Director Nabeel Qureshi’s debut film, Na Maloom Afraad, was a comic take on a middle-class man’s dreams of becoming rich overnight; his second outing, Actor In Law, satirised the hypocrisy of media and the lacunas in judiciary; and his next, the freshly announced and funnily-titled Load Wedding, sounds like it’s a spin on love in times of ‘load shedding’ (a slang, used for frequent power outages in Pakistan). Talking exclusively to Gulf News Tabloid!, Qureshi promised another fun caper, but said he could not disclose what’s with the title: “That you’ll see when the film is out on Eid Al Adha 2018.”
He did, however, hint at the film’s unique romantic track between the lead actors Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat. “Trust me when I say that it’s something I’ve never attempted before. It’s a very interesting track, and I am pretty excited about it,” he declared.
“Not to forget, the film has a very important message. There are a lot of things that I and Fizza [producer] believe in and we are trying to say them,” he added.
The film is currently in its pre-production stage, and the cameras are expected to start rolling in January. Unlike his last film Na Maloom Afraad 2, which was shot extensively in Cape Town, South Africa, Load Wedding will be filmed in Pakistan.
For Qureshi, January is the best time of the year to go to the sets: “That’s the month when you get great weather and great light for outdoor shoots, especially in Karachi. It also has a pleasant effect on the mood of your cast and crew people.”
The multiple award-winning director, who has also dabbled in TV commercials, said that he had a core team of assistants and liked to work with them only. “One of my ADs has been with me from my first film. Another is working with me for the third time. But tomorrow if they want to branch out and start something on their own, I wouldn’t stop them.”
In Load Wedding, Qureshi is also going to be repeating Hayat, who was last seen in his 2016 blockbuster, Actor In Law, and Mustafa, who hops into his production house Filmwala for the fourth consecutive project. The director explained that it was about “a certain chemistry, understanding, and faith that we have in his [Mustafa’s] talent. He’s a very versatile actor, and very hard-working. And, the best part is that we both have confidence in each other.
“Also, Fahad Mustafa is the hero of the middle class/masses. And, I make films for the masses.”
