Shafqat Amanat Ali To Sing For Sabiha Sumar’s ‘Rafina’
The Pakistani classical singer, Shafqat Amanat Ali has lent his voice for a Pakistani film titled Rafina, and the video of the song was choreographed by Joshinder Chaggar, who has also performed in Zeb & Haniya’s music video ‘Aitebar’ and in Jal’s music video ‘Morey Piya’.
‘Rafina‘ is director Sabiha Sumar‘s second feature film, after giving Pakistan its first worldwide release in 35 years in the form of Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters). Rafina is ready to release around September 2011, and like Khamosh Pani, Rafina will again have a worldwide release.
The film is based on a novella of the same name, written by critically acclaimed Pakistani writer Shandana Minhas (author of ‘Tunnel Vision’) and the preproduction was ready since 2005 but it took her many years to get the right amount of investment needed for the film.
Rafina is a story about a woman, from a very low income group, who wants to be a model. The film is a modern day Cinderella story of Pakistan about a girl who wants to be the next big thing, Sumar told The Express Tribune.
Rafina stars Amna Eliyas in the lead role. Other cast members include Yasir, Atta Yaqub, Saba Hameed, Khalid Malik, Beo Rana Zafar, Farhan Ali Agha and Joshinder Chaggar.
It may seem nonserious as compared to Khamosh Pani which won 7 awards, including Golden Leopard (Best Film), Best Actress and Best Direction at the 56th Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, given that Rafina has the element of song and dance in it.
With a 100-minute runtime, Rafina is set for a world premiere after September 2011 and Sabiha hopes that cinema owners in Pakistan run it. Sabiha told The Express Tribune,
“We had to create mobile theatre halls for Khamosh Pani and those theatre halls used to travel from village to village, town to town to set up screenings for people. To our surprise, as many as 1,000 people showed up at certain screenings and the questions that were asked afterwards were far more mature than what you expect from a rural audience.”
“Hollywood, Europe and Bollywood have their own styles of filmmaking. Sadly though, we haven’t developed any style of Pakistani cinema because there are no films being made as such. So, whoever is making whatever kind of film is fine because right now we need films; film is an expensive yet effective medium.”
What remains as a major concern for Sabiha today is the absence of a Pakistani dream. With Rafina, she wants to give the people a Pakistani dream to look toward,
“Why is the American dream so personal to the people of America, Why is Indian nationalism so strong within the people of India? It is largely because their filmmakers keep promoting it – that is what I want to do through my films. I want Pakistani people to see a Pakistani dream.”
Rafina seems to be the next big thing to look forward to.
[ via – ET ]
