Mahira Khan’s ‘Verna’ picks up steam

With only a couple of weeks to its worldwide theatrical release, Mahira Khan-starrer Verna’s publicity campaign is beginning to pick up steam.

So far, it’s been rather low-key, especially if we compare it with how writer-director Shoaib Mansoor’s earlier two films — Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and Bol (2011) — were advertised. This might have been due to the fact that both KKL and Bol were backed by Geo TV Network, Pakistan’s largest media group that was also the films’ local distributors. This time around, with Hum Films on board, Verna stands a lesser chance of being promoted as aggressively, because the network does not have a news channel of their own yet (though they are planning on launching one soon).

Meanwhile, Verna’s theatrical trailer was officially released at a not-so-grand (compared to Hum’s previous Mahira Khan-release, Bin Roye; 2015) event at Nueplex cinema in Karachi. The only stars in attendance were the film’s leading lady Khan and her co-star, debutant Haroon Shahid, both of whom showered praises on Mansoor. Whereas Khan called him “my first teacher,” Shahid said that he “connected with him from a long time back, because of his music.”

Also present on the occasion was Sultana Siddiqi, the president of Hum Network, who talked for longer than Khan or Shahid did. She also spoke of Mansoor, from the point of view of a former colleague from PTV: “Shoaib is a master [at telling stories of social importance]. Woh chhup chhup ke kaam karta hai [he works secretively]... For all you know, he might be sitting amongst you but you wouldn’t be able to tell because no one has ever seen him,” she chuckled.

Later, the film’s soundtrack was released online. The lead stars of Verna also made appearances on a couple of popular TV and radio FM shows. They are expected to start promotional tours of the cities next week.