LONDON: Pakistani television actor Sajal Aly — who stars in the soon-to-be-released film What’s Love Got To Do With It? — said it is “the very first project which highlights Pakistan and its Pakistani culture in a very right, very colourful way”.

Speaking to Dawn ahead of the film’s UK release, Ms Aly said: “My character Maymouna is the face of thousands of South Asian girls. She will give strength and confidence to South Asian girls.”

The film is expected to be released in Pakistan on March 3.

Ms Aly plays the character of Maymouna, a girl based in Lahore who is int­roduced to the main character, London-based Kaz, in an arranged marriage set-up. The film is billed as a romcom and shows a British Pakistani family’s journey as they try to set their son up with a suitable match. Though the story is told with humour, it also touches on a deeper theme of family conflicts.

“It’s not just a romcom, it’s a lot more than that. It’s a film that will make you cry, happy and sad. You will laugh but when you go back home you will definitely go and hug your loved ones.”

Ms Aly said her character Maymouna’s “wildness and craziness” is something she can relate to. “We all have it; we try to hide that part because we fear what if people judge us but we all feel that way.”

She praised the director, Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, as “one of the best directors we have in this world”. “I tell you, he is just amazing. Whatever he makes, no matter which country’s story he is telling, he will do well. He has done justice to this script.”

When asked how selective she is about choosing scripts that portray strong women, Ms Aly said: “I’m lucky I get good scripts. I also intentionally choose scripts where women are not portrayed as weak. With success there is a pressure and a responsibility on me to do that. Whatever power I hold, small or big, my influence cannot be restricted to TV or film. I have a responsibility to do a lot more.”

The film brings together Indian and Pakistani stars, and has been written by Jemima Goldsmith. When asked to comment on the prospect of more Indian and Pakistani stars working together in the future, Ms Aly said: “We can’t work in India, but we are working together internationally. It was a huge deal for me to work with Sri Devi ma’am, it was an honour even for my country. Unfortunately, we are trapped by politics and this has put art and artists in a box. “I hope we can break these walls but even if we can’t, we can scale the wall and find a way to work with each other.”

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2023