ISLAMABAD: Step aside falafel, there’s another Egyptian export that’s set to take Islamabad by storm.
If all things go as planned, the country will be treated to “122” — an Egyptian thriller which is being dubbed in Urdu — marking the first time an Arabic language film will be shown in cinemas here.
The film is all set to release in Pakistan on January 18, film critic and analyst Mohammad Kamran Jawaid told Arab News.
Commenting on the cultural exchange initiative between the two countries, Danyal Gilani, Chairman of Pakistan’s Central Film Censor Board told Arab News that he welcomed the idea. “It presents a good opportunity to understand the culture and traditions of another country while bringing the people closer,” Gilani said.
Gilani said that Pakistan’s film industry is undergoing a revival phase and that the country’s cinemas need good content and entertaining films. “It is hoped that Pakistani films will also get an opportunity to be shown in Egypt,” he said.
The film — the first Arab film to be made using the immersive 4DX format — will see the acclaimed director, Yasir Al-Yasiri take the hot seat and is being produced by Saif Oraibi. The trailer of the film — starring Amina Khalil, Gihan Khalil, Tarek Lotfy, Mamdooh Mohammed, Mohammed Dawood, and Ahmed el-Fishawy – has already been released on social media.
The 1960s and 1970s were considered the golden age of Pakistani cinema. However, the country’s film industry suffered a massive decline in the past decade, with experts now hoping that the inclusion of new local and foreign content could once again attract audiences to the box office.
In order to revive the film industry, an agreement was signed between the Top Events Company (TEC) of Saudi Arabia and IHA Entertainment of Pakistan in September last year. The measure was part of efforts to facilitate the screening and co-production of Pakistani films in the Kingdom.
