Chakkar – a much needed break from comedy

In fact, the entire film fraternity looks pretty occupied as five movies are scheduled to release this Eid-ul-Fitr, most of which are light, comedy flicks.

Chakkar has been grabbing everyone’s attention since the trailer has released mainly because of its unique murder-mystery storyline. Being produced under the banner of Farid Nawaz Production, the movie is directed by Yasir Nawaz and produced by Nida Yasir.

Starring Neelum Munir, Ahsan Khan, Naveed Raza, Javed Sheikh, Ahmed Hassan and Yasir Nawaz, the cast  of Chakkar is a cherry on top.

BOLD spoke with the cast to delve deeper into the film’s production, creative process and the risk involved for the producers to follow a different theme.

Yasir Nawaz shared why he took the risk of opting for a murder-mystery story for the film. ‘I made three comedy flicks and they became block busters. To be honest, people would now expect me to do something different; to direct a comedy-thriller. I had written Chakkar almost two years ago but then COVID happened. Chakkar is a risk for me but I was passionate to explore a new genre. I don’t want to be a director or producer who keeps producing monotonous comedy. I wanted to bring something out-of-the-box for the audience which also had commercial means. This is going to be the first time when there will be five Pakistani movies releasing simultaneously, therefore we will see a healthy competition.’

He also raised concerns about the prices of movie ticket stating that the entertainment was just for those who could afford a PKR 1000 ticket. ‘Cinematic experience is not accessible to everyone, which is quite sad. There was a time when movie tickets cost only PKR 50 to 100. I don’t think there is any solution to this as cinema owners have their financial issues. However, for me, producers are the ones who actually suffer as they invest heavily, and earn only a bare minimum amount at the end. Distributors should take care of the producers otherwise no production house would take the risk of investing in films in the coming years, shutting the business eventually. This is a high risk job and no one wants to suffer.’

Many good movies have been produced after COVID, but they couldn’t perform well at the box office as their promotions were either done in haste or not done at all. Yasir stressed on promoting movies aggressively, which he thinks plays a pivotal role in convincing people to get out their house and come to cinemas. ‘Promotion is the homework done to get the result; it brings people to the cinema and from there only your hard work speaks which further decides the fate of your movie – a success or a failure.’

Neelum Munir, who is playing the lead in the film, seemed quite excited about her character. We often see Neelum sharing screen with Yasir on Television whereas she has also come as the lead opposite Sami Khan in Wrong Number.2. Neelum is quite confident about her up-coming movie.

‘I am playing a double role in Chakkar which is quite exhilarating. I have never done a double role. Plus, the script itself is very engaging that I am sure will keep the audiences engaged throughout the movie as there is never a dull moment,’ she excitedly shared.

‘Yasir is an ace director who knows the ins and outs of a movie. He requires perfection in his work and I think the cast has done the job brilliantly.’ She added.

Yasir had same thoughts about the actors and he called each actor as the gem of his film, having sufficient significance which will make this project shine brighter. ‘I had a few names in mind but Neelum stood out because she understands film and its language. This is something god- gifted. A large part of the movie revolves around Neelum although all actors have done a wonderful job in their respective characters.’

Yasir is known as a perfectionist in the industry. Having produced three comedy movies, this was a 360-degree shift for him. ‘Being a producer it was quite challenging in my last three movies, but this time Nida took over and handled a lot of things; wardrobe, styling and almost everything that required an expert’s eye. I am glad that she took up this responsibility and did a marvellous job, hence I could completely focus on the direction.’

He insisted that people shouldn’t only comment but also get involved with the film fraternity, and help them improve the quality of content, for directors are making movies for the local market as their feedback matters. ‘I would like to request everyone to watch the movie; liking it or not is a decision they can form afterwards. Movie is a 100 percent risk as compared to dramas and if people come and watch the movie it will encourage us to do better. If the audience doesn’t  like the movie, then we will wholeheartedly welcome their criticism and reflect over it.’

Nida Yasir has been producing her morning show since quite a while and now has a hands-on experience in production. She has used her expertise in Chakkar and enjoyed being fully involved.

‘In the last three movies, I wasn’t involved much. But this film’s production was all mine while Yasir was busy directing.’

We asked Nida that Yasir acts in majority of his projects, why doesn’t she tries her hands at acting? Nida explicated that with her morning show routine, it was hard to give time to acting. Speaking about her previous collaborations she shared that it was not easy to work with Yasir, ‘We have been working together in serials but it was tough as Yasir wants perfection and if he doesn’t get perfect shots, he gets angry. Now that I have understood his pace and work style, I know he requires the best out of his work and I try to give my 100 percent.’

She seconded Yasir about the casting decision and said that each actor is a flawless fit for the film. ‘We approached many actors and actresses for the film but eventually found the ones who were well suited for the assigned roles. This is a different genre and there has never been a movie made like this. Cinemas are in growing phase and we need our people’s support,’

After Khel Khel Mein, Naveed Raza will be showing his acting prowess in Chakkar. Sharing his experience of working with Chakkar team, he said, ‘I shot Chakkar before Khel Khel Mein. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie as we shot many scenes outdoor.’ Explaining about his character Naveed told us that he is playing a police man in the film who helps in investigating a murder. ‘I have high expectations from this movie and I would look forward to it doing a good business so the producers get encouragement to make more movies which will eventually set the wheel back in motion.’

Last but not the least, a brilliant addition to the cast is that of Ahmed Hasan. Not only is he famous for writing sit-coms, his acting skills are commendable as well. He shared with BOLD that the industry needs to create exceptional content which could draw the audiences to the cinemas once again, helping the film industry to grow and flourish.

Shedding light on comedy being the only genre most of the movies revolve around he said that sensitive issues need intelligent craft and handling. “Storytelling of comedy is easy and one can get away with it as most of the dialogues are sugar-coated. Comedy is a safe bet.”

Explaining his experience of the movie he said ‘Chakkar is a sharp and intelligent movie, directed by an equally sharp and excellent director. Performances are precise, perfect, and up to par which will pull the crowd.’