On Board With The Team And Cast Behind Parwaaz Hai Junoon

One of the most highly anticipated films landing into cinemas this year is Parwaaz Hai Junoon, a tribute to the Pakistan Air Force and a look into the lives of its cadets. Directed by Haseeb Hassan from a screenplay by the renowned author Farhat Ishtiaq, the film’s flight plan covers a worldwide release. GLOSS got the opportunity to taxi into an event in Dubai to chat with the captain and his star crew about the making of the film, life with PAF cadets and the bearing that Pakistan’s arts and culture are set on.

The subject of the film is not an easy one to deal with. How did this come about?

Momina Duraid: Farhat Ishtiaq is a brilliant mind and she puts her heart and soul into her work. She is the only writer in the industry who works on one project at a time, even if it takes her a year, and we anticipate each one because we know she is capable of penning wonders.

Shaz Khan: The duo, Farhat Ishtiaq and Momina, is so strong, and this is what I would want to be as a storyteller. I was so inspired and impressed by this team as they have given major hits to the industry like Zindagi Gulzar Hair, Dayar E Dil, Udaari, and so many more. This is what a good cinema needs, a good script, and I am super proud to be part of such a project.

How did this film experience change you all?

Hamza Ali Abbasi: I have always been in love with my country and the armed forces, but this movie instilled a newfound, extremely strong sense of respect for our armed forces. We saw their work and despite being a part of a struggling economy and working with a limited budget, their work is just amazing. We have one of the best-armed forces and they’re working some of the best equipment and fighter planes in the world.

Shaz Khan: I worked in New York and other parts of the States in independent features, and one of the things I noticed in my work was that I was used to a subtler style of work, I didn’t appreciate the eastern style of filmmaking as much. I think now more than ever I am inspired by the stories we tell in Pakistani cinema because there is so much joy and good feeling, along with the craft, so to me, this is a sudden shift in my own perception of what filmmaking and cinema can be.

Ahad Raza Mir: Whenever I do a role, be it film, TV or stage, I always take something away from the experience. A part of it stays with you even though you must kill the character in the end, so you can move on to another role. After spending so much time with the cadets and seeing what it takes to be part of the forces, what I have taken away is discipline in all aspects of life because I had never seen this level of discipline. Speaking a certain way, looking a certain way, waking up on time every morning, and being so consistent on a day to day basis is so admirable. I have mentioned this before and I don’t like mentioning this but as actors we tend to complain, like it’s too hot, it’s too cold, we’re hungry, we speak up, but we had these cadets who shot with us in the film and not once did they complain, not once did they flinch or say they are uncomfortable. So, discipline is what I have taken away and I hope it stays with me for the long run.

Hania Aamir: As we spent a lot of time with the cadets, I learnt the value of the uniform from them. The effort that goes behind to earn the uniform and the sacrifices you must make, being away from the family and a comfortable life, perhaps I did not understand it entirely until I saw it all myself. I met these amazing cadets who had immense love for their country and that’s all they talked about. I was so inspired.

This film somehow runs a parallel of the renaissance we are seeing in Pakistan today. Do you think the parallel energy that we are seeing in Pakistan, this film will ride that wave as well with the change that is sweeping across the country?

Hamza Ali Abbasi: This wave of the revival of cinema started years ago. Our cinema was great in the 60s and 70s. Then 80s onwards things went downhill until the 2010s. The dramas are kind of localized, film is something you can take to the world, but right now, there is a tremendous sense of positivity in Pakistan, not just in cinema but in every sector. There is an optimism to be good, to do better. If you are a journalist, you want to be a great journalist, and with the film industry, we’re all looking to give our very best. Hopefully, in the next five years, we will see the manifestation of all the positivity.

Shaz Khan: Art reflects life. When you speak to young actors and filmmakers, there is so much inspiration in these kids, so much work is still in the pipeline. Now the question is who will bring these stories to light? I personally feel this change in Pakistan will support the youth in completing the stories that live in their minds, to bring them on the big and small screens. There is a lot of creative energy in the country at the moment which I think will be a big help for the industry to flourish.

Ahad Raza Mir: I think Parwaaz Hai Junoon is a very important film for the young generation and every Pakistani in Pakistan and abroad as well should watch it. Our PR is from news channels, not from films, unlike India. Everyone across the world knows India through Bollywood and the face of Indian cinema, we are yet to get there. I think all the young people should watch Parwaaz Hai Junoon, so they can spread the message of the true face of Pakistan, which is lively, colourful and positive, not what the news media shows.

Haseeb, TV stars are running the show in Pakistan for now, as a director, how can you differentiate between the two mediums?

Haseeb Hassan: The international audience may not notice this, but Pakistanis watch both dramas and films, so perhaps the two mediums look alike to them. Our drama industry is cinematic, and we shoot our dramas like films. We shoot in real locations, not sets, the technology we utilise in dramas is one that is used in films, so it is a challenge to differentiate the two, but our point is to deliver entertaining stories and performances.

How advanced are the CGI resources available in Pakistan?

Haseeb Hassan: At the moment, we have limited availability of CGI technology in Pakistan, so some work of Parwaaz Hai Junoon was done in Pakistan and some in Thailand.

Shaz, is there anything you would say the Pakistani industry has a stronger hold on compared to what you have experienced in the States?

Shaz Khan: Pakistanis know how to get things done. Despite some disorganisation in the manners of how things are processed sometimes, the energy of the people gets it done. It is very akin to indie cinema, it is this guerrilla warfare where everything is done on the go, and creativity is born from this madness. It’s like when things are too organised, there is not a lot of risk, and a lot of creative choices come out of it.

Ahad, you are debuting as a singer soon, is music your true calling?

Ahad Raza Mir: Music has been a part of my life since I was a teenager. My focus went on acting because acting is my passion, but music is something I have always done. I did my BFA from Canada with a lot of musical theatres, played a number of instruments like the guitar, the bass guitar, the drums, keyboards. Music has always been a huge part of me and it is something I wish I pursued further, but fortunately or unfortunately I have been very busy with my acting projects, so I am very lucky that I can finally explore music through a renowned platform now.

Describe the movie in one word.

Hamza Ali Abbas: Substance

Hania Aamir: Hania

Shaz Khan: Zabardast

Ahad Raza Mir: Passionate