‘If we get a fair chance at the box office, we are likely to be ahead of other films.’

Eid ul Azha is one week away and with multiple Pakistani films – Heer Maan Ja, Parey Hut Love and Superstar – releasing on the occasion, promotions are going on in full swing. All three films have an ensemble cast as well as big banner production houses behind them. The trailers look promising and with the songs coming out, we are eager to see what they have to offer audiences this Eid.We caught up with co-producer of Heer Maan Ja, Imran Raza Kazmi, during the Karachi spell of promotions to find out more about the upcoming romantic comedy and what makes it a must-watch. “People think of us as the underdogs so we have to put in extra effort to prove ourselves and we have always been ahead of films that have released simultaneously, in terms of promotions,” he asserted, revealing that this time too they have made an extensive promotional plan. “We will be going to Dubai, Canada, US and UK.”Kazmi insisted that their film is for the public at large and they aim to cater to people coming from all social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, they will try to reach everyone that forms their target audience and will be promoting the film in schools, colleges, malls and other public places.Speaking of a film’s performance at the box office and what his expectations are from Heer Maan Ja, he said, “Given the response we have been generating after the release of the trailer, teasers and the songs, we are hoping we will be able to do well at the box office. We don’t have any competitor in the same genre; our focus is comedy while the other two films have mostly romance and drama. Women like that but they get to see that for free on television everyday. We don’t have enough comedy plays or sitcoms that have action and romance too, so if we get a fair chance at the box office, at least during the first week, we will very easily be ahead of other films.”However, Imran added, it is important that nobody plays any dirty game and everyone works according to the demand and supply. Reflecting on the success module of films in Hollywood and Bollywood, which people aren’t very aware of in Pakistan, Imran pointed out, “If we speak of ‘blockbuster’ as per Hollywood and Bollywood, it is not about the numbers you generate at the box office; it is compared to what your budget is. You need to make twice-plus money to be a blockbuster.”“In Pakistan, if a film crosses 10 to 15 crores, it is considered a hit,” he added. “Everyone has their own definition of a blockbuster here but hopefully with time, people will get to know. Our budget was around 7 crores so according to our target, when we cross 13 -14 crores, we will be a blockbuster. However, it will be more for other two films since they had a bigger budget.”Kazmi went on to explain that their film didn’t require them to invest more money than they did. He emphasizes that in new cinema (worldwide), content is more important than budget. If we keep running behind big budgets, we will not be left with any money to make more films. “It wasn’t like we didn’t have money, but we didn’t need more than what we have spent. If the product is entertaining, you don’t require anything else,” he noted. “Most of the Oscar-winning films are not big budget films; you can’t judge a film on the basis of its budget. If we keep doing it for short term gain, we won’t have money to invest in more films and the industry will never grow this way.”“Any Pakistani film that invests over 5 crore, it is stuck; whether it will rake in enough money or not is worrisome. If budget wouldn’t have been the criteria and content was prioritized over that, producers would not have stressed on releasing their films during holiday season only. Commercial and parallel cinema needs to go hand in hand or the industry will start shrinking again. Film producers and/or directors will look for alternate options to make money,” he concluded, hoping that things get transparent and a little more systematic for the industry to be able to sustain itself.Starring Hareem Farooq and Ali Rehman Khan in lead roles, Heer Maan Ja is directed by Azfar Jafri while it is produced by IRK Films and Arif Lakhani Films, in association with Geo Films.

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