Daily Times

Bee Gul, the afsaana nigaar of Pakistani drama industry as I like to call her, has managed to keep her intellect and aestheticism intact even after having spent nine years in an industry driven by commercialism and is now presenting her second art film after “Lal o Lal.com”.

This film is to be directed by the veteran actress and director, Sakina Samo who also played a character penned by Bee Gul for her award-winning serial, “Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila” in a manner unparalleled. The finesse with which she enunciated each and every word is hardly found in the spoken Urdu of any actor of the modern times. While “Intizaar”, as the title of the film goes, is written by Bee Gul and directed by Sakina Samo, its production also lies in the hands of the latter, who has been assisted, however, by Azeem Mughal in it. It seems as if the director’s passion for creativity did not let her wait for the industry to develop a refined taste first, but drove her into managing its budgeting herself. Daily Times caught up with the writer of the film, Bee Gul and asked her a few questions, which are as follows:

Whose idea was it to make this film? Yours or Sakina Samo’s?

It was Sakina Samo’s idea. She came to me and told me that she wishes to make a film. She had the specific theme in mind, keeping which in view I wrote the script.

The cast includes Samina Ahmed, Khalid Ahmed, Adnan Jaffer, Kaif Ghaznavi and Ali Raza Abid Khaki. The story is short and simple, mainly revolving around the characters of Khalid Ahmed, Samina Ahmed and Kaif Ghaznavi

Sakina Samo marvellously played a character written by you. How much faith do you have in her as a director?

My first professional interaction with Sakina Samo was as a director, and not as an actor. My very first script “Kaun Qamar Aara” was directed by Sakina for which both of us received awards. She won the best director award and I the best writer award. Till date, I believe that she did a great job with “Kaun Qamar Aara”, the script of which was quite difficult. I like the simplicity in her style of direction. She does not complicate things without purpose. I have complete faith in her direction, although I have not been following her other directorial works and have no idea of her place as a director in the industry. But I have seen her doing my script in an artistic yet a subtle manner, and that is what keeps my confidence alive in her.

The title of the film is ‘Intizaar’. What kind of a longing will it be; of some person, of something, or of good times?

It is not a longing of a specific kind. It can be of all three things that you mentioned. All the characters, despite being connected to each other and belonging to a single place, yearn for something on an individual level. I also believe that for every viewer who will watch it, it will create a longing; a longing to see what will happen and where will the characters eventually go. It was while I was writing the script that I felt that even the viewer will grow involved in the film and wait for things to take certain turns; be they in any direction.

Who are the cast members?

The cast includes Samina Ahmed, Khalid Ahmed, Adnan Jaffer, Kaif Ghaznavi and Ali Raza Abid Khaki. The story is short and simple, mainly revolving around the characters of Khalid Ahmed, Samina Ahmed and Kaif Ghaznavi.

Pakistanis often remain deprived of art films. What plans have you made to make this film readily accessible to the viewers and not a whole year after it has been released?

That plan does not lie with me. My role was of a writer only who penned down the script and handed it over to the director. But I would say, as I always do, that our distributors do need to make a space for parallel films and encourage their promotion by giving them proper time and screenings. A market for such films does not even exist. We have already lost a market for classical drama whereas in the case of artistic films, a niche hasn’t even been created yet. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything as a writer but I have seen Sakina Samo doing things and I hope that she is able to fight and make the film get a screening in Pakistan.

When are we expecting the film?

We are not expecting it before January in any case.

Should we look forward to music in the film? If yes, then what kind?

There is only one song in the film, for at no point in the narrative were the characters in a mood to sing songs. But there is a background score which is a fusion of modern and traditional music.

Bee Gul is of the view that the film, owing to lack of budget, might come with some loopholes but it’s very making will give a start to the creation of films low in budget, but rich in their ability to connect with the people of this part of the world and tell their stories. “People usually do not consider such films entertaining, but entertainment never means that illogical and meaningless content be produced. Anything that touches you, that stimulates you to reflect and stays with you for even a few hours can be considered entertaining,” says the writer.

The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com