Meera-starrer ‘Baaji’ is running successfully in theatres across Pakistan and first-time film director Saqib Malik can’t be happier.
A self-confessed cinema fanatic, he has forever wanted to make his way onto the big screen, even when he was one of the country’s top-league music video directors and ad filmmakers.
Malik is currently in Mississauga, Canada, for the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) where his maiden feature was shown Saturday night as part of a competition.
Talking to Gulf News tabloid! from Mississauga, the excited director said he “not just felt honoured but also surprised, because I never thought of Baaji as a festival film.”
About the audience feedback, Malik said, “Everyone I spoke to had liked the film. It was a mixed crowd — of Asians, Canadian Asians, and foreigners. They were entertained by the film, and especially surprised by the choice of subject; they thought it was quite bold for a Pakistani film.”
It only serves Malik well that this year MISAFF’s theme is also ‘Courageous Cinema.’
While leading ladies Meera and Amna Ilyas could not attend the festival, Malik was joined by Ali Kazmi, who plays the villain in Baaji.
