The film Channa suchi muchi whose production started in 2005 is finally ready for release. roducer Ijaz Bajwa is successfully running a production house called IB Entertainment. In the last seven years he has made at least 28 hit TV serials including Yaad to ain ge,Khata, Kisay awaz doon,Shahzadi,Malangi,Zewar,Bint-e-Adam,Roshni and Mirch masala. These plays have been aired on different TV channels.
Unlike other local films Channa suchi muchi 80 percent shooting of the film has been done outdoors at original locations. Sets have been used only for indoor shoots. The film has seven songs including an item song, which the attraction of international star Mehr Hassans dance performance. Khalil ur Rehman is the lyricist of five of these songs while Riaz Ur Rehman Sagar and Altaf Bajwa have written one song each. Wajid Saeed has composed the music. Indian singers HarshDeep and Babul Saperio and Pakistani playbacks Saima Jahan, Azra Jahan and Naseebo Lal have rendered their voices for the film. Flute player Bakar Abbas has given the background music.
This is the first Pakistani film, which has digital intermediate treatment and postproduction from Adlab, Mumbai. Chana suchi muchi aimed at providing audiences with good entertainment sans the violence often seen in Lollywood movies. Khalilur Rehman Qamar was the director while actor Shan played the male lead. Other artistes in the cast included Saima, Baber Ali, Hina Shaheen, Shafqat Cheema, Sardar Kamal, Babbu Baral and Iftikhar Thakur. 50 percent shooting of the film had been completed when the first problem hit it. ?There was a fight between Khalilur Qamar and Shan. The shooting was postponed for an indefinite period. A lot of money had been spent on the shooting. I was in a fix at what to do. Either I had to back the director or support the hero. I decided to stand by the director. Shan was out of the film project.
Moammer Rana replaced Shan. The film had to be shot again. Interestingly only 20 percent additional shooting had been done when it again had to be stopped. This time the differences were between the director and myself. He was not paying proper attention towards the film project and had a lot of attitude problems. I was left with no option but either to wrap up the project or lead it myself,Bajwa said while narrating how he became a film director.
In 2007 I had to take the tough decision. I was the producer and was facing great loss. I had become fed up with the director who was not paying attention to the film. Becoming a director was a new experience. I have been engaged in making plays but had never ever been behind the camera.
I always strive to give free hand to my team including assistant directors, musicians, artistes and technical staff. I did never make an effort to venture into their working but I was so much fed up when director was not paying attention to complete the shooting of this movie.
I came in the field of direction without any experience. God almighty helped me. I wasn't a qualified director. I took it as a challenge. People associated with the industry have appreciated my work. Now it is up to the people to accept or reject it, Bajwa was of the view.
During the shooting I learnt that the script of the film wasn't complete. I had to complete it including the ending. The prolonged filming has increased the cost of the project three times what had been anticipated. The film industry is not dead and never will, Bajwa maintained.
He will release the film by the end of this year. Earlier he had planned to release the film in Indian Punjab and UAE as well. Now he says it all depends on the film's success. The repute of our films is not good. If the film does well at the box office here we will definitely be releasing it worldwide, he maintained.
Bajwa says he had to go to Mumbai for the postproduction. It is unfortunate that we do not have the facilities available here in Pakistan. I am planning to establish my own digital audio studio and lab here, he said.
Chana sachi muchi may prove to be a small ray of hope for the failing local film industry. It is a period film depicting a love story between a Muslim young man and a Hindu girl in the backdrop of the road to independence. The film, however, has no scenes showing the violence of partition. But one must understand that one project alone cannot revive the industry. There is need for starting more film projects. The federal and provincial ministries of culture need to evolve strategy to revive the film industry and one such step could be encouraging new film producers.
