In conversation with the leading lady of Dum Mastam, Amar Khan

Amar Khan made her mark in Belapur Ki Dayan within a few years of her television debut, and now she is foraying into the cinematic world as a writer-actor with her debut film, Dum Mastam. The response to her film’s trailer is testament to her good screen presence. The audience knows that Amar is a good performer, but she gets to express and emote through her dancing skills in Dum Mastam. And she thrives on it, owning every frame and thus proving that she is ready to scale new heights.

In a light-hearted conversation with Something Haute, Amar talks about her character, what she loves most about the film, and what the audience should anticipate from this musical…

“Dum Mastam is an immersive love story which is about the simplicity and chaos of love. It’s a musical and my character, Aliya Butt, is from androon Lahore. She is a very lively, hoity-toity, exuberant girl, and is full of zest for life. She is career-oriented, a passionate performer and an aspiring dancer who participates in inter-college competitions. She has dreams and aspirations to become a big performer one day. So, viewers should expect a lot of entertainment,” she shared.

 

 

But that’s not all because Dam Mastam is not just about romance.

“Eventually, the journey of the character will take her to a place where destiny plays a huge part. There are many twists and turns because of which her character will transform from that giggling-smiling girl-next-door to a point where she has to take critical decisions. So, expect a good and well-rounded character.”

Talking about Imran Ashraf’s character in the film, Amar shares that she thinks Imran has done full justice to the role.

“When I was writing Imran’s character (Bao), this role had to be very organic and rooted. We required a face that could bring that believability and also can master the dialect of a guy who lives in androon Lahore; I think Imran completely aced that ‘androon Lahore ka londa’. I am most looking forward to see how the audience reacts and reciprocates to my interpretation of how organic and fearless Lahoris are.”

 

 

Amar has written the film and is also the leading lady in it. So, what makes Dum Mastam a must-watch this Eid ul Fitr?

“As much as it is a light and amusing tale of lovers, it is also layered at the same time. I feel we have a complete package in this film: it has nach gaanas, great music, and good performances but it also shows the journey of two individuals through a microscopic lens and their transformation from being nobody to being somebody. I think it’s that journey that will be a beautiful watch for the viewers,” she said.

Amar is equally excited for the music of the film. Bao and Aliya have made everyone dance to Larki Achari . It is being touted as the perfect dance number for shaadis. So, did she enjoy dancing with Imran Ashraf?

“I think you should ask him how it feels to dance with Amar?” she laughingly said, adding, “Acting with Imran Ashraf was quite fun. We have 7 to 8 songs in the film and four of them are proper dance numbers. All the songs are choreographed and are pushing the screenplay forward.”

Read: Trailer Review: Dum Mastam Is A Colourful Commentary On Artistic Aspirations And Setbacks

 

 

Dum Mastam is directed by Mohammed Ehteshammuddin who has Superstar to his credit. The cinematography and frames look beautiful in the trailer. Is it shot only in Pakistan?

“The first half of the film which is almost 60 per cent of the chunk has been shot in androon Lahore. The narrative shifts to Karachi for the rest of the 40 per cent. For the songs, we created really captivating sets. There is one fantasy song for which we have shot all across Pakistan, in all the provinces. We shot in mountainous regions in Balochistan, at a 2000-year-old fort in Azad Kashmir and Qila Rohtas to a beach. All of these exotic locales contributed to the amazing visuals in the film.”

 

 

Which is Amar’s favourite song from the film and why?

“We have the five best music composers of Pakistan on board, starting from Bilal Saeed, Azaan Sami Khan, Shiraz Uppal, Naveed Nashad to Shani Arshad. So, choosing one song would be discrimination towards the others. I love the song Tu Heer Meri by Nabeel Shaukat and Beena Khan. It is a fantasy song. Then, there is Kash Aisa Ho by Bilal Saeed which is beautiful. Bilal and Momina Mustehsan have sung Khudaya Vey; it’s a slow romantic Sufi number that will connect with the audience,” she said while listing a number of songs.

“I genuinely feel that after a long time Pakistani cinema is going to have a music album that they will remember and will save it in their playlist for sure,” she concluded.

The video of Tu Heer Meri is out and you can watch it here: