KARACHI: It was an event held at a restaurant on Thursday evening for a select group of journalists to have a bit of a chitchat with the cast of the film Qulfee to be released on Eidul Fitr. Shahroze Sabzwari, the male lead in the movie, was the first one to arrive at the venue. He was followed by Shamyl and Saeeda Imtiaz. Seasoned actor Javed Sheikh was the last one to show up.

Talking to Dawn, Shamyl said, “This is the first time I’m playing a villain. I have worked really hard for it. I had to do one year of rigorous training for the part. A totally different ballgame. The film has layers. [Therefore] I have tried to do a different job. We have had a certain type of villains [in Pakistani films]. It’s going to be something very different. You haven’t seen that kind of a villain in Pakistan. I think people will love the sweetness, the action and romance in the film.”

Shahroze looked eager to share his views with journalists in a friendly way. He said, “This is my third film, but my first meethi Eid release movie. Hoping for the best. The film is action-packed, a thriller. From the first to the last scene, the thrill is there. As far as its story goes, it is something that we have tried to do out-of-the-box. There hasn’t been a film on cybercrime in Pakistan. And cybercrime with a bit of a hip culture, in the sense how Gen Alpha and Gen Z would use their phones etc. It’s about that with a slight touch of Robin Hood.”

Javed Sheikh was in his usual amiable mood, meeting and greeting everyone who shook hands or took photos with him. He said, “My character is like a colourful qulfee, playful, a tad comic.”

Shedding light on the subject of the movie, cyber hacking, Mr Sheikh said, “It’s all about the thought process. I’m saying this because Mashood Qadri, an American citizen [the producer of the film who co-directed it with Saleem Dad] is a doctor. He thought he should make a film on the way technology is used today.”

Apparently, Saleem Dad couldn’t completely direct the project and went away, after which Mr Qadri took charge.

Shahroze said, “The director who went away, Saleem Dad, whatever I did in the film, I’m his product, because when I came on set till my last day of shooting, I only saw him as the director. Qadri sahib is the producer, head of the film and his input was always there. They co-directed it.”

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2025