Some believe the success of Wrong No. came as a fluke whereas others feel that the film isn’t worth one’s money. The truth is that despite some crappy jokes and crass humour, Wrong No. is right (as endorsed by Indian filmmaker Gulzar in his video message to the team) in a number of ways.

The good

Not many Pakistan films have been all out comedies in recent years besides Na Maloom Afraad and Wrong No. dares to step into that territory. Yes, some jokes seem out of place, and sometimes the humour hits below the belt, but the flow of the story doesn’t slow down for an instant and that’s what makes the film palatable.

Jawed Sheikh as a qasai (butcher) is outstanding in each and every scene and dominates every scene he is in. Danish Taimoor in his double role is good in patches; he is also able to romance two heroines and dodge multiple villains convincingly. When it comes to good-looking actors who can act and dance; he demands respect. In order to make his place in filmdom, he must get out of the Jalaibee mode and speak in a tone that does not remind one of the late Sultan Rahi. Get the drift?

Yasir Nawaz’s directorial film debut may have been the underdog in the race of Eid releases but it has emerged as second most successful flick besides Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan

The bad

The first half is the weakest; I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tells me that the writers hadn’t decided which plot to follow until they were midway through the movie. There were many scenes that could have been edited out; a few arcs that should have been scrapped before filming and a few jokes without which the film would have been better. The leading ladies — Janita Asma and Sohai Ali Abro — are shown as typical lasses waiting for their Prince Charming; it would have helped had one of them been given meaningful lines as well! And while Shafqat Cheema was his usual badass self, the three musketeers (Danish Nawaz, Nadeem Jaffri and Atif Shah) did nothing worthwhile except getting hit down there, cracking crappy jokes and making total fools of themselves. That’s what their characters were all about but it wasn’t funny every single time it happened.

The intelligent

Using actors from Lahore for the Lahore leg of the movie (except the leading lady) was an intelligent decision; watching veterans Asim Bukhari and Mohammed Qavi Khan back on the big screen was pleasant but they could have had more screen time.

The chase at the start of the film is well-executed and not many know that the protagonist Danish Taimoor injured himself during the stunt action sequences. The scene where he copies famous Bollywood actors is also worth a mention here as it brought a smile to everyone’s lips. Best of all, the most fetching locations in Karachi and Lahore were captured on camera. Good job, team Wrong No.!

The chase at the start of the film is well-executed and not many know that Danish Taimoor injured himself during the stunts.

What makes Wrong No. standout is that it starts and ends like a film; not like a telefilm. The key characters are given a chance to register their screen presence; the songs are appropriately placed and timed and the fight sequences realistic and add to the plot. The climax could have been bettered but considering it was Yasir Nawaz’s directorial film debut — and that he directed it all by himself (pun intended) — one can give leverage. Maybe next time he will do even better and serve up a bigger hit.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 2nd, 2015

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