I went to Poland and saw what went on behind the scenes of Ali Zafar's film Teefa in Trouble
Warsaw is a city steeped in film history. For decades, filmmakers have been falling to its many charms.
There are of course the local masters, such as Andrzej Wajda or Krzystof Kieslowski who have set some of their most iconic tales in the Polish capital. And then there are modern directors such as David Lynch or Lars von Trier who have used it as a backdrop for their existential, surreal commentaries on humanity.
Next in line to join this august company is Ahsan Rahim. Together with Ali Zafar, he has created his debut feature Teefa in Trouble, an action-comedy that’s set up shop in Warsaw for the last leg of the shooting schedule. A busy crew and a positive buzz greet me the day I’m granted an exclusive behind-the-scenes look for Icon and what I see looks very promising: high-octane car chases with stunt work to make the heartbeat increase exponentially. But more on that later.
It’s a clear, sunny day and even though it’s the middle of July, for some reason my prejudiced head cannot process this fact. On my way over, I was picturing a dreary, rainy place but Warsaw makes quite the opposite impression on me as soon as my train enters the station. It’s a lovely city bursting with culture at every corner.
One or two monuments checked, local delicacies scoffed, I receive the directions from the production manager and make my way to the set.
The place is easy to find but still quite a trek to get to. Looking back at my notes, I’ve scribbled “abandoned warehouse” to keep hold of my initial reaction of the location, but this isn’t true at all. It’s not abandoned; this is some kind of a racecourse where people can spin some laps for a small fee.
“This may end up being the most expensive Pakistani production,” AliZafar says to me.
I also spot, rather ominously, an arms shop. Two guys are sitting in front of it and cleaning their rifles. This is surely the perfect movie setting for hot pursuits and getaway vehicles.
I finally reach and see an assortment of police cars lining up a narrow, one-way road. I hear someone shout “action” (ah, that one global thing about movie sets) and they speed away one by one, disappearing around the corner. This is part of an elaborate chase sequence that I will get to see in various angles during the first part of the day. But before that, Ali Zafar greets me in his trailer. He’s taking it easy, as the concurrently shot stunt portions don’t require his constant presence.