Pakistani director Ashir Azeem had to jump through hoops to screen his first feature film, the potent political thriller Maalik, in his country.
18 days after its release in Pakistani cinemas in April this year, the federal government banned the film, despite it already being cleared by the country’s censorship boards, sparking debates on freedom of expression and censorship. Maalik, which explores corruption in Pakistani society, was the first Pakistani film to be banned by the federal government.
But Azeem didn’t give up. He contested the ban in the courts, got it lifted and is now gearing for its international release. The UAE was his first stop for a star-studded screening on Tuesday evening.
“I am so happy that Maalik is going to be shown in the UAE. You have heard about all the controversies,” said Azeem at a press conference on Tuesday. See it with your own eyes, he adds. “You are your best judge,”
The thriller dwells on the life of a retired army officer (played by Azeem) who is on call to protect a corrupt politician.
Azeem, who has written, directed and acted in his debut feature, attended the screening at a Dubai mall with his cast, including Farhan Ally Agha, Adnan Shah Tipu, Mohammad Ehteshamuddin and actress Tatmain Ul Qalb.
“I can relate to every part of the film. The concept of Maalik is about ownership [the word means ‘owner’]... We are facing multiple problems [in Pakistan] socially, economically and politically. But we are doing our part at standing strong. If every single Pakistani can stand up and stay strong, then the message behind the film has been conveyed,” said Ul Qalb.
The actors claim that they didn’t face any backlash from the ban and are hoping that their fans give their thriller a fair chance.
“When you become a part of a project you have to believe in that project completely. We are the owners or maaliks of this project... This movie has a strong message about humanity,” said Agha, who plays Major Haider in the film.
Excerpts from our chat with director, writer and actor Azeem.
What is Maalik about and why did it make politicians in Pakistan uncomfortable?
Maalik is about taking ownership. It’s a story about a Pashtun family who survive the Soviet war in Afghanistan and settle in Karachi. It’s a fair comment on the governance of a nation and its administration. It’s not targeted to tarnish any particular political party or individual. The viewers are happy after watching my film and it’s being appreciated by everyone except politicians. It’s a straightforward film and is a work of fiction.
But this film became the first Pakistani film to be banned by the federal government. Did you expect it to run into so much trouble?
My film was unfairly criticised. It was a long court battle, but I have won and we have got the ban lifted. The film is back in the cinemas now, but I have a hearing soon at the Supreme Court. As a writer and the director of Maalik, I am saying that it is a work of fiction. Yet, some politicians are jumping up and saying ‘it is me’ on the big screen. Rather than me explaining, they should explain why they feel that it is them on the screen.
Do you paint Pakistan in a bad light?
It doesn’t paint Pakistan in bad light. It is a patriotic movie and paints them [politicians] in bad light. They are just trying to hide behind their country’s image.
Should it be so difficult to release a political film? How did you deal with the resistance?
It shouldn’t be so difficult and that’s exactly why I was advised to take the legal route. Initially, I was advised by friends to come to a compromise and meet people to settle the matter. They asked me to meet them in the middle. But I told them that there is nothing to meet in the middle. I have done nothing illegal and I refuse to remove any single frame from my film which was approved by the three censor boards in Pakistan. Why should I remove anything from my film which was approved? If it is going to be banned, let the whole film be banned. And I decided that if somebody had to fight the battle first, then let it be me.
So now that Maalik is being screened in Pakistani cinemas again, do you consider it a creative victory?
My win is a victory for everyone who is going to produce and direct a film in the future. You can’t live in a situation where your film has been approved by the censors and then you find out that it has been blocked by somebody. I have always lived my life based on my own standards. You need to answer only to yourself. As long as I am appeased, I have nothing to worry.
What was the inspiration behind Maalik?
I was working for the government services for a long time and I could see the problems faced by the people in close quarters. In 18 years of my service, I realised that the system was not working. The government was there to make the lives of our citizens easier, but sometimes it didn’t work that way. That is where I got my inspiration and I knew I had to something about it. An idea sprung up. An idea is the most powerful thing on the planet. It’s bigger than nuclear bomb. An idea is where it all starts. Maalik is about ownership.
Did you face financial losses because of the ban?
Our expense for Maalik was around PKR 40 million to 41.5 million. Maalik was in the cinemas for 19 days and we had collected PKR 30.8 million. Then the film got banned and now it is in select cinemas again. It’s playing to full houses now. But I don’t look at filmmaking as pure business. It’s an industry that needs to be more responsible. In terms of success, money is not a good way to decide how great a film was. I thank the government for [creating] such hype for the film. If my movie had not been banned, then people would have watched my film for another three weeks but the message would not have not been communicated as effectively.
What are your views on Pakistani artists not being allowed to work in Hindi films?
It’s unfortunate. This morning I saw a tweet on a news website reporting that a filmmaker behind a Mahira Khan film is reshooting the scenes featuring her [Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees]. I don’t know how authentic that news item is. I hope it’s a rumour. Whenever there is tension between governments, it is the minority groups and the extremist groups who like to add fuel to the fire. It does not represent the majority view of that country. But it would be very sad if that film is re-shot. Art should never be politicised.
Pakistani is going through a revival in cinema. What’s the way forward?
I can’t take all the credit. This is the first film I have made and there are lots who are doing great work. At a national level, we need to come up with a policy for our cinema. We do not have any legislation for directors, producers and distributors. We need to build more cinemas in Pakistan. We have only 47 cinema halls and majority of them are in fashionable urban centres. The ticket prices are high and a large majority cannot afford it.
Don’t miss it!
Maalik releases in the UAE on October 13.
