The film’s recently released trailer packs quite a punch and is targeted at viewers of all age groups.
After Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor that released earlier this year, Pakistani animation feature The Donkey King is all set to hit cinemas on October 13. The recently released trailer of the film looks promising with action, adventure, humour and a positive message at the heart of it.
The Donkey King follows the life of a donkey, named Mangu, who by chance becomes the king of Azad Nagar. Initially hesitant to take the position, he later on decides to fulfill the responsibilities and serve his people with all honesty. However, his enemies, who realize that they made a mistake by making him king, put hurdles his way and make the journey difficult for him. Whether Mangu, despite being a donkey, rises to be a true king or not will be known once the film releases.
The Donkey King is brainchild of Aziz Jindani, the man behind Pakistan’s first superhero, Commander Safeguard, and it looks like ‘a fun film for all ages’ as its tagline reads.
Speaking of the idea and the message that the film aims to convey, Jindani shares, “The Donkey King is an attempt to leap frog Pakistani films in general and animated films in particular. The film indeed speaks to the children but continuously winks at the adults. We have been deliberate to not get straitjacketed by the stereotype of ‘what an animated film is expected to be’. In just under 105 minutes of runtime The Donkey King packs in a kaleidoscopic cinematic experience. It will make you laugh, will leave you moist eyes at places, will get you at the edge of your seat with suspense, thrill and above all deliver a meaningful message that will inspire children at heart to dream big and discover their full potential.”
There is an ensemble and diverse lineup of voice artists attached to the project including Jan Rambo, Hina Dilpazir, Jawed Sheikh, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Erfan Khoosat, Ismail Tara, Mani, Adeel Hashmi, Irfan Malik, Ali Hassan, Faisal Qureshi, Ahsan Rahim, Shabbir Jan and Shafaat Ali. The songs, including the title track, ‘Donkey Raja’ have been composed by Shuja Haider, Shani Arshad, Asrar and Majid Raza while the background score is recorded with live orchestra at the Budapest Film orchestra, a first for any Pakistani film.
