CineFocus
Zinda Bhaag duo Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur gear up for their second feature film with an all-star cast.
Having made a splash with their critically acclaimed debut film, Zinda Bhaag in 2013, filmmaking duo of Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur are gearing up to come back with their second feature film called Jeewan Hathi, this year. Dubbed as a black comedy, the film takes into account media’s never-ending obsession with the ratings game.
“This thriller/comedy movie is an attempt by our team to entertain the audience.” said co-director Meenu Gaur in a press statement. “We hope that the people who visit the cinema would enjoy every bit of the movie. We have worked really hard on the movie and the credit goes to our entire team.”
The official trailer of the film, released recently, paints a promising picture. It tells the story of a loving, lower middle class, married couple (played by TV actors Kiran Tabeer and Fawad Khan - not the Humsafar heartthrob) and the wife’s obsession with morning shows. On one end is the morning show crew and their inane battle for fame and glory while on the other end is this couple that becomes a part of the rat-race after they decide to appear in one of the shows in a bid to win a gigantic flat screen TV. Consequently, their marriage suffers while the channel resorts to dirty tricks in its desire to stay on top of the game.
Jeewan Hathi, the second feature film by Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur, is a black comedy of sorts.
Aside from Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah, the film’s colorful cast includes notable actors like Hina Dilpazeer of Bulbulay fame, Samiya Mumtaz (who is still fresh in our memory thanks to her outstanding performance in the recently concluded drama serial Udaari ) and Adnan Jaffar.
The project is one of the 12 films that were made under Zee Network’s Zeal for Unity initiative in which 12 filmmakers – 6 from Pakistan and 6 from India - showcased their films at various international film festivals. Other films from Pakistan include Mehreen Jabbar’s Lala Begum, Siraj-ul- Haque’s Mohabbat Ki Aakhri Kahaani, Shahbaz Sumar’s Khaemae Mein Matt Jhankain, Sabiha Sumar’s Chotay Shah and Khalid Ahmed’s Laloolal.com.
Coming back to Jeewan Hathi, the film is written by Faseeh Bari Khan and has been shot entirely in Karachi. It was also selected to be presented at the London Indian Film Festival, MISAFF Toronto Film Festival, and Jagran Film Festival, this year.
The film is expected to come out on November 4 across Pakistan and we do wonder about its future since it stars Bollywood’s Naseeruddin Shah.