It is rare to find a filmmaker as extraordinary as Jami. His work as music video director is exemplary and made special by a vast array of arresting narratives that only he could’ve produced.  Be it the metallic ‘Deewana’ for Ali Azmat, the gender-bender ‘Dhaani’ for Strings or the most recent, ‘Dekha Dey Rang Apna’ for Sara Haider, each video has its own colour and shade.

For these reasons and more, Jami’s entry into the world of cinema brought with it a hope that the revival, at least some of it, was in safe hands. Though the last few years has seen the rise of several filmmakers, each looking to leave his own individual mark on cinema itself, only Jami has managed to truly leave an indelible mark with the underrated Moor. Envisioned years before it was made and released, the film – set against the backdrop of deteriorating railway system in the province of Balochistan – remains a work of art as well as a brilliant commentary on loving a country that won’t love you back. Add that to the film’s remarkable visuals, gorgeous soundtrack (courtesy of Strings) and unforgettable, haunting performances from the likes of Hameed Sheikh, Samiya Mumtaz and Shaz Khan and you had a film that was and still remains superior to many others who may have minted big bucks on the box office but offered nothing more than a superficial high.

Not surprisingly, the journey of Moor led the film to Busan International Film Festival last October and was also Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars in the foreign-language film category at the 88th Academy Awards.

In a telephonic interview with Instep, director Jamshed Mahmood Raza aka Jami reflects on Moor and the rhetoric facing the artist community these days…

Instep: Cross-border tension between India and Pakistan has led to a bizarre cultural shift. In India, Pakistani artists have been banned by the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) while Bollywood films have been banned here at home. What do you make of this situation?

Jami: Honestly, I’m anti-ban. I don’t support bans on anything. We’ve placed bans on Bollywood before and consequently for decades, the film industry languished in abysmal conditions. The ban on Pakistani artists is frankly below the belt. What does Fawad Khan or Mahira Khan have to do with Kashmir?

The response from Pakistan has this kamikaze approach and is a direct repercussion of the ban placed in India on artists from Pakistan. In the grand scheme of things, it is suicidal because the business of cinema will suffer. India can afford to lose out on money they make from the screening of Indian films in Pakistan but we can’t. The loss will hurt us a lot more than it will hurt them but banning Pakistani artists demanded some kind of reaction and this will hurt Pakistani cinema a lot but it’s very commendable in a way as cinema owners are putting honour first, ahead of money.

For years, before this revival gained momentum, Pakistani cinemas relied heavily on Indian films. With more cinemas being made across different territories, the impact of this ban will be far-reaching. Attacking Pakistani artist because they don’t condemn terrorism is also unfair. Of course we condemn terrorism. Who is more affected by the menace of terrorism than us? Every day there is an incident, a bomb blast. What more should we say and how often?

Instep: With Bollywood content dwindling out of cinemas, Pakistani films, not just recent releases like Actor In Law and Janaan but also earlier productions are hopefully making their way back to cinemas. How do you view the possibility of Moor and perhaps even 021’s possible return to local cinemas?

Jami: It’s ironic but also fantastic as it was thrown out of Capri and Bambino and now will be back after two years. With 021, there is this misconception that it was Waar 2 which it wasn’t nor was it just about Shaan (Shahid). The film was about Afghanistan and Ayub Khoso was the star of the vehicle.

As for Moor, the film, when it was released in cinemas, was given obscure placement. I mean instead of a prime time show, the film was being screened at 10 or 11 am when people are at work. So hopefully, this time around, the placement will be better and will allow more people to see it.

Instep: Tell us a bit about Moor’s ongoing journey…

Jami: A deal with AMC (cable channel) is in its final stages which means Moor will be screened in 41 countries including the United States, Eastern Europe and other locales. That is phase one. Phase 2 will see the film release in other territories.

Instep: Moor will also make its presence felt at Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival. How did that happen?

Jami: We were invited which is different than when one submits a film. They’ve seen the film and think it is up to their standard and so it will be screened during the festival which takes place next month (November 25th to 27th).

Instep: ‘Rawan’ remains an exceptional video despite having a corporate backing. What was the whole experience like?

Jami: Telenor came to us with a basic concept upon which we expanded the idea. It’s about looking for the soul of Pakistan. The whole project took four months. We shot for 23 days, the edit and post took two months plus the time we spent on scouting locations. There is a dark, spiritual quality to it and we wanted to make sure that visually, it looks international.