“The topics taken up by cinema should be bigger and bolder than television,” says actor and singer Farhan Saeed. “That’s the difference, isn’t it, between television and cinema?

“Television comes into your household and families watch it together. Sometimes, children have the remote control in their hands. With cinema, you buy a ticket and go to see a movie. The treatment can be grander, more glamorous and the topics being discussed can push boundaries.”

The cinematic story currently under discussion is Luv Di Saun, ARY Films’ cinematic offering for Eidul Azha this year. And based on seeing the trailer alone, one can tell that it would have been difficult to fit this story into TV’s restricted framework.

Farhan Saeed seems to be playing the quintessential son of the soil, roaming Lahore’s scenic streets, where he encounters Mamya Shajaffar, who plays a prostitute trapped in a life from which she yearns to be free. There is music and action, a sardaarji and a few jokes here and there.

I recount this assessment of the story to the two lead actors and Farhan quips to Mamya, “Bass, the interview is done!” He then adds, “But you have missed some of the twists in the story.”

The Eidul Azha release Luv Di Saun, featuring Farhan Saeed and Mamya Shajaffar, blends romance, action, an adult theme — and a social message about second chances. Whether or not its ambitious mix resonates with audiences remains to be seen

Of course, there must be more. I meet the movie’s two leads on a scorching hot Karachi afternoon, and one of the first questions I pose to them is a generic ice-breaker: why should we go see Luv Di Saun this Eidul Azha?

“Because we’re in it,” Farhan quips, and then continues, “I think it’s an entertainer that the whole family can go to the cinema to watch during the holidays and enjoy music, action, comedy and also register a heartfelt message that forms an important part of the story.”

Mamya adds, “It’s a complete package, for everyone to watch. The story is great, which is one of the reasons I signed on to this movie. I also wanted the opportunity to work opposite Farhan.”

“I think given the demands of the character, Mamya was the best fit for the female lead,” adds Farhan.

SECOND CHANCES

This leads me to ask Mamya whether she had any apprehensions about playing a prostitute? Given Pakistan’s cultural limitations, in most desi narratives, the hero saves the girl from a life in the red-light district at the nth hour. Mamya’s Billo, though, is very evidently a working girl.

“Of course, I thought about it,” she says. “But then I thought to myself, if I didn’t play this role, who would? It’s a challenging character and I wanted to see if I could pull it off.

“There is also an important message in the movie that I believe in, a message about second chances. Life sometimes puts us in situations and we have to take them with a pinch of salt, and figure out how to turn our lives around and start anew.”

The not-so-elusive message in the movie, one can figure out, is about the lives led by prostitutes and how, should they want to leave their profession, they should be given the chance to do so.

Farhan elaborates: “We are pointing out that not every girl who stands on the road is doing it by choice. Our story is about a girl who is left with no choice and, in such a case, who will give her a second chance?”

Luv Di Saun’s director and scriptwriter, Ali Malik, observes, “This movie is my heartfelt tribute to all women. It is deeply emotional and the story is meant to educate and give direction to society. Yes, it is an Eid release and an entertainer, but the message within the story is very important.”

BALANCING THE MESSAGE AND being FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Jerjees Seja, CEO at ARY Digital Network, professes his belief in the movie, saying, “It has a unique blend of romance, emotion and engaging storytelling, making it a film that is relatable and thoroughly entertaining. It is one we believe the audience will truly enjoy watching on the big screen.”

But given the subject matter, is it truly a family movie, as the producers tout?

“It was a challenge tackling a subject that could easily slide towards more adult themes,” admits producer Irfan Malik, who is also Senior Vice President at ARY Films. “The director has been very careful, avoiding certain visuals to the extent that some people may even question why the harsh realities faced by the female lead haven’t been depicted in more detail.

“Still, our purpose has been to keep the movie family-friendly, while also touching upon the subject that there is still a light at the end of the tunnel for girls who may have crossed a line and felt that there was no turning back.”

He recalls, “It took me some time to finalise the female lead because many actresses were apprehensive about playing the character. Some were worried about what their in-laws would say, and others did not want to risk the audience trolling them. Mamya may be relatively new, but when the director met her, he said to me, ‘She’s Billo, cast her’.”

