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instep
review
Jawed Sheikh's labour of love doesn't touch
the sky
After a five year sabbatical, Jawed Sheikh returns with his
most ambitious film to date, Khulay Aasman Kay Neechay. It makes
a strong technical statement but falls because of its sketchy writing.
Instep takes a closer look...
By Usman
Ghafoor |
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Year
2002's money-spinner Yeh Dil Aapka Huwa would be a hard act to follow.
And, who else but the maker of one of Pakistan's most successful films
ever - Jawed Sheikh - knows this better. Obviously weighed down by
a plethora of expectations, but also egged on by a strong ambition
to outdo himself in his next home production, Jawed launched Khulay
Aasman Kay Neechay a film that, he promised, would have "more
lavish songs", "grander sets" and a bigger cast (he
even famously spoke of getting Bipasha Basu or Gul Panag to do an
item number). It was to be Lollywood's first film that would be shot
in Australia and India.
This was late 2004. A still-radiant-with-(Yeh Dil Aapka Huwa's)-success
Jawed had just returned from India where he had recorded the music
of his new film at Mumbai's Empire Studios. "You know, this is
the studio where the music of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas and Aamir
Khan's Lagaan were recorded," he told this scribe, gushingly.
"I got Yogesh Pradhan to arrange songs for us. (Yogesh had arranged
the music of Devdas and, earlier, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam).
"We've used 50-plus violinists something which is an unheard-of
orchestra figure in Pakistan," he went on, "Besides, we
recorded with the best Bollywood singers, such as Sonu Nigam, Udit
Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sukhwindra and Shaan. I've spent a fortune on
music alone!"
He also rhapsodised over his coming-together with maestro (late) Amjad
Bobby. At that time, Jawed hadn't recorded 'Larki Mumbai Ki', a peppy
number that was added much later with an Indian composer. The original
soundtrack of the film had a techno track - rendered by Shaan on the
lines of 'It's the Time to Disco' - but it was never filmed. |
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Jawed's
eagerness to demonstrate his visual prowess had led him to use one
of the most expensive ARRI 3 - camera for Yeh Dil… that also
had the facility to shoot in sync-sound. For Khulay Aasman Kay Neechay
now popularly abbreviated as KAKN - he went one step ahead by opting
for ARRI 4.
For Yeh Dil… songs, Jawed had famously hired the services of
award-winning choreographer from India, Saroj Khan. This time over,
he wanted somebody more modern in his outlook. Enter Ganesh Acharya,
the podgy little man who flew in along with his well-trained troupe
of extras.
Jawed was not willing to compromise on the look of his lead actors.
Therefore, he chose top-league fashion designer Deepak Perwani to
helm the costumes |
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department.
Though, after designing a few outfits for Sana, Humayun Saeed and
Saleem Sheikh, Deepak rumouredly walked out of the project, making
way for Safina Behroze (also Jawed's sister). |
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A couple of months later, Jawed was ready to take his film on the
floors. The much-touted KAKN shoot began with the filming of a song-and-half
on the exotic sand dunes of Dubai. It included the highly expensive
aerial shots to be used in the melodious sad Sukhwindra ditty, 'Dil
Dey Toh Rabba Judai Na Dey'.
Later, of course, we know how the film was shot variously in Sydney,
Canberra and also in Mumbai's famous Film City studios. KAKN took
a long time in the making - five years, to be precise - during the
course of which Jawed was to complete work on his acting assignments
in Bollywood, too.
Jawed's vision of how to market a film is also unmatched in Lollywood.
Last month, the actor-turned-director held an elaborate launch of
KAKN's official website in a press meet at a local five-star. More
recently, he arranged two grand premieres of the film - in Lahore
and Karachi - that were attended by his lead actors - Sana, Saleem
Sheikh, Meera and Humayun Saeed - among others, looking every bit
a royalty.
But, eventually, it's the final product that would count. Unfortunately
for Jawed Sheikh, after watching KAKN, one can't squash the feeling
of being let-down or (shall one say?) short-changed. To put it like
it is, JS seems to have gone wrong.
To begin with, KAKN makes one strong 'technical' statement: If your
plot is unconvincing and dialogues are not quite relatable, no amount
of catchy, well-choreographed songs or 'slick' editing and quality
lab work - or even an impressive background score - can save your
film from biting the dust. KAKN suffers badly at the hands of the
scriptwriter (Babar Kashmiri) who shows that he is capable of creating
a few, 'effective' comic interludes. Just that. There's no way that
an average film viewer is going to feel for the characters (on screen)
some of whom might be enduring the worst pangs possible of unrequited
love or, even, the sudden death of a spouse. And, sure, our actors
are not to be blamed here; they can do precious little to help an
audience develop empathy for the cardboard characters that they
get to play. The problem lies essentially with the sketchy characterisation
and the predictable way in which the plot unfolds - not to forget,
the dialogues that are laden with clichés oh-so-typical of
Lollywood. A lot of words that the actors get to mouth sound redundant
and begin to annoy you. For instance, Sana's character (called Umeed)
imagining about his childhood 'fiancé' beckoning her to meet
him "khulay aasman kay neechay"; her glorious confession
to her lover, "Mein upar sey neechay tak pyar hoon!' - they
sound ridiculous. Add to it the fact that Meera's character must
occasionally break into ill-pronounced English language sentences
- well, because she's born and raised in Australia and you know
why the meant-to-be-serious effect of a scene might be completely
marred. It is interesting to note that veteran Badar Khalil's voice
should be dubbed over but not the lisping Meera's. Come on Sheikh
saab, these are little, little matters that could have raised the
level of the film if given your due critical attention.
Jawed's intentions (or, was it 'superstition'?) to repeat the writer
of his stupendously successful Yeh Dil… might be pure, but
he seems to have faltered this time over as Babar Kashmiri ends
up reducing to near-mockery a subject which is a serious social
issue in our part of the world - 'bachpan ki mangni'.
Sana's character - despite being central - is easily the most 'passive'
of the lot, and annoyingly so. She is like a pendulum that can swing
whichever way it is pushed. Strange that our otherwise well-upholstered,
always decked-out heroine should have to watch the action happen
from the sidelines. Jawed's pet heroine - she's worked in his productions
at least three times before - is made to look pretty and smart,
shed a tear or two, and even indulge her much younger cousins. She
appears to be completely housebound, and can also not look beyond
her childhood fiance (played by Saleem Sheikh). But, when the need
arises and the family demands her to marry another cousin of hers
(Humayun Saeed), she complies. Notwithstanding, KAKN remains a very
important film for Sana, since it projects her starry image in a
big way (barring a few, lame sequences). She also looks prettier
than Ma'am Meera who can pull off the song-and-dance routine but
little else.
Poor Humayun Saeed should also think twice before signing on a film
next time. KAKN wastes his talent to a degree that you are left
wondering if Humayun is cut out for the big screen at all.
The film appears to have been tailored to launch (read re-launch!)
Saleem Sheikh who gets to romance both the leading ladies, features
in the best of songs, and also sports an impressive repertoire of
jumpers and suits. To little avail. He looks too mature (read old)
to play a 'chocolate lover boy' - as they say.
KAKN has its share of comic moments, thanks to Ismail Tara - another
fixture in the JS camp.
The film's OST is no great shakes. Barring the title track and the
Sukhwindra number, most of the songs sound much of a muchness.
All is well that ends well, they say. But, when your climax is so
funny that it leaves an audience laughing out loud, that is unforgivable.
For an ambitious film maker of Jawed Sheikh's standing, we hope
and wish his next production will be free of all such glitches.
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