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Azad is not a masala film, says director Rehan Sheikh

Azad is not a masala film, says director Rehan Sheikh

The actor/director gets candid about his time in the industry, his upcoming flick Azad and what genres he'll tackle next
Updated 07 Feb, 2018

After some rescheduling, I met with Rehan Sheikh at his partner Hasan Naeem’s nondescript studio in Islamabad. Sheikh is expectedly excited for the release of his long-delayed directorial debut Azad, which comes out February 9.

He stepped out from the editing room for the interview. I’m told that the film is being cut to be made more concise and crisp - something the team realised after it was screened at a film festival in New York.

Azad's cast includes Rehan Sheikh, Salman Shahid, Sanam Saaed and Sabreen Hisbani
Azad's cast includes Rehan Sheikh, Salman Shahid, Sanam Saaed and Sabreen Hisbani

Azad, however, is not Rehan’s first experience with film. He helmed Mohabbat Ki Pehli Kahaani in the early 2000’s, unfortunately it ended up being televised.

“It was the pre-digital era, so there were issues with the pixels when I played its trailer at Nishat Cinema in Karachi,” he explained. “But there was always this hunger to make a film.”

While it might not be his directorial debut, Sheikh has had many firsts with Azad. Not only is he the director of the film, but he has also penned the script, co-produced it and played the lead as RJ Azad who explores the idea of freedom.

One wonders if such extensive multi-tasking compromise other aspects of filmmaking?

“Absolutely,” he responds, “but I was very inspired by Woody Allen. I could’ve casted someone else, and I would, but to ask a major star for 40-50 days this time would’ve taken another five years. We were pooling in our resources. I made a lot of mistakes also, but I learnt a lot from the entire process.”

It’s interesting how he sees the archive of performing arts as the representation of the time and era. In Azad’s case, Sheikh feels it will eventually acquire the ‘cult’ status for its subject-matter and portrayals. “If it’s just about making money then what’s most watched in the world is highly objectionable,” he points out; “Cinema or any other medium for that matter of fact cannot be meaningless entertainment.”

In conversation with Images, Rehan Sheikh discusses his film, the direction that local cinema has taken and why it needs to evolve. Read on:

Images: Azad went on floors in 2013. Why do you think it’s taken this long for it to come out?

Rehan Sheikh: You see it was our first feature film and we didn’t make it by any business formula, which is how most films are made now. After we made the film, we had to find a distributor, which is another world on its own.

Also because you haven’t spent a large amount on your film, they’ll tell you to postpone its release because there’s always a Shah Rukh Khan or a more ‘masala’ film coming out.

And I think we wanted to release it during the winters also, it resonates with the season well. I believe in synchronicity and that there’s a certain time for everything; now’s Azad’s time.

Images: Tell us a little about how Azad was conceptualised?

Sheikh: When I moved to Islamabad, my friend (Hasan Naeem) and I were looking for something exciting to do, and we started working on a pilot for a TV series. But that got delayed. When I revisited the script and showed it to a couple of screenwriters I trusted, they saw a film in it. And I always wanted to make a film.

As an actor, I spent the '90s wanting to work in films. At that time, however, there were no films being made. I think it’s after the digital technology shift that all these young people have come forward.

A still of Sheikh from the movie
A still of Sheikh from the movie

Nevertheless, Azad is an independent film, it’s not a bara masalay ki chaat, it doesn’t have three item numbers or explosions and fight sequences, it’s not something like that. It’s offbeat cinema, it’s not a ‘filmy’ film per se.

It’s more intimate, along the lines of Woody Allen or Hrishikesh Mukherjee, films that were light-hearted but had an audience of their own. I wanted to make a film that didn’t require a massive budget, had only a few characters and just provided people with an experience when they leave the cinema.

Images: Having dabbled in both mediums, what differences did you notice between working in film and television?

Sheikh: Look at Kramer vs. Kramer; essentially a drama. People here say drama and film are different, but they’re essentially the same. Drama means conflict, and without that, there’s no narrative. Pakistan is the only country where I hear people saying how film should be like a ‘film’. That’s rubbish.

Nobody uses the term ‘telefilm’ anywhere in the world. People make films within a single room. It’s all about the concept. Now that the drone’s fashionable, we don’t have to include it everywhere. What’s the substance? To me, what’s important is what you’re trying to say or make people feel through the film.

Images: Does that mean that the aesthetic of your productions will remain secondary?

