Pakistani Movies of 2017
The Hits and the Misses
Pakistani cinema has been on the rise in recent years, bringing to the screen some of the most entertaining and critically acclaimed showcases in the history of the country. 2017 has also been a good year for Pakistani cinema, if at the very least in terms of the sheer number films produced. While there have been some truly remarkable movies in 2017, not all of its showcases are worthy of being admired.
Starting with the hits, Punjab Nahi Jaungi would be the undisputed king of this year’s best films. The film is Pakistan’s highest grossing movie to date. It tells the love story of a desi Punjabi and a highly educated posh girl with comedic aspect of the film executed with perfection.
Na Maloom Afrad 2 lived up to the hype generated by its prequel and despite being banned in Punjab for inappropriate content, the film received positive reviews in abundance. It tells the story of the three mischief makers from NMA 1 running after a toilet of solid gold. While not as good as the first film, NMA 2 still impressed countrywide audiences.
Another film that portrayed a more serious theme and shed light on a sad reality of the Pakistani culture was Verna. Critics claim that the film could have been a flag bearer of women rights, as it depicted the heinous crime of rape but couldn’t, due to how it was presented. Nonetheless, the film did manage to do massive business owing to its powerful theme.
Now comes Yalghaar a war epic based on a true story that depicts the lives of young patriotic soldiers and what war does to the values by which they once lived by. Yalghaar is the most expensive Pakistani film to date, but still managed only mixed reviews.
However, 2017 also saw films that had little reprieve from earnings or reviews. Films like Whistle and Raasta were in every sense of the word, flops. Raasta It told the story of a man who could not land a job, who felt that he was cheated by the political system and how he goes against the law to enact his revenge. Films like Rangreza and Arth 2 also tanked at the box office, with critics described Rangreza as a film “got its narrative wrong”. While Shaan shone in Arth2, he had meltdown over how it was received by the masses. Still the hits and misses might be different, depending on who you ask.
