The latest Pakistani film, The Legend of Maula Jatt, has received glittering reviews from critics and audiences. Reportedly, it was the most expensive Pakistani film to date, so expectations were also through the roof.
The Punjabi film was a remake of 1979 classic ‘Maula Jatt’ featuring Sultan Rahi and Mustafa Qureshi in the roles of Maula Jatt and Noori Natt, respectively. Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi took on the legendary characters in the remake. The writer of the original, Nasir Adeeb, lent his pen for the remake as well, while Bilal Lashari led the project as director.
It was opened up in cinemas on October 13 to mixed reviews. While many viewers were mesmerized by its striking visuals, others did not find it according to its hype.
The Legend of Maula Jatt Smashes Box Office
The Legend of Maula Jatt was a huge success at the box office, collecting 19 crore PKR (870,000 USD) from 5 countries in its first 3 days after release. Despite the criticism, the film is expected to break all the records in Pakistani cinema as many moviegoers have expressed the desire to watch it again.
The story revolves around revenge in the fictional setting of Punjab. A rival clan murders the family of protagonist Maula Jatt when he is young. Fueled by grief and anger, Jatt grows up to become a prize-fighter and sets himself on a journey to destroy the culprits with his axe-like weapon called “gandasa”.
Besides over-the-top action and bloody violence, there is also a hint of romance which falls short due to the dark and ominous theme.
Cinematography
The major part of The Legend of Maula Jatt that the audience liked was its cinematography. The film shot with the Red Epic W camera captured the gore in its true essence. The audience was blown away by the visual quality of the fight scenes with all the blood splatter and dismemberment. It was something they never saw in Pakistani cinema, so it gave them a sort of Game of Thrones/Lord of the Rings vibe. In the past, Pakistan was unable to produce action sequences of such magnitude due to a lack of technology. However, TLoMJ has proved that the country is now up to the challenge of visual effects. Some viewers can’t stop sharing the video clips from the movie on social media.
Humaima Malick Steals the Show
Viewers and critics have praised the powerful acting of the cast, which includes Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira Khan, Humaima Malick, Gohar Rasheed, Shafqat Cheema, Babar Ali, Faris Shafi, and Resham. However, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malick, and Gohar Rasheed have been particularly receiving high praise for thier work. Humaima came out as a standout performer in her role of Daro Natt, the sister of antagonist Noori Natt (Abbasi). Her character was shown as an only woman surviving in a clan dominated by men. Daro trains to be a horse rider and sword fighter while coming out as more fearless and honourable than the men surrounding her all her life. Viewers have even considered her performance better than the lead, Mahira Khan, whose character was limited to being Maula Jatt’s love interest.
Malick has previously worked with Mahira Khan in Bol (2011). She has also appeared alongside Emraan Hashmi in the Bollywood film Raja Natwarlal (2014).
Amazing Job by Gohar Rasheed
Another performer who won the audience’s heart was Gohar Rasheed. The actor played the role of the antagonist’s brother Maakha Natt. As the younger member of the Natt family, he is as evil as anybody can imagine, which excites modern viewers. Rapist, sex slaver, addict of inhaling scorpion venom – he’s all in one. Rasheed’s portrayal of Maakha was a perfect blend of scare and entertainment, which made him come off as a pleasant surprise to viewers.
Rasheed made his debut in the Pakistan film industry with Seedlings (2014). Since then, he has worked in several TV dramas and films. Some of his notable work in TV includes Digest Writer (2014), Mann Mayal (2017), Ishqiya (2020), and Laapata (2021). Besides The Legend of Maula Jatt, he has also appeared in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (2013), Jawani Phir Nahi Aani (2015), and London Nahi Jaunga (2022).
Chemistry Between Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan
Viewers started sweating as soon as the film’s trailer revealed Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in an on-screen relationship. The Humsafar duo is loved by Pakistani audiences. They were eagerly waiting to see the couple in another project, and The Legend of Maula Jatt answered their prayers.
The film has strong adult themes, so it may have added a little fuel to the fire already burning in viewers’ hearts. The romance was short-lived on screen and left the audience begging for more. However, they were still moved by the ability of the actors to touch their fans.