Sheikh: As far as Azad is concerned, it was secondary to me of course. But then you have to design all of it like that from the outside. We were clear about the fact that we were making a low-budget, guerrilla-style film, so even if we wanted to open a frame, there was an expense attached to it. So I wanted to show that we could make a film, within the limited resources that we had. Like I said, it was a passion project entirely.

You do want your film to break-even or bring you some profit, but that became secondary to us. Now, if I want to stay in the business and work on my next film, I’ll have to look into that as well.

Images: Where do you think cinema is headed? 2017 was a fairly bad year at the movies.

Sheikh: I think it’s unfortunate that we’ve arrived at a formula. I think it was a lot more experimental a little while ago with Manto, Moor and Shah, and that to me, was more exciting. Now, the industry at large believes that action-comedies around gangs are the way forward.

You don’t necessarily change that, but you need other ideas as well. And even though it might not be liked by everyone, it holds its own value. I’m happy to see people like Nabeel (Qureshi) and Fizza (Ali Meerza), who fuse their own humour in their projects, especially their first two films [Na Maloom Afraad and Actor In Law]. But I feel filmmakers shouldn’t restrict themselves at all, they should explore different genres.

I don’t say that anything should be absolute. It didn’t happen in India overnight either; I worked in theatre across the border, and I met filmmakers there and I got to see how organised they are. I’m talking about the mid-90s and even then, they would provide the best filmmaking students with scholarships, and it was all very expensive back then. Vidhu Vinod Chopra, David Dhawan – they’re all graduates from there.

As Ishvar, the untouchable tailor who gets his legs chopped off in Tamasha's adaptation of Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance at Hampstead Theatre (2006)
As Ishvar, the untouchable tailor who gets his legs chopped off in Tamasha's adaptation of Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance at Hampstead Theatre (2006)

Unfortunately, as a nation, we never gave cinema and that culture the importance that was needed. I think we need the government’s support, we need tax-breaks, and especially for filmmakers who want to experiment, they need to be encouraged. The state needs to be involved beyond the propaganda films to subjects that for instance tackle some social issue.

Images: Lastly, are you planning on working on more films? What genre would you want to tackle next?

Sheikh: Yes, there are a couple of stories I’m developing. One of which I might just produce and act in, but the other I’d also like to direct. Let’s see how things shape up. As an actor, there are two upcoming serials that have kept me busy. I have been asked for some films also, but nothing’s really confirmed as of yet. After Azad comes out, I may just take some time off to write the next one.

As an actor, I feel I’ve always been offered very serious roles throughout, but when I used to work in theatre, in England, I was particularly good at comedy. In Pakistan, I think that aspect of me has been under-utilised; in fact I agreed to do Chupan Chupai also because of the comic bit. So I’ll probably dig some out-and-out comedy next because it’s something I want to do.

Comments

M. Emad Feb 07, 2018 02:35pm
Pakistan government should allow screening Bollywood films.
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Pure Feb 07, 2018 02:55pm
But the state is struggling in supporting itself!
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Alex Feb 07, 2018 03:39pm
@M. Emad Sir Bollywood films are already screening in Pakistan there is no ban. The last released Bollywood Film Padmaavat is doing exceptional business here.
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Falcon1 Feb 07, 2018 04:16pm
Is Cinema just as imporant as Food, Education, Security and Healthcare? No it is NOT! So a poor nation has to allocate resources based on priorities. Even the basic needs of the people of this country are not met by the state. No one dies if they don't get to watch Pakistani movies.
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Rahul Feb 07, 2018 05:39pm
Government funded cinema has never thrived anywhere in the world. Cinema thrives where there is freedom to tell good stories. Pakistani directors have never had that freedom. Good cutting edge cinema will always be controversial like all arts.
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Aamer Feb 07, 2018 05:47pm
@Falcon1 But cinema has value. Film Industry is a massive organisation in itself. It provides jobs. As far as Pakistani cinema is concerned its doing well.
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RubyJack Feb 07, 2018 08:54pm
With all due respect to the effort put in, the trailer is appalling. At least get the voice over done again, better.
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Alba Feb 07, 2018 09:06pm
Movies are America's art form. That is not true of Pakistan.
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SAMEER Feb 08, 2018 08:31am
The voice and dialogue delivery should also go with the scene's intensity. Some thing is lacking.
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SAMEER Feb 08, 2018 08:35am
@Falcon1 "Is Cinema just as imporant as Food, Education, Security and Healthcare?" Do you know how much a Govt earn revenue from Film Industry, no you don't.
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