Daily Times

Asim Raza’s latest endeavour left me mesmerised. Let’s come to the point right away: Parey Hut Love is a spectacular film that matches international standards.

And it’s not merely a stunning looking film, it’s well-structured too. The sets, principal characters and performances are lavish and opulent. Everything is pristine, polished and newly minted. It’s a bright and breezy film designed for easy consumption; delivers solid romance and drama with a terrific climax. Let’s find out as to what factors make Parey Hut Love so special. Read on.

Refreshing Plot: The film follows Sheheryar Munawar playing (Sheheryar) a struggling actor, who walks the walk and does everything of what it takes to bag his ‘dream role’. He lives typical struggler-style in a nondescript building. Sheheryar meets Sania (Maya Ali) at a cousins wedding and love blooms soon after. The plot is set straight and is a reaffirmation that Raza is capable of accomplishing incredible results. The screenplay is focused; it piqued my interest and kept me involved, while the characters are well-etched and powerfully portrayed. In fact, the watertight screenplay is beautifully juxtaposed in the narrative.

The films opulence: Parey Hut Love is gorgeously lensed, with (Salman Razzak and Serkan Guller) cinematography capturing the colours, setting and emotions meticulously. Raza seamlessly weaves music in the contemporary tale of romance. Filmed with care, the songs by (Azaan Sami Khan) are mesmeric and have been choreographed by (Nigah Hussain) with precision. All the songs strike a chord and are mainly with the narrative. The background score is wonderful. Editing by Alam Azeemi is crisp. The apparels are lavishly designed by (Ismail Farid and Umar Sayeed). The film is backed considerably by razor-sharp dialogues by (Imran Aslam). In short, everything blends beautifully like a symphony.

‘Parey Hut Love’ is gorgeously lensed, with cinematography capturing the colours, setting and emotions meticulously. Raza seamlessly weaves music in the contemporary tale of romance. Filmed with care, the songs are mesmeric and have been choreographed by with precision

Sheheryar-Maya on screen chemistry: The director handles his performers with sensitivity and intelligence. Parey Hut Love is bolstered by strong performances; Sheheryar Munawar is stupendous and clearly in top form. He holds you attention right from the first frame. The effortlessness with which he gets into the character is noteworthy. Sheheryar doesn’t just play Sheheryar; he inhabits him. He is the lifeline, the strength of Parey Hut Love. It’s easily his career-best act, eclipsing his earlier works so far. Maya Ali proves yet again that she’s the go-to-girl for layered characters, and does a swell job of investing her heart into each frame. She is tremendous and her act gives depth and feeling to the character. I’d also like to add that the Sheheryar-Maya chemistry appears natural and striking.

Stellar supporting cast: Ahmed Ali Butt is instantly effective and owns every sequence he’s in. Zara Noor Abbas is fantastic. Nadeem Baig is first-rate. Hina Dilpazir is unforgettable. Munawar Alam Siddiqui is excellent. Shahbaz Shigri, Jimmy Khan, Parisheh James, Faheem Azam, Rachel Viccagi and Frieha Altaf enact their respective parts well. Mahira Khan may have not got much screen space, but even in that little time, she is a treat to watch. She delivers her dialogues with beautiful precision and fills her silent scenes with powerful emotion. My personal favourite though remains Hina Dilpazir who leaves her stamp all over the film as the hilarious Farida. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by all the stars that make fleeting cameos and Asim deserves special brownie points by utilizing them cleverly.

The Asim Factor: Parey Hut Love is Poetry in Motion; it’s that rare Pakistani film that deserves a repeat viewing just to savour its charm all over again. It’s is a remarkable cinematic experience that’s backed by proficient direction, spellbinding screenwriting and superlative acting. For Asim Raza, it’s certainly the best on his filmography. Parey Hut Love is not just body beautiful but, most importantly, it has soul too. The film is running to packed houses in cinemas globally; don’t miss the opportunity to watch a masterpiece made with sheer love and soul.

The writer is a freelance journalist. He can be reached at ozairmajeed00@gmail.com