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Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain starring in a film about Pakistan's most infamous serial killer

Ayesha Omar, Yasir Hussain starring in a film about Pakistan's most infamous serial killer

Hussain will play serial killer Javed Iqbal while Omar will be the police officer interrogating him.
Updated 12 Aug, 2021

Ayesha Omar and Yasir Hussain are starring in a movie on Javed Iqbal, one of Pakistan's most infamous serial killers, who admitted to killing over 100 young boys in Lahore in 1999.

Speaking to Images, Omar said shooting for the movie has started. The film will be in two parts, and the first part is 90 minutes long.

It's based on the investigation into Javed Iqbal, how he confessed, how he was interrogated etc, she said. "I am playing the female police officer who leads the interrogation," she added, describing the film as "fiction based on true events".

"For example, there was no female officer interrogating Javed Iqbal but in his film it is a female officer. The rest of the events are based on Javed Iqbal the serial killer and are true," she said.

While Omar plays a fierce police officer, Hussain is playing the infamous Javed Iqbal. Omar said they have some excellent actors playing other characters, many of whom are theatre actors.

The screenplay was written by Abu Aleeha and is being directed by him as well. "He's a very smart, intelligent man who knows what he’s doing and knows his script," the actor described. "I was very impressed with the homework they had done," she said.

Workshops for the film are done and they're going to start filming now, said Omar, explaining that they want the movie to be ready by the end of September. "It is for Netflix," she said, adding that they will have to see, because Netflix has a lot of procedures. "The film needs to be completed, then they look at it and then they approve it," she explained.

"So InshAllah it is for Netflix, or Pakistani cinemas," said Omar. She later clarified that the filmmakers' first preference is Pakistani cinema but if that doesn't pan out due to the pandemic, the film will be pitched to OTT platforms, such as Netflix.

"I’m very excited. It's a great team that is very organised, the director knows everything, from the breakdown of scenes to schedules, so I'm quite excited," she said.

Who was Javed Iqbal?

Iqbal was found dead in his jail cell on October 9, 2001.

He made a dramatic surrender at the office of an Urdu daily on Dec 30, 1999. The surrender brought an end to the country’s biggest manhunt that was launched after Iqbal himself conveyed the details of his crime to the authorities in the last week of November 1999, through parcels filled with evidence and pictures of his victims.

Besides the parcels, the serial killer left two human skeletons in an acid-filled container at the house from where the police recovered at least nine bags carrying clothes and shoes of the victims.

The parcels also contained a personal diary and a notebook of the self-confessed killer giving each and every detail of his murder. A letter bearing confessional statement of Javed was also attached with the parcels which read: “I had sexually assaulted 100 children before killing them, and had disposed of their bodies in barrels of acid.” A similar parcel was also sent to the office of an Urdu daily.

Comments

Chrís Dăn Aug 12, 2021 12:23pm
I would be looking forward to watch this netflix movie from Pakistan.
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Hummed Yousaf Baig Aug 12, 2021 12:24pm
Please do not bring those dark chronicles from the past for entertainment purposes. This horrific and hideous crime still gives me chills today. I pray for those 100 innocent departed souls who could have lived a beautiful life. It's a request though insignificant to all people in the entertainment industry: I know there are a million psychos out there who would enjoy such shows but please refrain from making shows on such hideous and un mentionable topics.
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Hasan Aug 12, 2021 01:11pm
Rather than promoting something positive they want to go ahead with the serial killer. Very impressive!
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ahmed Aug 12, 2021 02:04pm
sensationalizing someone's misery, pathetic. Also there is no story in this tragic incident, police only came to know about the killings after he voluntarily surrendered.
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ahmed Aug 12, 2021 02:09pm
There is no netflix involved in this film, they're just intending to present it to the streaming site for approval which literally anyone can do. Abu Aleeha is a nothing director who makes too much fuss about his projects.
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Nasir Askar Aug 12, 2021 03:06pm
I am sure there will be song where the killer would be romancing the police officer
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Ali Mehdi Aug 12, 2021 03:11pm
Very bad choice of topic. What is next? A film on young Students killed in APS attack?
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Pakman Aug 12, 2021 04:24pm
Why not a movie people will learn lessons here. One cannot out ones head in sand and say this never happens in Pakistan. It’s a global issue we need to understand and prevent this by securing our children and identifying psychos early.
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Rizwan Aug 12, 2021 05:06pm
What is wrong with these artist. Instead of coming up with something good, they choose such script.
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Iqra Aug 12, 2021 05:59pm
This is so nice!! And to all those people who want “dark history” to be swept under the rug. NO. Stop being stupid. Awareness is necessary, be it from the past. Heads up to the directors and actors!! :D Can’t wait to watch it!
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Jo Aug 12, 2021 06:55pm
Yet we've learned nothing from this tragic episode in our history of children sexually assaulted and killed!
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Just Saying Aug 12, 2021 08:37pm
What is the audience for this movie, can you watch it along with your parents and children?
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Citizen Aug 12, 2021 09:50pm
This topic should not be allowed
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Zeeshan Ahmed Aug 12, 2021 11:11pm
Wish someone made a movie on the victims instead of indirectly glorifying such a vile subhuman by giving him a Netflix series.
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Asma Aug 13, 2021 04:40am
Why on earth would you sensationalise such hideous acts of violence ???
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M. Saeed Aug 13, 2021 08:54am
It would be a big torture for the loved ones of those kids tortured, humiliated and killed in such a way that left no traces of them to be buried. Actors should refrain from reviving the pains.
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Lalina Khan Aug 13, 2021 09:04am
Sickening, would any of them still go ahead with the production if one of their children was among the victims? Disgusting, but typical of our semi-literate and uncouth celebs.
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Waqas siddiqui advocate Aug 13, 2021 09:40am
Nice
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Waqas siddiqui advocate Aug 13, 2021 09:43am
Nice written.
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Ali Akbar Aug 13, 2021 11:19am
@Hummed Yousaf Baig Why do you want things under the rug? This could be inviting to students to pursue psychology, creates interest in therapy, create awareness on psychopaths and crime, inspire police officers and criminologist, detectives. Challenge conventional norms.
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Zia Ahmad Aug 13, 2021 10:30pm
Wow! I'm glad to read a movie being made on this historical crime to bring out social injustice. I wrote a book about it back in 2011. It's on Amazon, called The One Hundred. I look forward to watching the film when it comes out!
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Justice for the victims Aug 14, 2021 05:09pm
@Pakman we could just Teach them at school and make documentaries in which they show how these criminals adescate their victims, etc. However a movie which is made for entertainment educates no one and the vast majority of the people that would watch it, will only consider it as entertainment, nothing that teaches or whatever to people. Other than that the majority of Pakistanis don't even watch Netflix except the middle class or higher, that is why it's better to teach from children to teens these things by having an hour of watching a documentary of how the criminal plan their acts, etc. In their school. This movie is made only as an entertainment with the excuse to educate people, and as far as I know, my classmates once watched a movie regarding a mafia boss but their reaction wasn't anything that could lead to anger, sadness for the victims, disgust or such things, but only an entertainment, as a time pass, fun, etc. This just to show you that people don't reason over such things.
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