Crime thrillers ‘Raees’ and ‘Mom’ did create waves at the box office, not just in India and Pakistan but all over the world too. ‘Mom’ went on to garner critical acclaim in Russia as well and ‘Raees’ was 2017’s most YouTubed film. Mahira Khan and Sajal Ali’s performances were met with immense appreciation and applause in their home countries and it is because of their unparalleled performances in these films, that has earned them a position of prominence in Pakistan. However, something equally noteworthy occurred last year when the eagerly awaited comedy drama ‘Hindi Medium’ was released. It not just starred award-winning actor Irfan Khan but also our very own ‘Baaghi’ girl Saba Qamar. Saba Qamar’s performance was considered groundbreaking and stellar by everyone who watched it. The film collected Rs 2.81 crore on its opening day and became the highest solo opener. Qamar’s performance outshone Shradda Kapoor’s, whose film also released the same day. After one week the film had collected Rs 25.21 crore at the box. It became the seventh highest grosser in two weeks. The film grossed $2 million with a worldwide total of around Rs 102.71 crore and emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office. As for Qamar, she bagged a total of three distinct nominations, namely Most Promising Newcomer at the Screen Awards, Breakthrough Performance of the Year at the Masala Awards and a nomination for Best Actress at the upcoming prestigious Filmfare Awards. Here’s wishing the actress all the best! Her character Meeta was memorable and since there are talks of a sequel, we can hardly wait. The coveted Filmfare Awards will take place tomorrow (Saturday). Published in Daily Times, January 19th 2018.