Teefa In Trouble
In conversation with Ali Zafar And Maya Ali
Teefa in Trouble marks the big screen debut for both Ali Zafar and Maya Ali in Pakistan and is a movie Pakistanis have been looking forward to ever since the trailer was released.
Despite being in the industry for a while, both the stars have taken their time to hit the big screen. Along with the leads, the movie features an ensemble star cast comprising Javed Sheikh, Faisal Qureshi, Mehmood Aslam, Asma Abbas and Fia Khan.
In conversation with GLOSS, the cast talks about what the movie has in store for us.
Produced under the umbrella of Zafar’s very own banner, Lightingale Productions, the film has been directed by ace ad-filmmaker, Ahsan Rahim. Teefa In Trouble was released in Pakistan and worldwide on July 20, 2018.
Ali, from music to acting to producing, how did it all start?
Ali: I acted in my first play ‘Kaanch Key Par’ when I was in the first year of college. My friend was working as a set designer on the project and convinced me to go audition.
After I auditioned, I got selected to play the role of the youngest brother to four sisters. From there I did ‘College Jeans’, ‘Landa Bazaar’ and a few TV plays. This was all to save up some money so I could make my own music someday and it eventually did happen.
Simultaneously, the drama ‘Landa Bazaar’ was a big hit and I got offers to act in more TV plays. All of this was so overwhelming, that I had to disconnect myself from the TV dramas so I could pursue what I actually wanted to do, make music.
I started off with my music from there, in 2003, the song ‘Channo’ was released and five years down the line, I wanted to branch out.
After my trip to Bollywood, where I realised that in India, the movie stars are what pop musicians were to Pakistanis. This is when I realised I wanted to be a star in India. Although discouraged a little by my manager, I knew I would make it big someday.
Fast forward to 2008, I received three scripts, one was a Mahesh Bhatt film, another script and the script for ‘Tere Bin Laden’. Due to the Osama Bin Laden issue, I was a little freaked out about doing the film, but after hearing the narration from the director, I was blown away. I knew it as a big risk, but at that time it seemed right as I believed in the subject and the content. From there I was discovered by Yash Raj, who then signed me up for ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’ and the rest, as they say, is history.
Ali, your film Deosai was supposed to be the first film to release from your production house but it never came out. What happened to it?
Ali: Deosai was taken over by Teefa. Teefa was more exciting and manageable and I didn’t want to take chances with my first film.
Maya, what made you sign up for Teefa In Trouble?
Maya: Definitely Ali Zafar and Ahsan Rahim. The good script was an added bonus.
Tell us about your respective roles in the movie?
Ali: Teefa is a goon from androon shehr, inner city, of Lahore and is hired to do a task he has never done before. He does all the dirty jobs for Butt Sahab and for the first time he has been told to kidnap a girl. Teefa is freaked out as he has never kidnapped anyone before but agrees to do so anyway.
Maya: My role of Anya is that of a strong headed girl, who knows what’s good for her and not. Moreover, it is about the journey of how she met Teefa and the ‘adventures’ from there.
What sort of preparation went on for your roles?
Ali: We rehearsed with each other because we were at completely different wavelengths when we started off, so it was all about getting to know each other first and building that chemistry between us.
Maya: We rehearsed for 15-20 days straight and then we just went for it.
Ali: We first worked to perfect Anya’s role, as it was very important for me. Since I am personally working towards empowering women, I wanted to portray Anya from that perspective. A strong headed girl who is out there to achieve her dreams, in contrast to what we see on TV these days, where women are usually portrayed as the ‘damsel in distress’.
It was only after this we worked on the character of Teefa. The biggest challenge, in this case, was the physical endurance and training- as I did not want any stunt doubles. Apart from a few sequences, I have done all the action sequences myself, for which I trained for 3-6 months. This is because prior to the training, I suffered from a broken elbow and wrist, so getting back into the regime was challenging.
The action sequences give a very Bollywood feel to them, how is it going to be different from what we have already seen?
Ali: It is not exactly a Bollywood style of action, with Teefa In Trouble, we have experimented with Kung Fu, the action sequences are inspired more by the Japanese action style.
