Daily Times

The multitalented icon Yasir Akhtar makes his astounding presence felt on our screens in the last week of May, 2020. The filmmaker, singer, actor, director an producer released Azaad which debuted on our TV screens, becoming the first major film to be released on the ‘new’ platform. Not only did it break the jinx of ‘No Film 2020’ but also introduced a new lot of actors who might make a name for themselves in the coming years. Don’t worry if you missed the TV premiere of Azaad, it is available on all the major online platforms and receiving rave reviews.

What made Yasir Akhtar one of the best directors is his ability to work create productions which are not run of the mill and high in quality, Akhtar never joined the rat race. Most of his productions in the past have been ahead of their times. Be it trendsetting productions like Music Channel Charts, French Toast, Tapal Cinema, Jayen Kahan Armaan, Mera Ghar Aik Whirlpool, Sard Aag and more. In ‘Azaad’ he has infused elements such as love, tragedy, mystery and thrill, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the two-hour run. Add to that the family values, the appropriate background score. The film transports you away from the usual love triangles on most of the channels presently. We used to be more patriotic back in the day, and this film tells us that it is never late to return to the roots.

Many Pakistanis migrated to England for a better future like the family shown in this film and due to their hard work became respectable citizens. Azaad is the story of such expatriates who live in the United Kingdom but Pakistan remains in their heart. Parveen Akbar’s Mehru, Yasir Akhtar’s Aazer, Gagan Chopra’s Ayzad, and Momal Sheikh’s Yasmin, most of the characters are shown as people who love both their countries and want to be associated with everything that’s Pakistani. The younger brother does steer away from the path of righteousness but recovers.

What made Yasir Akhtar one of the best directors is his ability to work create productions which are not run of the mill and high in quality, Akhtar never joined the rat race

Yasir Akhtar must thank his ‘stars’ for he got the best people for the job including the leading lady Momal Sheikh, the eternal mother Parveen Akbar and newcomers Gagan Chopra, Imran Ali Asad and Hira Tahseen. The best part of the film was the performance of Parveen Akbar who carried herself with dignity, and maintained her control over her household. Be it the scene where she cries while praying or when she meets her husband’s killer, she doesn’t deviate from her character and keeps the audience engrossed. The evergreen Yasir Akhtar plays her elder son who never strays away from his ‘good image’, giving respect to both his mother and neighbour Momal Sheikh. This film shows that Momal is a powerhouse of talent who should be acting in more films like ‘Azaad’. She made her film debut with a Bollywood film, she needs to take the giant step and follow her father Jawed Sheikh into the film industry. Debutant Gagan Chopra got better with time and by the second half, he was impressing all with his powerful acting; same goes for the main antagonist played by Imran Ali Asad who showed promise and might do well if he decides to visit Pakistan. The doe-eyed Hira Tahseen might have been used as eye candy but there was a thought behind her character, and you have to watch the film to get the hint.

Azaad seems to have also been inspired by the news that revolves around us in Pakistan. Topics such as money laundering, drugs, kidnapping, murder, and property scams are rarely touched in the fairyland of Pakistani cinema where romance is the epicentre of everything. With beautiful cinematography by Hayat Khan featuring stunning locations from various parts of Great Britain, Azaad comes out as a step up for Pakistani content. The song ‘Saiyaan’ played an integral part in the movie that had a proper background score, something missing in our films. Kudos to Aabid Omer for handing the background music and credits must be given to writer Roommy Zahid for thinking out of the box. Without him, and the support of Executive Producer Lubna Akhtar, Yasir Akhtar might have produced a run-of-the-mill flick that would have come and gone without making an impression.

At a time when the pandemic has put a stop on TV and Film Production, Yasir Akhtar’s Azaad gave the filmmakers of Pakistan something to think about. By producing a Film in the United Kingdom with mostly British Asian Cast and Crew, and airing it on one of the local channels, the super talented actor, director, and producer has given a direction to the many filmmakers back home. Those who were wondering what to do with their projects that have been hit by the pandemic, well they don’t have to wait for cinemas to re-open anymore. They can make TV their new cinema and who knows, it might become the new thing until pandemic subsides.

This is not the first time Yasir Akhtar has set a trend in motion; he was the first person to direct and produce the first ever pop chart show of Pakistan Music Channel Charts. Yasir Akhtar’s other trendsetting projects in the past are French Toast, Mera Ghar Aik Whirpool, Jayen Kahan Armaan, Sard Aag and Laahasil. Akhtar launched the careers of Fakhr-e-Alam, Shehzad Roy, Najam Sheraz, Komal Rizvi, Nadeem Jafri, Fringe Benefits, Zara Sheikh, Armeena Rana Khan, Tooba Siddiqui, Nida Yasir and more. Akhtar is Pakistan’s first ever director and producer to launch the concept of musical telefilms in which he gave big breaks to Humayun Saeed, Shamoon Abbasi, Javeria Abbasi, Zubair Abbasi through his telefilms. In the recent years, he has affiliated with artists like Apache Indian, Sahara, Stereo Nation and have been continuously engaged on many productions. Akhtar also started the tradition of Pakistan Parade in the United Kingdom in 2004 with the help of Pakistan High Commission. Besides that he has been producing productions for leading companies and organizations like Unilever, Phillips, Mobilink, Tapal Tea, English Biscuits, Pepsi, Jazz, Lipton, Gillette, NHS, Manchester City Council, Brook Bond Supreme and many more. Let’s hope Akhtar continues to produce more such quality stuff in the future, keeping our TV screens alive and raising the bar with every new film and projects.