KARACHI: Pakistani acting powerhouses Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa are set to mark their return on the silver screen this Eid Al-Fitr with “Aag Lagay Basti May,” with the actress describing their chemistry as somewhat similar to popular cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. 

The film stars Khan and Mustafa in lead roles, with the latter essaying “Barkat,” an honest man who cringes at the very thought of crime and theft. Khan plays Almas, his partner, who has had enough of his honesty and wants to live a life of crime, and savor the spoils that come with it. 

Written and directed by filmmaker Bilal Atif Khan, the film has been produced by ARY Films, Salman Films and also Mustafa. It stars veteran actor Javed Sheikh and popular comedian Tabish Hashmi in key roles. 

The film revolves around Almas and Barkat as they turn to petty crimes to improve their standard of living. The couple partakes in crime, mostly at Almas’ prodding, and find themselves in hilarious situations. However, the plot thickens when crime bosses played by Sheikh and Hashmi get involved in the mix. 

“Well, I think they are so cute,” Khan said about Almas and Barkat’s on-screen dynamic. “They are like Tom and Jerry, with me being Jerry and Fahad bechara [poor] being Tom.”

Mustafa and Khan, both superstars with several hit movies and drama serials to their credit, have worked before in the 2022 comedy film “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.”

This film, however, is very different. It features Khan in a different avatar of Almas, and takes place in a low-income neighborhood in Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi. 

Khan insists initially she thought she could not pull off the movie but later decided to drop another for it. 

“My initial reaction was that there is no way I can do this,” she said, laughing. “But I do have to say that there was another film and then there was this, and I was like, if I had to do one of them, it has to be this.”

Khan said she approached Almas’ character by analyzing and tapping into her emotions. 

“You first build the character with the look — getting the clothes right, the accent right, the way she talks,” she explained.

But beyond the physical transformation, she focused on the character’s motivations.

“Every time you see her, she has greed in her eyes,” the actress said. “You should see wanting more. It’s not enough to be in this basti [shack], it’s not enough to make this much money, it’s not enough to steal 500 or 1,000 rupees every day.

“Nothing is enough for her.”

Coming back to the on-screen duo, Khan said at times their relationship even resembled a criminal partnership of sorts.

“It’s like Bonnie and Clyde also,” she said, hinting at unexpected twists in the story.

Mustafa marks his debut as a producer with Aag Lagay Basti May. But what made him decide to produce the flick?

“For the love of the art, one has to give back to the industry,” he explained. 

The Pakistani actor has high hopes from the movie and of it performing well on release. 

“I think entertaining, honest and modern,” he said, describing the movie.