In recent times, TV channels in Pakistan have run foreign language shows dubbed in Urdu. Chinese dramas are a newer addition, and there have also been a Spanish show or two, but nothing beats the popularity of Turkish shows such as ‘Ask-i Mamnoon’, ‘Fatimagul’ and ‘Muhteşem Yuzyil’.
These shows were so successful that they prompted local film distributors to contemplate bringing Turkish movies to Pakistani theatres. Surprisingly, the experiment failed with the first film screened here — ‘Ask Tesadufleri Sever’, re-titled as ‘Muhabbat Ek Ittefaq’ for the Pakistani audiences.
Trade pundits are now looking towards ‘122’, which is going to be the first Egyptian movie to release in the country.
The film, described as an action-thriller, is “set in a hospital, where a night turns bloody, as a [young] couple tries to escape it.” It features an all-star Arab cast comprising Ahmad Dawood, Amina Khalil, Ahmad Al Fishawi and Tarek Lotfy.
‘122’ is one of the first Arab films to be made for the immersive 4DX format. It should be interesting to see how this foreign film fares in Pakistani theatres.
