LAHORE: Baaji, a break-out hit from Pakistan’s cinema offerings, is continuing it’s successful run by heading to the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival on November 16.
Baaji has already played at a number of international film festivals including DC South Asian Film Festival and Canada’s Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, the latter of which bagged a Grand Jury Prize win and nominations for the cast.
The film was showered with generally positive reviews opting to forego traditional storylines and build a meta story where much of the content about Meera’s character was inspired from Meera’s own life.
The latest feather in the film’s cap was announced on the film’s official Instagram page.
Saqib Malik’s drama-thriller starring Meera, Amna Ilyas and Osman Khalid Butt was released in June this year to critical acclaim and commercial success, the film went on to make over PKR 11 crore. The story takes place in the dying days of Lollywood, mirroring the fading career of star Meera (played by Meera) trying to stage a phenomenal comeback with the help of her new friendship with a sharp and resourceful Neha (played by Ilyas) and the cunning Rohail Khan, (played by Butt.)
Pakistani flick ‘Baaji’ heads to Vancouver’s South Asian film festival
Pakistani flick ‘Baaji’ heads to Vancouver’s South Asian film festival
- The film won Grand Jury Prize and nominations for the cast at Canada’s Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
- Saqib Malik's drama-thriller starring Meera has bagged critical acclaim and huge commercial success
Pakistan police tighten New Year’s Eve security in capital, warn of jail time for aerial firing
- More than 350 traffic policemen have been deployed to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow
- New Year celebrations in Pakistan witness heightened security to prevent one-wheeling, rash driving
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s capital police warned on Wednesday anyone engaging in aerial firing on New Year’s Eve in Islamabad could face jail time, as authorities deployed more than 350 traffic officers to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow.
Around eight special traffic squads have been formed to curb one-wheeling and rash driving, according to Pakistani state media. The report quoted an Islamabad traffic police spokesperson urging parents to prevent minors from underage driving.
New Year’s Eve in Pakistan sees heightened security in major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, with authorities increasing police presence to control incidents like aerial firing that have caused deaths in the past.
“Whoever fires in the air will go straight to jail,” said the law enforcement department in a post on X. “Islamabad Police will take strict action against those who fire in the air.”
The post said the police were “determined to ensure security and traffic flow on the occasion of the New Year.”
“One-wheeling is a crime that inevitably results in lifelong disability or loss of precious lives,” it added.
According to a report by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), heavy vehicles will be barred from entering Islamabad between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. It added that parking on roads will be prohibited, and police will remain on duty throughout the night.
Aerial firing is a common but dangerous practice in Pakistan during celebrations, and it has caused several fatalities in the past.
More than 20 people including two women were injured in multiple incidents of aerial firing in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on the last New Year’s Eve.
According to data compiled by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed, 19 people were injured due to aerial firing in 2020, 11 in 2021, 20 in 2022, 40 in 2023 and 26 in 2024.
