KARACHI: Four films — Money Back Guarantee (director: Faisal Qureshi), Dorr (Nadeem Cheema), Daadal (Abu Aleeha) and Huey Tum Ajnabi (Kamran Shahid) — will see the light of day on Eidul Fitr.

The premiere of Money Back Guarantee was held at Nueplex Cinema on Thursday evening. It was, as expected, a star-studded affair. Expected: because the long list of the cast includes Fawad Khan, Ayesha Omar, Wasim Akram, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Adnan Jaffar and Shaniera Akram.

The red carpet pomp and glitz began a touch over half an hour late than the time mentioned on the invite to the programme, which, one guesses, is normal. The first ones to strike a pose in front of the cameras were the character actors in the movie — well, to be honest, after watching a decent chunk of the film — basically the set-up of the plot — it’s hard to define who the main characters are. It’s not a satirical remark; it’s a comment on the equally distributed meat in the roles.

Apart from the cast and crew of the project, showbiz glitterati — film-makers, actors, cameramen — of the country attended the show.

Premiere of Money Back Guarantee held

Talking to Dawn, film-maker Sohail Javed said, “I’ve always believed that every Friday a film should be released. We are having few releases. The more the movies, the better it is because people will get to know who the makers are, how much box office business a film has done, etc. This is how cinema will get a boost. It’s not a good sign to close down cinemas… We have financial challenges. If we manage to somehow face them, the industry will stand on its feet. We can’t stop.”

Giving his views on Money Back Guarantee,the director said it has an ensemble cast. “Fawad Khan, after The Legend of Maula Jatt, will be seen in a completely different character and the audience will love Wasim Akram. He is very entertaining. He is not a conventional actor. I have best wishes for the film.”

Ayla Raza, who runs the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC), was also there. She said, “The decline [of the industry] has happened over a long period so it can’t completely revive just like that. But these are good signs.”

On MBG she claimed, “It will do well. It has all the ingredients required for a good movie.”

After the red carpet razzle-dazzle, the invitees walked into the cinema hall to watch the film. The opening sequences of the story suggest it’s a well-meaning, well-intentioned satire. The director could have hired a dialect coach for the actors, though.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2023