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Deputy Inspector General of Police Akbar Nasir Khan found inspiration for composing music in Rahat Fateh Ali Khan who encouraged him to compose music of his movie, Daal Chawal.

Academically a civil engineer, he believes Pakistan needs educated people and intellectuals in cinema to make it socially relevant and meaningful.

Akbar Nasir Khan is the producer, writer and music director of the movie, Daal Chawal, released on Oct 4.

A Funclub Production, the movie, focusing on image-building of police, has been directed by Awais Khalid and it has Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Jabbar Abbas and Maria Mir as playback singers. The theme song of the movie has been sung by Rahat.

The cast has heavyweights such as Salman Shahid and Shafqat Cheema with the new faces such as Ahmed Sufiyan and Momina Iqbal as male and female leads.

Akbar Nasir Khan told Dawn, “The film is doing good at the box office. The response is bit slow since the film is not a commercial venture. But it carries a public service message aimed at building the image of police and policing in Pakistan in connection with the Safe City Project”.

H said the basic message in the film was how to lead an honest and upright life and how one could do crime management on rational lines.

“The unemployed youth needs channels and film for sure is the most powerful medium to convey one’s massage,” Mr Khan said. The families of police martyrs were invited as chief guests at the premier of the movie and it was an emotional moment for them, he added.

Talking about the future plan, he said the film might be released on Netflix too and it might also be screened in other countries.

The very name of the movie immediately set in motion the taste buds of the cinegoer since movie’s name is related to a local cuisine, Daal Chawal.

Khan said this is a private production feature film which revolves around the story of an erudite young man Ahmed.

“In a colorful transforming environment of Lahore where policing is changing by installation of cameras and use of technology it is becoming increasingly difficult for the criminals to get away with their old tactics, Safe City Centre is a hawk’s eye of police for checking criminals,” stated Khan.

Originally published in Dawn, October 13th, 2019