Daily Times

Yasir Hussain and Ayesha Omar have shared what made them sign up for the film on Pakistan’s worst known serial killer despite the many challenges that came with the project and the small production house behind it.

Javed Iqbal: The Utold Story of a Serial Killer premiered in Karachi on Monday. It is slated for release in cinemas on January 28, 2022. Javed Iqbal, directed by filmmaker and writer Abu Aleeha, is one of the highly anticipated films of the year. It has been making news since the first look from the film was released in September, showing Yasir bearing an uncanny resemblance to Javed Iqbal. Ayesha Omar and Paras Masroor are playing police officers investigating the serial killer.

“All three of us are really fortunate that we got to be part of this project,” Yasir Hussain said on morning show Naya Din. “Because it is different from the kind of films that are generally made in Pakistan. When the film came to me, I just heard the script a little and quickly said yes.”

Yasir revealed that it was not the first time he was offered the role of Javed Iqbal. Earlier offered came from different people but the projects he had been roped in for fell through one after the other. When Yasir was offered the role for the third time by Abu Aleeha, he thought this project would meet the same fate.

“I said yes to the film all the same,” said Yasir. “But Abu Aleeha made it. The character was really difficult, but when you have actors such as these with you, the action is much stronger.”

Ayesha, when asked if she is selective when it comes to films, said that she’s not picky at all.

“I decide very quickly,” Ayesha laughed. “And this had led to many wrong decisions in my career. But when this character came to me, I decided to do it within a minute.”

Ayesha added that she was travelling when she was offered the role and couldn’t make much of it from the voice notes shared with her by the filmmakers. When she returned to Pakistan, however, and the makers read the script to her, she immediately agreed to do the film.

“I thought, after meeting the director and producer, that they knew what they were doing,” Ayesha said. “They knew how every shot was going to be executed. When you’re working with a big banner you know they will have resources and they will do it, but it’s a real risk when you work with houses that are short on resources.” Paras Masroor believes Javed Iqbal will succeed because it is based on the truth.

“The best thing about this project was that everyone, from director and producer to even the technical crew, was very positive,” Paras said. “The story will reach people because it has truth, and a lot of research has gone into the script. This film will definitely do something exciting.”

Javed Iqbal is based on Abu Aleeha’s book Kukri. The filmmaker earlier confirmed that shooting for the second part of the film will begin in February.

WHO WAS JAVED IQBAL? — in December 1999, Javed Iqbal surrendered at the office of an Urdu daily newspaper and confessed to have murdered 100 boys. He was infamous for delivering details of his crimes to the authorities along with evidence, including photos of the victims. Several bags with children’s clothes and shoes were recovered from the house where he disposed of the bodies in barrels of acid. Javed was found dead in his prison cell in October 2001.