Shamoon (Bin Zubair) Abbasi is a man with a mission. Making a movie is never easy and it is even harder to make one in Pakistan. It requires a rare mixture of unflagging drive and sheer force of will combined with a passion for creativity that very few of us can muster. Shamoon Abbasi is one such individual who makes it all look easy. We have been watching him for years as a successful drama actor and then most recently on the big screen; fighting the one and only Shaan Shahid ,(James Bond style on a rooftop in Islamabad no less) in the unforgettable Waar.Villain or hero , it hardly matters ; a good actor like Shamoon makes an impact no matter what the role is

 Recently we spoke to him about his upcoming movie Gidh :

Tell us a little about your new Movie GIDH

Gidh is a romantic thriller with loads of emotional situations in which we cover the behind the scenes of showbiz and media aspects, it’s unlike any other movie yet made in Pakistan ..Gidh has a super collection of singers including Rahat Fateh Ali and Ali Azmat and few more amazing new singers ..Gidh has almost 6 songs in total

Who wrote the script and what attracted you to this story specifically?

The script was written by the late  Zubair Abbasi(my Father).He was a Nigar awarded writer who wrote many hit plays for television ..what attracted me most about this concept was that Gidh has a real drive about its story and the viewers will be able to relate to the characters in the movie ..

Your film stars the one and only Shaan Shahid  . There is no doubt that he is both talented and extremely popular but with so many Pakistani films starring him, how will your movie stand out from the crowd?

.Shaan has been in the film industry since a long time now ..his presence in the movie is always a pleasure for the viewers ..but in GIdh there are other actors and elements too that will support his role and me being in the movie against Shaan one more time will surely give the viewers some interesting sequences ..and the girls we have in the movie are amazing, they are sure to keep us glued with their roles and elegance.

Gidh also stars Sara Loren(Mona Lisa), what is her role in the movie ?

Sara Loren (Mona Lisa) will be playing the role of an actress and a super star ..( I cannot reveal any more )

 How difficult is it to make a Film in Pakistan , ? Can you name your biggest hurdles?

Making a movie is always a difficult task everywhere in the world ..not because of technical aspects….but because the concept has to be grinded and fortified before launching it in the world ..the only hurdle I faced was some senior actors miss commitments in the process

 What conditions would you like to see changed that would facilitate our nascent film industry?

I would like to see a new set of people dealing with the film industry. I don’t like the television mentality when dealing with the film fraternity. Or we will end up following the same terms and conditions as happened in television. Films are bigger and the money factors doesn’t come by sponsors here, it’s purely between the makers and the viewers .So no other sector shall try to intervene in the process it shall be a free zone for the makers to think freely about the concepts as Pakistan is a virgin industry and every story is new for the cinema.

Is Gidh going to be released at an international level?

Yes, Gidh is going to be released internationally, simultaneously in many countries..as per its promotional campaign we have uploaded its first look teaser from around 8 different countries and as a result now the teaser has reached to various countries like Hungary ,Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Morocco and so on ..So we plan to cover all the viewers around the globe with subtitles in the film (GIdh is purely in Urdu).

 What do you want the audience to take home from your movie after they see it?

I want the viewers to know that our film industry is not just producing films based on terrorism and war or politics but we are also able to combine all the basic elements that our viewers relate to: ..romance ..tragedy..vendetta..and hope at the end ..as I said Gidh is a musically driven film which will provide entertainment from every aspect..hence I am sure Gidh will provide the required (masala) flavour to the viewers..

When is your film Gidh being released ?

The second quarter of 2015.

 Who is your inspiration? What drives you?

My inspiration is the fact that Pakistan has a lot of potential and it’s about time that everyone eligible needs to be given a chance to prove it ..And I want to be helpful in the process I am not doing movies just for myself but to introduce loads of talent which should be launched in this coming decade..

 If you could make a dream project where there were no limitations, who would you cast and what kind of movie would you make?

My dream project is Gidh for now. Once I’m done with it i surely will make my wish list ..But one wish is to work with A.R.REHMAN in my upcoming projects

Do you have any other projects lined up after Gidh?

Yes after Gidh we have 2 more films coming and the music has been produced. One movie is a comedy and the other one is a horror flick….let’s hope they are being released soon too..

 As a filmmaker can you tell us why it takes so long to release a Pakistani Movie ? is it because Pakistan does not have the right facilities ?

Pakistan used to have a proper functional industry back in the 60’s to 80’s era ..But later that industry became regional and films were only made for one class mostly resulting in the common family man avoiding going to the cinemas for a decent film but now, since 2013 films like WAAR, MAIN HOON SHAHID AFRIDI, BOL, CHAMBELI and few more, the middle classes have started attending the shows and spending money on our revival movies but to produce such movies it takes some time because gaining the trust of our new viewers is not easy. Hence everything takes its due time. Plus production levels are being expanded now and new infra structures are being created. We are like primary students in this new movie era. But soon u will see faster results in the releases inshallah.

 How much does it cost to make a movie in Pakistan? Is it hard to find backing?

A movie can vary from 5 crores to 30, crores but it is dependent upon the viewers and distributor to re generate the investments and gain some profits out of it ..These figures will vary with time and stability of the cinema owners

Please tell us who are your favourite director and actor?

My favourite director is Martin Scorsese Mani Ratnam, Imtiaz Ali, Vishal Bhardwaj and few more. The actors list is too large to share…. haha..

What movies has inspired you?

Movies with different cultures and diverse combinations always inspire me.

 

Interviewed By Sadaf  from the team at DramaPakistani