THE DELAYED RELEASE

While Luv Di Saun’s shooting had started two years ago, the movie came to a halt last year when Mamya was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus. A few sequences still had to be filmed but, with Mamya confined to her home, the release date — originally scheduled for 2025 — was postponed to Eidul Azha this year.

“For about eight months, I couldn’t do anything,” Mamya recalls. “I was completely immunosuppressed, I couldn’t leave the house, I was in a wheelchair for four months, and I couldn’t even look the part.

“I went through an almost chemo situation because nothing else was working but, then, by early February this year, I started feeling and looking like myself. And now I am alright and back! I even shot some sequences for the movie once I was better.”

And she and Farhan are promoting the movie full-throttle, sitting for interviews, visiting malls, even attending a live edition of ARY Digital’s game show, Jeeto Pakistan. For Mamya, this has meant eating right and resting when needed. For Farhan, this has involved yo-yoing between movie promotions and the shooting of his drama Bass Tera Saath Ho, which is currently on air.

Moreover, he tells me that he is also sporadically performing in concerts. The terrible humidity assailing Karachi around the time we meet is merely the cherry on top.

Nevertheless, the last time Farhan acted in a movie was in the 2022 release Tich Button, which he had also been producing. Is it easier to simply promote a movie as the lead actor without worrying about the production nitty-gritties?

“Of course, it’s easier,” he agrees. “I am just representing my movie as a lead actor, while our producers are running about, making sure everything happens in a timely way. They won’t be able to rest until the movie finally releases. Production is always a headache.”

He adds, “Still, I do plan to produce more movies. There are so many stories that I want to tell and I want to apply all that I have learnt while working in TV, film and the music industry. How else will I tell my stories?”

BEHIND-THE-SCENES

The conversation returns to Luv Di Saun. Aside from the much-talked-about ‘message’ in the movie, the trailer also features a few action sequences and short clips of some of the songs. Who danced better: Farhan or Mamya?

“Me,” says Mamya. “He’s a better singer and I am the better dancer.”

“She’s a great dancer,” grins Farhan. “I am just as good a dancer as a boy should be.” He goes on to talk about his action sequence with Khan Baba, termed the ‘Pakistani Hulk’: “It was very interesting because usually such sequences are with people your own size. He towered over me and I took a hit during one of the fights. It could have been worse, but I was badly hurt.”

For all its music, action and commercial gloss, Luv Di Saun appears to be aiming for more than just formulaic Eid entertainment. Beneath its crowd-pleasing exterior lies a story about redemption and second chances — themes rarely explored in mainstream Pakistani cinema.

Whether audiences will appreciate the mix of social commentary and masala remains to be seen, but the film seems to be positioning itself as one of the more ambitious local releases this Eidul Azha.

After investing so much time and effort in the shooting process, are they worried about how Luv Di Saun will fare at the fickle Pakistani box office?

Farhan muses. “Not really. You work hard and then you just hope for the best.” He pauses and then says, “Pakistan is a dream market for actors. If your film does not work, it doesn’t matter, because you are also working on TV and people are watching you there.

“We have such limited budgets in Pakistan that making a movie is always a challenge and the audience knows this. When they come to the cinema, they know that they can’t compare the movie to the big Hollywood releases.”

I interject: you didn’t mention Bollywood because you don’t want to take the discussion there?

He replies, “I think even Bollywood is struggling with only one or two of their movies and only a few of their series for OTT [streaming] platforms doing well. Yes, we also can’t stand in comparison with them because they have much bigger budgets and a massive audience watching their content. I do put forward this challenge to them: open our dramas and our movies in their country and let’s see how we fare!”

Farhan’s challenge is unlikely to be accepted at least in the current atmosphere between the two countries. For now, it remains to be seen how Luv Di Saun will fare at the local box office.

“It’s a paisa-wasool Eid film,” promises Farhan.

The writer is a fashion and entertainment journalist with over two decades of experience. She can be reached at maliharehman1@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, ICON, May 24th, 2026