Lights, camera, action: the beginning of a romance
According to the talented director of award winning serial Dastaan, Haissem Hussain: “Showing romance
on screen is all in the timing. The measuring of looks,
space, texture, light, the silence, the right words at the
right time. All measured and timed to perfection.” He
adds, “It is the creating of tension and then the sudden
release from it.”One of the most unforgettable scenes
from Dastaan shows Hassan (Fawad Khan) and Bano
(Sanam Baloch) searching the rooftops to catch a
glimpse of one another. The beautiful play of light and
shadow dancing across the actors faces and in the glow
of the lanterns framed by the soft darkness of a moonlit night make this a classic.What makes it epic is that
it isn’t just a romance about lovers who are meant to
be together but they are torn apart by events beyond
anyone’s control (in this case Partition). The viewer becomes part of their journey and though we want them to
find each other, we also see how they have changed.
Samira Fazal who wrote the screenplay for Dastaan
says that to write a romance, “a writer has to feel it, and
write what comes from the heart. The use of subtle gestures with eyes with less words and no physical touching
– because that would ruin it.”
Mean what you don’t say — how our dramas work to
show love without action
The absence of the physical is often replaced by that
other device — banter.Dialogue has a strong hand in
building the chemistry and relationship between two
characters. The back and forth snappy dialogue between couples holds a wealth of implicit meaning that
lays the foundation of their relationship. Even in Dhoop
Kinarey Dr. Irfan’s (Sajid Hassan) shouted-out proposal to Anji (Kehkishan Awan) is ridiculously romantic.In
Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, which became a cult classic,
it was the witty exchange between the four protagonists
but especially the chemistry between Shamraiz (Mikaal
Zulfikar) and Kiran (Sanam Baloch) that had the audiences guessing the outcome till the very end.Though
sometimes, actions speak louder than words and give
us a tangible insight into the characters feelings. It is
these actions that we remember as romantic moments.
In Dhoop Kinarey, when Dr. Ahmer returns Dr. Zoya’s
earrings we realize how he really feels despite the stern
talking to he gave her the night before. In Kuch Pyar Ka
Pagalpan when Shamraiz spends the whole night waiting up for Kiran to return safely it speaks volumes about
his concern for her. In Ankahi, Timmi gives up his true
love so that she may have a better life, all bring a lump
to our throats and get us teary-eyed.
Poet, writer, director, and (dare we say) renaissance
man, Sarmad Sehbai describes romance more earthily: “The way a woman moves says it all and of course,
the eyes, which are the only door. It is veiled erotica,
the way the actors are shot and directed.”His much anticipated film Mah-e-Meer is an intense, passionately
romantic movie about a modern day poet with a deep
psychological connection with the Urdu poet Mir Taqi
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Mir.In Mah-e-Meer trailers too we see lead actress Iman
Ali as the embodiment of that veiled eroticism in her role
as a courtesan. Sehbai acknowledges that the tawaif
embodied the cultural metaphor and with the downfall
of the Mughal Empire. “There was a loss of beauty and
pleasure embodied in courtesan culture.” he says.However, it is not only veiled eroticism but the hidden subtext
that builds the romantic tension as well. From half-acknowledged feelings to never quite spoken but definitely
non-platonic relationships, subtext is also key to how
romance plays out in Pakistani dramas. In the absence
of physical proximity, the hints of ideas are usually what
charges the relationships and the audience interprets
what was not said.
Simplicity is key: the use of symbols
Romance is not limited to purely to passion. Often times
simplicity is just more powerful. Author Faiza Iftikhar has
written her fair share of romantic scenes, and though
her recent romantic comedy Aun Zara captured hearts
all over the world she says her favourite romantic scene
comes from Aik Nayee Cindrella: “When Meesha tells
Roman that Mayer, (his rival) has proposed to her, they
start looking at each other and only the expressions in
their eyes explain their feelings for one another. Romantic dialogues should be simple and touching," she explains. She follows the Jane Austen school of thought
encapsulated by Mr Knightley's famous declaration to
Emma “If I loved you less I might be able to talk about it
more.”When contemplating classic romance, no discussion could be complete without the queen of contemporary romantic writing, Farhat Ishtiaq. Her mega hit serial
Humsafar became a phenomenon, propelling its lead
actors into Bollywood and bringing much needed confidence back to Pakistani drama industry beset by the
success of Indian and Turkish serials.“You have to be
a romantic at heart, hopelessly romantic, have love for
nature, be emotional, oversensitive ...at least this is who
I am. I cry, I laugh with my characters and find romance
in the most unusual situations even in everyday life” she
muses. That very basic connection to nature is often a
conduit for romance in ѡ