The cast of Kahay Dil Jidhar gets candid with BOLD

KARACHI: The pandemic hit us all in different ways, with lockdowns affecting every industry to exist, and it was no different for our film industry as well. The past two years halted the release of many anticipated films and consequently, many award shows had to shelve their film categories. With the cinemas finally being open to the public, the much anticipated Pakistani feature film Kahay Dil Jidhar is all set to make its mark. Releasing in theatres from the 17th of December, the power-packed narrative touches on the realms of drug abuse, corruption, mafias, misuse of power, and money.

The movie features Junaid Khan, Mansha Pasha, Kamran Bari, Roma Michael, Atiqa Odho, Sajid Hasan and Dino Ali in pivotal roles whilst the trailer boasts of a fresh story-line, away from run-of-the-mill flicks.

Keeping aside his cameo in the Mahira Khan and Humayun Saeed starrer Bin Roye, Junaid Khan has proved his mettle time and time again in dramas where his performances spoke volumes of his growth as an actor. The Junaid Khan we know today is mature, refined, and very selective on the roles he picks. Stepping into the shoes of SSP Sheheryar for the film, the actor sat down with BOLD desk and shared what took him this long to venture into the realm of cinema.

“I’ve been getting offers for films ever since I started, but to be very honest, things never really lined up for me. Any time I would consider doing a film I’d face many dilemmas, sometimes the script wouldn’t resonate well with me, or at other times it was my character that put me off, and every so often I had my reservations with the team involved; my heart was never fully content on signing the scripts I was being offered and I was also caught up in my projects on TV.”

So, what was it that convinced the star to sign Kahay Dil Jidhar? A lot of thinking and his gut feeling.

“Like they say, there’s a right time for everything and I could feel it in my bones for this one because the project ticked all the boxes for me. The character had the versatility I wanted to show on the silver screen and the script was great. I didn’t just want to do films for the sake of doing a film, I wanted to do something that I hadn’t done on TV already and this film offered a lot; I got that margin as an actor to develop and perform my character the way I wanted to, I even got to dance which I’ve never done in dramas or at award shows, I also got to explore the genre of comedy. The team was a dream to work with and I was already comfortable with the director, Rumi, since we had worked together on a music video for Call. It was amongst people I could trust. I had already heard the songs for the film when I was offered the script, and I know very well that the music can make or break the film, so I was confident in terms of the soundtracks as well. It was also the cast that pulled me in, I had already worked with Mansha Pasha and her repute as a film actress has been phenomenal, especially in Laal Kabootar, so there was no reason for me to say no to this film.”

With the trailer already sky-rocketing the anticipation, fans and critics have been excited to see Khan play a role that’s comical, witty and also gritty. You’ve never seen him play a cop before and in Kahay Dil Jidhar, he’s not your typical SSP – he has his own way around things and we couldn’t resist but ask him if he underwent special training to play SSP Sheheryar.

“I remember once I was offered the role of a police officer in a drama, but there was nothing substantial in the character. This is how dramas normally are, they’re produced on a small scale and not much attention is paid to the depth of characters, they’re confined to the lounge and for the lounge only. But films are a whole different world to work in, because when you’re playing a character for a film, the scale is bigger, there is room to experiment, to build personality and play around with the character, and that is why I opted to debut with a role like this. There are sentiments attached to this role. It isn’t the same as the sentiment attached to an army officer, because it is based on patriotism and emotion; the latter deserves a serious approach altogether. In comparison, the emotion attached to a policeman is vast, there are shades to the portrayal of a policeman; they can be witty and corrupt or they can be honest and dedicated. So it’s the dedication that matters for the character I am playing. I didn’t have to undergo any special training but we discussed the character with the director and creative producer at great length. I also paid keen attention to the policemen portrayals across international media and observed local policemen around me to get the feel of the character, compiling it all to play SSP Sheheryar.”

Finding massive success with films like Laal Kabootar under her belt, Mansha Pasha, is a force to be reckoned with. Playing a vehement journalist in Kahay Dil Jidhar who is on a mission to expose dirty politics, drugs mafias and corruption, Pasha is thrilled as she talks about her character in depth.

“My character is very 3-dimensional, the character is vast and visible in the film. It’s different from the rest of the characters I’ve played so far because it’s slightly in the grey. I play a journalist in the film and everything revolves around the job. The role is also very different and new to me because there’s glamour and dance involved, something that I haven’t really done in my previous projects, so it’s been an interesting journey playing this character.”

Seldom do we see movies addressing issues as real as drug abuse growing in our society, and for the longest time any conversation around drugs has been stigmatised. Kahay Dil Jidhar aims to start that conversation, hopes Pasha:

“I think the film will highlight the need to speak on topics like this. I am surprised at how prevalent the growing drug abuse problem is in Pakistan and yet nobody thought of making a film on it. So, yes, the film will open a dialogue and initiate conversations around the topic.”

Film promotions, which are in full swing, are a whole new level of keeping one busy and while Pasha is not new to the demanding routine that promotions bring, it’s a new territory for Khan as he speaks on his experience promoting the movie.

“It’s a fairly new and different experience for me. It is pretty hectic too because we have had very little time to promote the film and there are so many places to be at, but the good thing is that I am comfortable being in front of live audiences because I am used to performing for them. It’s just that our time is strictly divided, we get up from one place and leave for the next one and that is how our days go by, so it’s physically and mentally tiring. It’s a new dimension for me, at first, but definitely not the last.”

BOLD desk also spoke to Suroor band’s famed-member Kamran Bari, a new entrant in the field of acting and filmmaking who has been patient in penning down the plot for the film, claims to have given his best in Kahay Dil Jidhar’s script. But what intrigues us is the idea of working on a theme that no one else has worked on before in the industry:

“It’s a bigger problem than you think it is and if I, with my film, can encourage even one person to re-think their life choices and quit drugs, I will consider the film to be a success.”

It’s high time that films start tackling real issues faced by people today, considering how the audiences have changed, and they want content that they can relate to. With director Jalal Rumi ready to tap into the conscience of the society with this film, we’re excited to see if Junaid Khan, Kamran Bari and Roma Michael will impress us with their debuts and if the film will initiate conversations that have otherwise been deemed taboo by the masses.