One must give it to the minds behind 7 Din Mohabbat In for putting together the cast to make their intended fairytale work. There would be few rom-com duos better than Ho Mann Jahaan star Sheheryar Munawar (Tipu) opposite one of Pakistan’s most sought after stars, Mahira Khan (Neeli).
On top of that, directors Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi offered a coming-of-age story in which they asked Fasih Bari Khan to come up with comic – and sometimes pragmatic – writing with Rana Kamran’s cinematography getting the most out of the Karachi setting.
Mahira has certainly grown as an actor, clearly eying versatile roles. After depicting a quest for women’s empowerment in Verna, she has taken a contrasting route here as a charming cousin, adding humour to her repertoire. Neeli is the funny, dramatic girl who has everything – but the man of her choice, Tipu.
Neeli, however, isn’t the centre of the storyline, which is largely about a timid, dorky and zero-ish guy who lives with his uncompromising mother (Hina Dilpazeer), and serves at a jewellery store in Saddar. Tipu has no life and his future is far from bright. His dream? To find the woman of his dreams. Because that’s the only thing that’ll make his life any better, apparently.
Although it’s a leaf out of the age-old love drama, there’s a sprinkling of intrigue. Javed Sheikh as evil spirit Dwarka Prasad wants poor Tipu to make a special girl fall for him, or else he’ll make him his eternal slave. Accepting the weird terms, Tipu in his desperation goes on a quest to find sacha pyar within a week’s time. Tipu, along with his friend, force their fate to take a U-turn. However, things get out of hand soon after.
We should spare a thought for the zero-to-hero transformation. Sheheryar is a good-looking guy by most standards. How do you make him look the opposite? It’s simple:just force him blow his nostrils, wear Peter Parker spectacles and not comb his overly grown hair from one side.
The makers have worked on well-crafted costumes for all characters, especially for Tipu to give colour to his appearance as he reaches his high. And thence, Tipu finds himself with not one but three girls!
The abundance of love interests sets the stage for what’s to follow. Tipu is shown chasing Ghazala (Amna Ilyas), a women’s rights activist, and Princess Sonu (Mira Sethi), a British Pakistani. The ante is upped on the drama,with the script going on overdrive.
Shuja Haider’s music strikes many a chord. Yunhi Rastay Mai sung by Ali Sethi and Aima Baig is the pick of the lot, as it plays perfect foil to the romance that it acts as the backdrop to. The qawaali Kaahay Ko Biyaahi Bides, where hopeless Neeli goes to a shrine, is a pivotal part of the story and is narrated flawlessly with high-end visual art. Saudai Saiyan brings back the debate over item numbers themselves, with transgender model Rimal Ali on the fore.
Javed Sheikh and Hina Dilpazeer have absolutely cashed in on their vaults of experience. The dedication that they showed to the respective assignments has set an example for emerging talents.
We often see young stars overdoing their roles while wanting to be in the limelight of the big productions. This shouldn’t be the case because the art of perfecting a role is to stick to the boundaries and improvising it such that it be remembered in the future.
7DMI is this year’s biggest entertainer. Although there are some objectionable ‘lifted’ portions, the overall package had everything to cash in on Eid – which the film successfully managed to do.
Laughs abounded in packed houses – with the chemistry between Sheheryar Munawar and Mahira Khan also being lauded. The performances of Amna Ilyas and Mira Sethi are being lauded no less.
It was always expected that Dwarka’s terror would cease. However, the way the filmmakers maneuvered the characters was sublime. Most importantly, 7DMI had freshness, allowing the viewer to ignore its evident shortcomings.
There are few films which demonstrate a step up in execution in their selected genres. 7DMI is definitely one of those.
On top of that, directors Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi offered a coming-of-age story in which they asked Fasih Bari Khan to come up with comic – and sometimes pragmatic – writing with Rana Kamran’s cinematography getting the most out of the Karachi setting.
Mahira has certainly grown as an actor, clearly eying versatile roles. After depicting a quest for women’s empowerment in Verna, she has taken a contrasting route here as a charming cousin, adding humour to her repertoire. Neeli is the funny, dramatic girl who has everything – but the man of her choice, Tipu.
Neeli, however, isn’t the centre of the storyline, which is largely about a timid, dorky and zero-ish guy who lives with his uncompromising mother (Hina Dilpazeer), and serves at a jewellery store in Saddar. Tipu has no life and his future is far from bright. His dream? To find the woman of his dreams. Because that’s the only thing that’ll make his life any better, apparently.
Most importantly, 7DMI had freshness, allowing the viewer to ignore its evident shortcomings
Although it’s a leaf out of the age-old love drama, there’s a sprinkling of intrigue. Javed Sheikh as evil spirit Dwarka Prasad wants poor Tipu to make a special girl fall for him, or else he’ll make him his eternal slave. Accepting the weird terms, Tipu in his desperation goes on a quest to find sacha pyar within a week’s time. Tipu, along with his friend, force their fate to take a U-turn. However, things get out of hand soon after.
We should spare a thought for the zero-to-hero transformation. Sheheryar is a good-looking guy by most standards. How do you make him look the opposite? It’s simple:just force him blow his nostrils, wear Peter Parker spectacles and not comb his overly grown hair from one side.
The makers have worked on well-crafted costumes for all characters, especially for Tipu to give colour to his appearance as he reaches his high. And thence, Tipu finds himself with not one but three girls!
The abundance of love interests sets the stage for what’s to follow. Tipu is shown chasing Ghazala (Amna Ilyas), a women’s rights activist, and Princess Sonu (Mira Sethi), a British Pakistani. The ante is upped on the drama,with the script going on overdrive.
Shuja Haider’s music strikes many a chord. Yunhi Rastay Mai sung by Ali Sethi and Aima Baig is the pick of the lot, as it plays perfect foil to the romance that it acts as the backdrop to. The qawaali Kaahay Ko Biyaahi Bides, where hopeless Neeli goes to a shrine, is a pivotal part of the story and is narrated flawlessly with high-end visual art. Saudai Saiyan brings back the debate over item numbers themselves, with transgender model Rimal Ali on the fore.
Javed Sheikh and Hina Dilpazeer have absolutely cashed in on their vaults of experience. The dedication that they showed to the respective assignments has set an example for emerging talents.
We often see young stars overdoing their roles while wanting to be in the limelight of the big productions. This shouldn’t be the case because the art of perfecting a role is to stick to the boundaries and improvising it such that it be remembered in the future.
7DMI is this year’s biggest entertainer. Although there are some objectionable ‘lifted’ portions, the overall package had everything to cash in on Eid – which the film successfully managed to do.
Laughs abounded in packed houses – with the chemistry between Sheheryar Munawar and Mahira Khan also being lauded. The performances of Amna Ilyas and Mira Sethi are being lauded no less.
It was always expected that Dwarka’s terror would cease. However, the way the filmmakers maneuvered the characters was sublime. Most importantly, 7DMI had freshness, allowing the viewer to ignore its evident shortcomings.
There are few films which demonstrate a step up in execution in their selected genres. 7DMI is definitely one of those.