Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor’s “Khuda Kay Liye” was the first Pakistani film to find a theatrical release in India in over four decades. The director now plans to shoot his next movie in Mumbai. It took him a good 25 years to make his first feature film, which was widely appreciated in India.
“Making a film in Pakistan is not easy. I’ve fought many battles, petty and epic, to make ‘Khuda Kay Liye’. Now of course, I’ll make my next film out of Mumbai. I’m committed to Percept Pictures for my next,” Mansoor told IANS from Pakistan.
“And I think I’ll make it within a year. This time I can focus on writing and directing the film while my producers will take care of everything else. But it will take me a year to get the script in place,” the director said.
He is amused with reports that he has already finalised Shaan, the Pakistan matinee idol who played the lead in “Khuda Kay Liye”, for his next directorial venture. “When I haven’t even decided what I’ll make next how can I confirm about the cast? It’s unlikely that Shaan will be part of my next project.”
The Pakistani superstar didn’t quite give Shoaib an easy time while shooting for “Khuda Kay Liye”. Though Shaan agreed to change his image and do a starkly realistic role, he seemed to lose interest halfway and did nothing to support the film’s promotion after release.
“The star system is no different in Pakistan or India. India has some great acting talent. And I’d love to work with all of them. But at this juncture it would be highly premature to mention names because I’ve no one in mind.”
Mansoor is now getting ready for a three-week trip to Japan from July 20 where he’s being honoured by a Japanese body. “This year I’ve a lot of travelling to do. ‘Khuda Kay Liye’ had a much longer shelf life than I had imagined. My next film will also have a very strong socio-political content.
“I don’t think cinema is about making 150 girls and boys dance on top of a Swiss mountain. It’s a very powerful medium. Let’s not use it for frivolity.”
— By Subhash K. Jha