What has been your fondest memory on the sets and how was it working with each other?
Ali: It was really lovely working with Maya, for many reasons; especially because what she brought to Anya’s character was more than what we had expected. We were looking for the female lead to bring a spark on-screen with this character and after the auditions, we concluded that the kind f spark Maya bought on camera would only look better on the big screen. Moreover, cinema is a medium through which you either radiate energy to the audience or you suck it in and radiating energy in a positive way is always welcomed on the big screen. This is exactly what happened when Maya auditioned for the role, we knew she was made for Anya’s character.
Maya: First of all, I would like to add that when we were shooting for the film, I had a little fangirl moment where I felt like I couldn’t act in front of Ali, but he made sure that everyone was comfortable and then continued. He explained how he wanted to portray Anya – a strong headed girl who knew what she wanted.
Before shooting any scene, Ali would explain how I should act and bring Anya to life. Both Ahsan and Ali were very possessive about every character in the movie. Moreover, it is the teamwork that paid off. From the writer to the producer and director, everybody put in equal efforts to bring all these characters to the audience.
Ali, do you think working multiple capacities on set compromised your acting?
Ali: I would have preferred not to indulge in so many avenues and focus on my acting, usually because this is always preferred by an actor. However, I did not have that choice, but I tried to give it my best, hoping it won’t affect my acting.
Maya: I don’t think so.
Amidst the ongoing controversy, do you think it will affect the box office numbers for Teefa In Trouble?
Ali: Nobody can predict the future, but you can always speak from your instincts. In my case, they have always been creative, constructive and positive even in the worst times of my life. I have blocked the negativity out completely and I am only focusing on the positivity, especially when I know the truth, in this case.
What is your take on the boycott of Teefa In Trouble?
Ali: Everybody has the right to do what they want and make their own choices in life. I have no control over anyone; all I can do is to deliver the best version of what I can do. I respect the decision of those who decided to boycott and those who come to support it, however, I do know that in time, as things become more eminent people just might regret boycotting.
Will Teefa In Trouble advance the cause for Pakistani cinema?
Ali: I hope so. The film is made with the intention and hopes to take our cinema forward from here on to the next level; not just nationally, but globally as well. I think where your intentions are right, one can only hope for the best.
Maya: Definitely.
What is your take on the Pakistani cinema?
Ali: When it comes to movies, a lot of effort is put in by the entire team. Moreover, from what we see these days is people who are venturing into the field for the first time. Obviously, along with the hard work and investment put into each project is done with the intention to entertain the audience. In this case, I would give them the benefit of the doubt and move on from it. If movies did not do well during Eid-ul-Fitr, we can only hope what comes after is better.
No one makes a bad film, but what the critics and people who want the ‘Pakistani cinema to evolve’ need to understand that it is going to take time and if you are to criticise a movie, do it in a constructive creative manner so that it adds value to it.
It is very easy to write two paragraphs and destroy the movie, but only someone who has been through the process will understand it. Furthermore, we need to have institutions and academies that train and teach people the proper methodology of filmmaking.
Maya: When we make films, we put in our best by working hard and wholeheartedly. We do not worry about the movie being a hit or a flop, it is up to the audience to decide that. However, criticising excessively never works for any industry. Moreover, when we make films, our audience feels like adding a good song is taking inspiration from Bollywood; when we show them what they want to see, the audience complains about sticking to the drama culture then. In my opinion, our audience is very confused as well. They do not know what they want to see. As long as they don’t figure that out, we can only continue doing what we do – making films.
Why should we go to watch the movie?
Ali: If you want to walk out of the cinema happy, Teefa is what you should watch.
Maya: If you want to have a good time and watch a full-on entertainment ‘desi-masala’ movie, this is where you should be.
What’s in the pipeline for you after the film?
Ali: I take time with my projects, I like to do them my way, at my own pace. I don’t rush into things, I am just living my life one step at a time. I have my children and family and I would like to be on the beach and enjoy some time with them and once in a while, I like to make a great film.
Maya: Vacations, before I start shooting for ‘Parey Hut Love.
