pakistani cinemascape — is going to be crowded with movie releases. Humayun Saeed’s London Nahin Jaunga, the Marvel magnum opus Thor: Love and Thunder and, possibly, the horror-comedy Lafangey will be vying for screens alongside QAZ. Does that give Fahad the jitters?

“I think it’s great that these movies are releasing simultaneously,” he says. “Kuchh tau aaye cinema mein [let something show on cinema]. A specific audience will watch Thor but then there’s a separate audience that is eager to watch Pakistani movies. It’s great that we have local movies releasing this Eid, and they will all benefit from the footfall.”

Still, the box office behemoth is an unpredictable one. Filmwala Pictures’ last two ventures, Khel Khel Mein (KKM) and Load Wedding did not meet the same success as their previous hits. Does this make Nabeel and Fizza anxious prior to the release of QAZ?

“The anxiety is always there,” says Fizza, “but when you’ve gone through it before, the fear lessens. It’s like a rollercoaster ride — the first time you sit in it, you don’t know what to expect, but then you get accustomed to the highs and lows. This is our sixth time on this ride and it’s our biggest movie yet, budget-wise.”

Nabeel adds, “You learn from every film that you make, regardless of whether it’s a big hit or not. Load Wedding didn’t bring in as much business as we had expected and, in retrospect, it had a lot to do with the industry’s infrastructure and problems with the movie’s release.”

“Khel Khel Mein was the first local release post-pandemic and we didn’t wait for Eid to release it. Given the scenario at the time, it did well.”

KKM had received mixed reviews because of the historical perspective put forward by its storyline. Is it easier formulating the plot of an action entertainer such as QAZ as opposed to one which requires research and presents an opinion that everyone may not agree with?

“Of course it’s easier,” says Nabeel. “For Khel Khel Mein, we researched extensively and talked to multiple people. Emotions and sentiments had to be taken into consideration.”

This does not mean that the making of QAZ was an easy ride. “Quality-wise, I believe that our movie is at par with, if not better than, Bollywood,” asserts Fizza.

“For the stunts, we worked extensively with a local team and there is a lot of VFX [visual effects] in the movie,” says Nabeel. “I have a graphics artist background and I am very interested in VFX. The work was divided between three different studios — the Artlab, Sharp Image and my own company, Postistan. It was a challenge to develop visuals that could match up to international standards.”

I pose a question that the team is quite used to: do they think that having their longtime staple hero Fahad Mustafa in the frontline is going to prove to be lucky for their movie?

“We’re not superstitious that way, but we do think that Fahad is the best choice for the role. If not him, who else?” Fizza volleys an answer that I have heard before. “Also, Mahira looks great, playing a girl of today rather than the more conventional roles that she has been seen in before.”

Fahad, when asked if he thinks that he’s lucky for Nabeel and Fizza, smiles and counters, “What do you think?”

I think that the team together has churned out some very memorable movies. I tell Fahad this, referring to his phone ringtone, which has for the longest time been the peppy title song of his movie Actor In Law, also a Filmwala Pictures venture. “That movie was a game-changer for you as an actor,” I tell him.

“Hopefully, you’ll say the same about Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad,” he says.

Hopefully, yes — for the sake of a movie that has endured an extended Covid-19-induced sabbatical, for the sake of all the effort made and the dreams pinned on to it. And for the sake of a Pakistani film industry, badly in need of a few hits to shake it back to life.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 10th, 2022