Three years after the release of Na Maloom Afraad, award winning director and producer Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali are back with a follow up to their original film; this time the story has traveled from Karachi to Cape Town. While the three main characters remain the same, we notice the addition of Hania Amir and the legendary Marina Khan while Urwa Hocane reprises her role albeit she has a blink and miss appearance in the trailer. Whether that is strategic or reflective of her role is unclear.
The trailer of Na Maloom Afraid 2 was unveiled yesterday and it is safe to say that the event was as happening as the trailer itself! The evening commenced at a good pace, thanks to the tight Ramzan schedule everyone is on, and after red carpet formalities were over we were taken to the cinema hall to hear what the members of the cast had to say, followed by the screening of the trailer.
The very charming Marina Khan, who will be making her film debut in Na Maloom Afraad 2, with the director Nabeel Qureshi
As the actors interacted with the press, joked with each other and hosted a great launch, it was impossible not to get caught up in their energy and notice their commendable chemistry with each other. The trailer itself was impressive, while it did include some slightly obscene jokes, the noteworthy part would be the cinematography and technicalities of the film, which we were told are all taken care of locally and clearly by the best team available. Coming to the female actors, we did not see Marina Khan in the trailer, but we were told she plays the role of Hania Amir’s mother. Urwa Hocane, who was not present at the event, also seems to have a minimal role, similar to the first film, where she was more of a pretty face than a major character. Hania Amir appears to be cast likewise. The storyline, however, looked interesting; it has a strong comical element, action sequences, and the previously loved characters look like they will thoroughly entertain the audience once again. We were told by Fahad Mustafa that it’s going to be funnier than the first film!
The audience however was concerned that the essence of these ‘Na Maloom Afraad’ was in the fact that they were based amidst the chaotic halaat of Karachi, and how that will be portrayed in South Africa. We were assured that the film is not shot in Cape Town just because it’s an exotic location; there is a purpose of the location in the main story, which was scripted keeping Cape Town in mind. “It is still about the Na Maloom Afraad because Pakistanis are Pakistanis, no matter where you take them!†Nabeel Qureshi said with a laugh.
Fahad Mustafa ended the evening on a note we strongly agree with: “We’ve been hearing of the revival of Pakistani cinema for a while,†he said. “And as I’ve said, you should watch our film because it’s a good film and not just because it’s a Pakistani film, which has been a sentiment that has been sold for too long. We’ll only survive if we make good films.â€
We have no doubt that our cinema industry is capable of great things, which will emerge with time; expectations will only increase with each new project. What more does Na Maloom Afraad 2 have in store for us? There is lots more that we found out which you’ll have to stay tuned for, meanwhile watch the trailer here and tell us what you think!
https://www.facebook.com/namaloomafraadtwo/videos/1740162536281678/
