ISLAMABAD: The launch of Lok Virsa’s Mundwa Film Festival was greeted with great enthusiasm as adults and children gathered in the Media Centre to watch Ejaz Durrani’s Heer Ranjha.

Fouzia Saeed, Executive Director of Lok Virsa, said: “I am delighted to see that so many people took up our challenge of wearing traditional Punjabi dresses to what I hope will be a dress-along, sing-along version of this film’s viewing.”

Syed Noor spoke at the event reminiscing about how when he joined the film industry he would watch Heer Ranjha every few days and learn something more from it. He said: “There have been many versions of Heer Ranjha produced in the subcontinent but just as Waris Shah wrote the definitive Heer, Ejaz Durrani produced the definitive Heer Ranjha.”

Ejaz Durrani, the hero and producer, was the chief guest at the event and expressed his pleasure at being part of the inaugural film showing.

The film unfortunately started an hour late of which half an hour was spent with a crazed usher screaming at and for young people to sit on the floor. Nevertheless there was a ‘houseful’ as the audience remained, fascinated by the prospect of watching a Punjabi film in an old cinema style setting.

The 1970 Punjabi film was based on the classic Waris Shah rendition of the folk tale. The hero, Dhedo Ranjha, a flute-playing prankster is challenged by his sisters-in-law to travel to a distant village to win the hand of Heer, the beautiful.

Heer and Ranjha fall in love but are the Punjabi version of star-crossed lovers. They are parted first by Heer’s family and she is married off to another. Ranjha follows her and aided by friends reunites with Heer briefly before being separated from her and imprisoned by the Raja. This time separating the true lovers causes a fire to ravage the land and the Raja realising his error frees Ranjha. Meanwhile a bitter uncle poisons Heer and finding his love dead, Ranjha kills himself to join her forever.

Noor Jahan’s classic songs had the adults clapping and singing along to the familiar lyrics while the over the top Punjabi acting entertained the younger members of the audience.

As people began dancing in the audience, Romano Karim, one of the founders of Mundwa, said: “Are we here to watch the film or watch these people dance! But a good first effort to get people out to see the flick.”

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2015

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