Fighter jets soar high into the air, steered by men in uniform, their faces frowning with concentration. Zig-zagging through the air, they navigate over treacherous terrains, zooming through fire and smoke as they take on the enemy. Occasionally, they’ll make a comment like “God bless the enemy!” or “I was born to fly!” And just before they fly off, they cast a sidelong besotted glance at the female pilot in the neighbouring plane. On ground, they sing, dance, flirt, fall in love and while doing so, use pilot-like lingo such as “Direct attack!” when saying “I love you” to a girl.
That’s Parwaaz Hai Junoon (PHJ) for you, Hum Films and producer Momina Duraid’s tribute to the country’s air force, foil-wrapped in song, dance, romance … the whole shebang.
It’s a formula that may work at the cinema box office but it’s facing stiff challenge from other films. PHJ is scheduled for release on Eidul Azha alongside two other mammoth productions — Load Wedding and Jawani Phir Nahin Aani 2 — and while patriotism can be a massive selling point for a movie, it needs to offer more in order to draw in the holiday crowds.
PHJ is planning to do this by falling back on a blueprint that is second nature to Duraid: romance. A young dimpled Hania Aamir plays a female fighter pilot and the trailer makes it clear that she falls in love with another pilot, played by a clean-shaven Hamza Ali Abbasi, while Ahad Raza Mir — a pilot, yet again — also carries a torch for her. The ensemble cast also includes Shaz Khan, Kubra Khan, Marina Khan, Hina Bayat, Shamoon Abbasi and Asif Raza Mir.
Parwaaz Hai Junoon, made as a tribute to the air force, posed a number of physical challenges for both cast and crew. But can the patriotic effort reap dividends in the face of two other big films releasing at the same time?
“It is a patriotic story but the patriotism isn’t in your face,” explains Momina. “It’s a movie that portrays the lives of air force pilots, how they get married, have families, fall in love while always staying true to an underlying mission that rules their lives. Ultimately, the story also includes [the military operation] Zarb-e-Azb and narrates how our soldiers valiantly fought to eradicate terrorism.”