Eid ul Fitr 2019, which is just two days away, will see the release of two local films including Wajahat Rauf’s Chhalawa and Yasir Nawaz’s Wrong No. 2 - both romantic comedies. Chhalawa features Mehwish Hayat, Zara Noor Abbas, Azfar Rehman and Asad Siddiqui in key roles while Sami Khan and Neelam Muneer will be sharing screen space in Wrong No 2. Director of the film, Yasir Nawaz will also act in the film alongside Mehmood Aslam, Jawed Sheikh, Shafqat Cheema and Danish Nawaz.
Wrong No 2 is releasing in Pakistan on Eid ul Fitr while it will also be releasing in the Middle East, Canada, Saudi Arabia as well as the UK at the same time. The film will also be releasing in India under Eros International, which is an Indian and UK based company. "They previewed our film first and then agreed to release it in India alongside Salman Khan starrer Bharat, which is releasing on June 5, 2019," revealed co-producer of the film, Hassan Zia during the meet and greet event in Karachi.
Instep recently spoke to the team of Wrong No. 2 in Karachi and got some valuable insight into the film. The director shared that the film has nothing to do with the plot and characters from Wrong No. and it is just a banner under which they are releasing a second film. "The story and characters in Wrong No. 2 are entirely different from the first film," he informed.
Presented by YNH films and Distribution Club in collaboration with Geo Films, Wrong No. 2 is co-produced by Sheikh Amjad Rasheed of IMGC. A situational comedy of sorts, the film promises to be a hilarious roller coaster ride. Here’s what the cast had to say about the film…
Family entertainer
Director Yasir Nawaz shared that he has focused on comedy more than romance in Wrong No 2. "It’s a complete family entertainer," he said. "I want people to come to cinemas and laugh their hearts out this Eid. I feel our audience wants to be entertained and I am sure they will enjoy it," adding that there is no social message - subtle or otherwise - in the film, as there was in Mehrunnisa V Lub You.
Sami Khan, who is essaying the lead role in the film reinforced that Wrong No. 2 is a full masala, entertaining film. "It is good family entertainment and the best part about it is that it’s a situational comedy," he said. Neelam Muneer, who plays his leading lady, added, "It is a family film; there are child artists in the film as well so children will also like it. There is a community and it’s all very relatable for viewers."
Regional comedy
"Wrong No. 2 is a pure Pakistani comedy film; it’s dialogues, comedy, acting, characters and screenplay is not inspired from any Bollywood film," Yasir Nawaz asserted, adding that this is the film’s USP. "I feel we are better at understanding comedy than creating it and there are many who enjoy it. Our people have been exposed to Umer Shareef, Munawar Zarif and Lehri sahab so they are quite mature in terms of digesting comedy. We can’t fool them with mindless comedy."
Interesting characters
If we look at the cast of Wrong No. 2, there is not one but many actors who have been taking up comic roles for years and are pretty good at it. The list includes Mehmood Aslam, Jawed Sheikh, Shafqat Cheema and Danish Nawaz, who is relatively newer than the rest of the cast.
"There are multiple tracks featuring very interesting characters, essayed by both veteran and new-age actors," shared veteran actor Mehmood Aslam. "Everyone has worked really well; I have seen some glimpses from the film. Whether it is a big or a small role, viewers will enjoy watching all of these characters. Everyone has their own interesting tracks that are knitted altogether."
He also maintained that the Pashtun background/ accent of the characters essayed by him and Jawed Sheikh is a hilarious angle in the film.
Sami Khan in a comic role
We have seen Sami Khan in numerous TV roles, from that of a selfish, abusive lover (Khudgarz), to a possessive fiance (Inkaar) to a romantic hero who loses his love interest in multiple plays. While he is playing an angry young man in Inkaar and is gearing up for another serious TV role in Ishq Zah e Naseeb that will go on-air post Eid ul Fitr, we will see him in a comic role in Wrong No. 2.
"The genre of comedy is hardly explored on television so people will see Sami Khan in a comic role, on a lighter note," Sami Khan told Instep. "He is not crying on losing a loved one, he is not a devdas in this one but is more like a normal guy who loves someone honestly."
"As an actor I’m comfortable in doing something different if my director wants me to. It is a different attempt in terms of my character and it was a good experience for me," he added.
Neelam Muneer as the brave Zoya
After essaying a strong, though not very likeable character in last year’s acclaimed TV project Dil Mom Ka Diya (for which she has been nominated at the LSA 2019), Neelam is again in the spotlight for her upcoming film Wrong No. 2. When asked what her role is like and whether it is just restricted to eye candy, she responded, "There is a lot my character offers in the film; Zoya is very naughty but is also very sensible. When her father takes a decision for her marriage, she agrees to that just to test the guy she is in love with. She is very practical but also values her family at the same time."