As Pakistan cinema gains momentum, it seems there are several promising cinematic projects that will be on display in the year 2016. It’s also worth noting that with every passing year, the numbers of films releasing in a given year are on the rise as courageous new filmmakers emerge and delve into various genres, and find their own identity and evolve with time.

The year is opening with Asim Reza’s star-studded Ho Mann Jahaan which features new-age actors like Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain, Sheheryar Munawar, and Sonya Jehan alongside stalwarts like Bushra Ansari. And as we step into 2016, there is so much more on the cards from a diverse line-up of actors, directors, and storytellers. We take a close look…

Film: Dobara Phir Se
Cast: Adeel Hussain, Hareem Farooq, Sanam Saeed, Tooba Siddiqui, Atiqa Odho, Ali Kazmi, Shaz Khan and child-actor Moosa
Direction: Mehreen Jabbar
After making her big screen debut as a filmmaker with Ramchand Pakistani, Mehreen Jabbar, is back with a new project. Set in New York, the film, with a thrilling set of actors, centers upon themes of love and friendship. In conversation with Fairfield Citizen, local daily in Fairfield, New York, writer/co-producer Bilal Sami revealed that the film is a romantic drama about two Pakistani expatriates who live in New York, meet there and fall in love after which they take a road trip to upstate New York to visit the family.

In a recent interview with Instep, Hareem Farooq, who stars in the film, described it as a "very sweet love story, about friendships and growing relationships."

Film: Yalghaar
Cast: Shaan Shahid, Humayun Saeed, Ayub Khoso, Adnan Siddiqui, Bilal Ashraf, Umair Jaswal, Sana Bucha, Ayesha Omar and Sikander Rizvi.
Direction: Dr. Hassan Waqas Rana
Touted as the one of the most expensive films to be made in Pakistan, Yalghaar is directed by Hassan Waqas Rana of Waar fame, who taps into a personal story from North Waziristan for the film.

Two of Pakistan’s biggest actors, Shaan Shahid and Humayun Saeed will face-off on the big screen for the first time while anchor Sana Bucha and singer Umair Jaswal will be making their big screen debuts.

Bilal Ashraf, who stars in the film in a pivotal, told Instep, in a recent interview: "It’s a complete high-octane action film based on the true story of a military operation in Swat. Amidst the action, Yalghaar goes up close to follow the lives of the young, passionate officers and soldiers whose patriotism is throbbing with every heartbeat for their country. The film is very comprehensive in the sense that it touches upon the human element apart from bringing the whole war-based action to life on screen."

Film: Maalik
Cast: Sajid Hassan, Farhan Agha, Hassan Niazi, Sabreen Baloch, Adnan Shah and Ashir Azeem
Direction: Ashir Azeem
Actor-director steps in to filmmaking with his debut film Maalik. Set against the backdrop of a kidnapping case, the film is supposed to be an edgy political thriller that is set to make its presence felt across cinemas in April.

Talking to Instep, Azeem says about the film: "Essentially, Maalik is about taking ownership - ownership of your life, of your problems, of your family, and, of your country. It’s about empowering the citizen; they are the owners of their lives after all."

Film:  Downward Dog
Cast: Sajid Hassan, Joshinder Chaggar, Nayyer Ejaz, Ali Sheikh
Direction: Jami
The man behind Moor, Jami, makes a comeback later this year with Downward Dog - a noir film, set in a distant, dystopian Karachi universe and is, believe it or not, about ghost writers. Despite the title, the film is mostly in the Urdu language.

"The movie is set in the past and the future, it’s about dystopian Karachi in 2020-2022," Jami told Instep in a recent conversation.

"The movie is niche; it’s for niche audience. I might not even release it here but in festival circuit or abroad maybe. The audience should expect a very dark, psychotic thriller which is about the future of Pakistan. We are like this because our past is screwed up. So, it’s a complex and a dark story."

Considering Jami’s previous offering, we can hardly wait and hope that it finds a space in local cinemas as well.

Film: Arth 2
Cast: Shaan Shahid, Mohib Mirza, Humaima Malick, Uzma Hassan
Direction: Shaan Shahid
A remake of the Hindi film Arth (1982) by Mahesh Bhatt, Arth 2 is written and directed by Shaan Shahid who is stepping away from war dramas for this particular romantic saga. After several delays owing to the cast and copyright issues, the film went on floors recently in Lahore and will serve as a nice change of pace for both audiences and its cast.

Film: Bachaana
Cast: Sanam Saeed, Mohib Mirza, Adeel Hashmi
Direction: Nasir Khan
Nasir Khan’s debut directorial project Bachaana is a romantic thriller that is slated to hit theatres this February. Shot in Mauritius as well as other locations including Pakistan, the film is a light-hearted tale that focuses on the journey of its lead characters: a simple Indian girl named Alia (Sanam Saeed) who is forced by circumstances to put her faith in a stranger. The stranger in question is a Pakistani taxi driver named Vicky, played by Mohib Mirza.

Film: Two + Two
Cast: Urwa Hocane, Bilal Ashraf, Saleem Mairaj, Ali Azmat, Babra Sharif, Mustafa Qureshi
Direction: Shahid Shafqat
Shahid Shafqat’s directorial debut, set for a March release, brings back Babra Sharif on the big screen and also features veteran actor Mustafa Qureshi as Ali Azmat’s father. With an "anti-item song" featuring Ayesha Omar, the film is billed as a fast-paced comedy that will, in all likelihood, tickle your funny bones.

Actor Bilal Ashraf, who is essaying the role of a doctor in the film, told Instep, "It’s like a roller coaster ride. It is a faced-paced comedy that is based on a one-day story of four different people who are interconnected to one another. The comic element arises out of the situation -and not actual jokes – that is being created and how the characters react to it."

Film: Janaan
Cast: Armeena Khan, Bilal Ashraf and Ali Rehman Khan
Direction: Azfar Jafri
Written by Osman Khalid Butt and co-produced by Reham Khan and Imran Kazmi under production banner IRK Films, Janaan takes place in Swat and other Northern areas of Pakistan and is billed as a rom-com.

Bilal Ashraf describes the film as a complete family film that has action, romance and comedy to offer.  "It’s about a Pathan family from Swat. The film portrays Pathans in a very different light and not in a stereotypical manner," confesses Bilal, who will appear in several films this year.

Notable others
Other films on the cards include Farooq Mengal’s Hijrat, Anjum Shajzad’s Mah-e-Meer, which is based on the life of well-known poet, Mir Taqi Mir and stars Fahad Mustafa, Iman Ali, Alyy Khan, Sanam Saeed and Manzar Sehbai in lead roles.

Hamza Ali Abbasi’s first directorial venture Kambakht, an action-comedy with an ensemble cast that features Humayun Saeed, Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui, Sohai Ali Abro, Saba Qamar and Hamza himself is also in the pipeline though a release date is unclear at this point.   Danish Taimoor starrer Zeher-e-Ishq is also scheduled to appear later this year.

Other cinematic projects, currently in the pipeline include Imran Abbas starrer Abdullah,  Khwab aik Haqeeqat by Shahid Nizami, Mausam by Sahir Lodhi, Saya-e-Khuda-e-Zuljalal by Umair Fazil, Dance Kahani by Syed Omar, 8969 by Azeem Sajjad, Gidh by JAR Production, Raw- The Covert War by Shehzad Nawaz, Sayyan by Faisal Abbas, Ishq 2020 by Najaf Bilgarami, Ishq Positive by Noor Bukhari, Saawan by Farhan Alam, Revenge of the Worthless by Jamal Shah, and Quetta by Murtaza Chaudary.