Faisal and Razia (Faisal Saif, Amna Ilyas) are made for each other — at least, that is what they think. Their parents — Jatts and Gujjars, who believe in sticking to their own sects — don’t think so. The lovebirds elope, and realise that it’s tough getting married, even if you have a lawyer and a maulvi-wedding registrar by your side.

Screenwriter-director Hisham Bin Munawwar doesn’t aim for grandeur. Given the minimalism of his story and the very apparent constrictions of his budget, he doesn’t need to. It’s a small slice of romantic comedy that doesn’t need high dramatics — at least, not until the climax.

Knowing his restrictions, Munawwar judiciously cuts down on frivolities; even the use of songs (there are two of note, one sung by Munawwar himself) feels restrained. This doesn’t mean that Ready, Steady, No! looks anything less than a motion picture. Shot like a film, though with very little camera movement, there are a few shots of the interior locations (rooms in houses) where the lighting brings the effort down a notch.

Director Hisham Bin Munawwar doesn’t aim for grandeur in Ready,Steady,No! It’s a small slice of romantic comedy that is a pleasant romp

His actors, their characters, the situations and dialogues, by default, have the burden of being the main draw. It’s a task handledwell. Ilyas and Saif are fine in their roles, but the film actually belongs to Marhoom Ahmed Bilal, Zain Afzal, Ismail Tara, Nayyer Aijaz — and as a personal shock — Salman Shahid.

Shahid’s character play is, perhaps, his best in recent years — especially when Munawwar casually brings the plot to an unexpected, skillfully-handled end.

Two hours and five minutes, though, felt a bit too long, given that the screenplay had a handful of plot points. An hour and forty would have made for a sprightlier viewing. Still, the comedy isn’t tawdry, the drama isn’t amplified, and for once, no one is shouting or falling over themselves to make the farce work.

Ready, Steady, No! is a subtle, pleasant romp. What more can one ask for?

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 28th, 2019