Reviews

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  Second Opinion :: Janaan Impresses Despite Flaws

  Spoilers Alert:-   Written By:- Minsa Hassan    Scenic beauty, extremely civilized family and pretty faces, Yes I am talking about "Janaan". Directed by Azfar Jafri, written by Osman Khalid Butt  and co produced by Hareem Farooq, Reham Khan, Munir Hussain and Imran Raza Kazmi "Janaan" released today on 13th September 2016.  
  "Janaan" is based on a simple romantic plot, where a girl named Meena (Armeena Khan), equipped with proper accent but a Pakistani heart returns to her ancestral home in Swat. She visits Pakistan in order to attend her cousin sister's wedding and everyone welcomes her warmly. There she encounters two of her cousins, one is a reticent handsome hunk named Asfandyaar (Bilal Ashraf) and the other one "Daniyal" (Ali Rehman Khan) is jovial, flirty and "Shodda Type" guy. Asfandyaar is a decent & mature guy with a kind heart and he runs a school in order to educate needy kids especially orphans. In addition to love triangle,there is colorful wedding ceremony, little family politics and some conflicts between Pakhtoon family and the villain with a brain full of devilish intentions.
   
  For me Janaan is a combination of pros and cons. It has some wow elements but at the same time some elements failed to worked. While watching Janaan, one would be impressed by the cinematography first of all. The memorizing scenic beauty, the artistically constructed house, balconies and every thing around is definitely going to grab your attention. The eye catching locations of Swat has been captured efficiently.   Janaan is purely a family entertainment, there is not even a single line that is considered unrefined or below the belt. Even though there is "romance ka tarka" but it is religiously apposite. It is a simple love story which also addresses some social issues.The story line could have been much better as this love triangle scene and a hero with angelic nature is old school now. Moreover script is not enough powerful. In fact the same story line could have been more enthrall, with better direction.   Luckily, cast of Janaan had some really talented actors . Not only leading characters but also the supporting actors performed really well. Ajab Gul is playing the role of a cool dad. Undoubtedly he has a graceful personality and remarkable screen appearance. People are definitely going to admire such chic dad. Neyyar Ijaaz is simply outstanding. Right facial expression, appropriate body language, fluctuating vocal tone and ferocious eyes, all in all, he has proved himself as a veteran.   Bilal Ashraf debuted his acting career from Janaan. As first experience, he is not bad at all. He has charming personality and he tried his best to do justice to his role. Even though in few scene, his was a little bit more than required but hence he deserves appreciation. Lets talk about the star of the show. Yes !!! none other than Ali Reham Khan. Boy o Boy Ali is outstanding. He is jaunty, cool and brings originality on the screen at the same time annoying and dolt, hence cute. He did complete justice with his role. On the other hand he was equally good in emotional situation. Armeena Khan is gorgeous and also a good actress. Her acting was good in first half even though in second half it was just ok. She is looking really pretty except in those scene where her beauty is hidden under the heavy lawyers of makeup. The two new faces Hania Aamir and Usman Mukhtar gave stunning performance. Usman has great potential, it would be great if he had more dialogues.   The script is not powerful enough but still it is not bad at all. It is studded with some quality humour. The punchlines are refined and well written. The comedy timing is remarkable. There are many funny instances where you won't stop your self to laugh and jump on your seats such as when grandmother advises non pakhtoon potential son in law to get fairer by using Zubaida Appa Soap and when you would see the right use of facebook for girlfriend search operation.   Moving on to the music. Janaan has two melodious songs, the title song Janaan and Pashto song Reidi Gul. Even though you will be unable to understand the meaning of Pashto song Reidi Gul but still you would love it. Its melodious and soulful. The music is perfectly blended with the situations and there is no room for more songs.Only the third and the last song, wedding song is neither melodious nor impressive.   In spite of a simple and old plot, there are some glitches which result in negative marking. Basically it happens because of week direction that loops and flaws persist in a movie. Like wedding scenes were boring without any traditional hustle bustle. Wedding was really economical one as all the functions were in the lawn of the same house and even the Baraat was without Baraati. As far as dressing is concerned, boys dressing was astounding, in fitted shalwar kameez with waistcoats, suits and smart-casual shirts, boys were looking handsome. I really loved the way traditional shalwar kameez and waistcoats are carried. Some how I felt that female cast was bit overdressed as wearing glossy wedding dresses at all the time, even when they were together to watch a movie at home. In some scenes Armeena's natural beauty is hidden under the heavy layers of makeup in order to create an unnecessary resemblance of Rehaam Khan.   Script was not written wisely as the dialogues delivered by Bilal Ashraf when Chooto told him about the mishap, he had in his life, were inappropriate and bit over dramatic. Similarly when Chooto was breathing his last. every one was sitting near him and Bilal was busy in exchanging dialogues instead of taking him to the hospital. Even when the school was set on fire, the head of family dad and uncles were missing and Bilal went into the fire because of no reason. Another glitch was Armeena's strange behavior when dentist gave her anesthesia. This situation could have been justified well, if Armeena had accidentally taken Nasvay (Nasvaar) or a narcotic Paan. The film could have been much better if there were no such glitches.

