Until a few weeks back, chances were that many people wouldn’t be going to the cinema to watch the Lollywood film Lafangay, which was made in 30 days. But after its rendition of the popular Bollywood song Aaj Blue Hai Pani from the film Yaariyan went viral, things may be looking up for the film.
The Lollywood version of the song, which features famous Punjabi theatre actor Iftikhar Thakur, has been making the rounds on the web and caused quite a stir. “I am open about the fact that we have been inspired by films from across the border. I think people liked the film [Lafangay] and we have tried to mould our songs in accordance with the popular trend in India,” says Nasim Haider Shah, director of Lafangay. “India has far better quality and standards. One thing we did was that we shot the film in HD, which improved the production value of the film.”
Shah is prominently known for making low budget B and C grade films in Saraiki, Urdu and Punjabi. He has previously worked with Iftikhar Thakur, who is commonly regarded as one of the best comedians who have emerged from theatre and has, in the past, has been reluctant to work in films.
Lafangay played for a couple of weeks at the Metropole Cinema and has been playing at several smaller cinemas across Punjab. In the film, Thakur plays the role of a village boy who has come to the city where he is set to complete his graduation. His desire is to marry a modern city girl and the rest of the film revolves around the challenges he faces in pursuing such a girl.
“We needed a song that would be in line with Thakur’s character and him chasing the girl, so we found Aaj Blue Hai Pani to be a perfect fit,” says Shah. The song has been shot at a farmhouse on Raiwind Road and includes extras from Thakur’s theatre troupe.
The song also features theatre dancer Mahnoor, who was also seen shaking a leg in another Bollywood-song inspired item number for the film Dirty Girl. Currently, in the local theatre circuit her dances are some of the most sought-after ones.
Mahnoor, who performs two shows daily at the Mehfil theatre, says she was surprised to see the viral success the song has become. She shares that the stigma attached to theatre dancers is upsetting as they have always tried to push boundaries while maintaining a certain standard.
Defining the line between ‘vulgarity’ and ‘boldness’ Mahnoor says that while people are thinking the video is vulgar, it’s only intent was to be bold. “This video has a little glamour and is an innocent effort, which people have liked. I think that in India, one thing you see with item songs is that they are bold, not obscene. I have also done a version of Baby Doll, which also has the same purpose.”
“Considering the budget of the film, I am pretty happy with the response it has received. An important rule of item songs is that you have to bring something new and that is what I am known for,” says Mahnoor.
The video of the awkward-looking Thakur, trying to sing romantically to Mahnoor is being considered as a gimmick and called one of the weakest attempts at remaking a song. Regardless of this prevalent viewpoint, the video has massively gained attention on social media platforms.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2014.
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