   

  The most appreciable fact about Janaan is, it is purely Pakistani styled movie. It is no way inspired of Bollywood or any other industry. The beautiful locations, the customs and traditions, sophisticated outfits and more than any of that the use of beautiful local language of our country, make Janaan a must watch movie. Janaan certainly has set a bench mark for Pakistani movies and has proved that a good movie could be made without flashy item songs, indecent humour and unnecessary glamour.  Of course one should watch Janaan to not only out of patriotism but to experience a flavour of elegance and sophistication.
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  Janaan :: Movie Review

  Spoiler Alert! Janaan means "beloved" in Pushto and the movie itself can be termed as a sweet film which will be loved by many. The movie is a tale of a boisterous family from Swat and is filled with all sorts of emotions that will leave you experiencing all range of emotions from fits of laughter to being teary eyed at the end. Janaan has a very distinctive charm and identity which cannot be equated with any sort  of  Bollywood movie. Something a lot of Pakistani movies have tried lately. The story follows the path of Meena (Armeena) who is returning back home to Swat after living abroad. There she meets her cousins, Asfandyar (Bilal Ashraf) and Danial (Ali Rehman), both of whom are smitten by her. The question remains. Will anyone end up with her. The pacing of the first half is swift. Unlike many other Pakistani flicks of the recent past, there aren't many unnecessary plot details thankfully. A lot of humor takes place in the first half. Ali Rehman specially stands out here as Danial, the eccentric wannabe guy who is trying to impress Meena. The whole family element appears relatable too. The aunts, the uncle and the typical family predicaments. Everything appears in sync and the whole family bonding thing looked beautiful. Though not at the peak of his powers yet, Bilal Ashraf looked intense as Asfandyar. One can easily see why he is labeled as the next big thing in Pakistani Cinema after seeing Janaan. Armeena looked graceful and charming. She has improved leaps since Bin Roye and is decent in Janaan. Veterans of the film industry, Ajab Gul and Nayyar Ejaz brought their A Game to the film too. Newer additions like Usman Mukhtar  and Saad Zia Abbasi  looked promising in their brief roles while Hania Amir looked too cute and adorable as Palwasha. Every movie has few negatives. In Janaan, the romance between Meena and Asfandyar moves back and forth and at times feels a bit forced at times. The movie kinda has a rather tedious start to the second half but recovers well from then on wards. Janaan also tackles a much neglected social issue in a classy way and finally somebody has managed to break the stereotype and portray Pushtoons in a very normal and objective way. Osman Khalid Butt has managed to come up with an impressive and a unique story which is expressed in a brilliant manner by the Director, Azfar Jafri. Everything about the movie looked spectacular. The lighting, sound and cinematography were amazing. Everything looked so much better than the recent debacles in the film industry. Kudos to all the team including the producers, Imran Raza Kazmi and Hareem Farooq. Janaan is surely a breath of fresh air! A vibrant cast and team has made an admirable effort. The film reflects the advancement in contemporary Pakistani Cinema. The audiences will laugh at some jokes and get all misty eyed at some reveals but it feels different than the others. Janaan is all set to bring joy this Eid.      

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  Movie Review :: Zindagi Kinti Haseen Hay Manages To Impress!

  Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay is the first real intense love story of Pakistani Cinema since it's revival. The film is a story of Zain (Feroze Khan) who wants to become a film maker and his immense sacrifices and turmoils in order to make that dream become a reality. Sajal Aly is portraying the role of Maira Khan, the wife of Zain whereas Doodo, the kid of Zain and Maira is played by Jibrayl Ahmed. After a disappointing summer for Pakistani movies, this film feels like a departure. The film however does have a few glitches and some of the scenes feel too repetitive and drawn out but despite this, The Director, Anjum Shehzad has managed to make a decent romantic-family drama film which has some really strong performances by the main leads and a really strong soundtrack too! The film shows the passion and desire of a person to become film maker and his intense love for his wife and kid! He goes through many emotional extremes for all this. Feroze Khan has done some really magnificent work with the character of Zain. He has shown aggression, obsession, love, sadness in such an amazing way that he leaves a deep mark on you by the end of the movie. The scenes showing the son and the father are acted out brilliantly by the kid Jibrayl Ahmed and Feroze Khan, repectively. The audiences will definitely feel the father-son connection strongly. Feroze Khan's performance can be said as best male performance this year or one of the best ever in the leading roles in Pakistan in recent times! Sajal Aly is a natural when it comes to portraying an emotionally distraught girl and she has done her job well. This is the first time a kid has been given so much screen space in a Pakistani feature film and the adorable Jibrayl acted surprisingly well. The supporting cast which consisted of the likes of Aly Khan and Nayyar Ejaz were efficient. Shafqat Cheema as Cheema is in a never been seen before of an avatar and will surprise you especially when he does the rap of the song, "Neray Aa Zalma We". The story of the film is quite satisfactory as the writer, Abdul Khaliq Khan has done his job in that department and the dialogues are extremely intense . It's first time that our audiences will see such intense romantic dialogues on the big screen but the pacing of the film is a bit slow at times. Anjum Shehzad perhaps could have made a few things better though. Few of the scenes are quite lousy, like the scene where Nayyar Ejaz visits his film set and the one in the court room. Smaller details could have been enhanced perhaps but overall the film is an adequate one. Film's cinematography is amazing with some super shots! Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay, is embellished with a soundtrack that stays with you. Each track is befitting the situation and make you fall in love with it! Kitni Baar by Sukhwinder Singh is min blowing whereas Ali Ali by Farhan Saha is so soulful that you will come home and listen to it multiple times. Title track is so light and beautiful whereas Udaasiyan gives a more sad vibe. Chulbul on the other hand is a fast and catchy track. On the whole, Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay brings back the romantic-family drama on the Pakistani cinema screens which should be appreciated. It's an emotional intense film and not a drama. The pacing of the film is a bit slow but the performances of the cast will definitely capture your attention. Feroze Khan has done a fantastic job and after this film his stock will surely go higher. The kid's performance is the most adorable thing in the movie. Go for it this Eid with your family and you will come home impressed with super performances, intense emotions, rich cinematography and fantastic music!   Written By:- Zayn Kharal

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