REVIEW’S
movie review :
actor in law
N
abeel Qureshi’s much-awaited new film, Actor in
Law combines star power, solid performances
and plenty of laughs this Eid. The movie lacks
the rollicking comedic action of Qureshi’s acclaimed
first film, Na Maloom Afraad but has the same blend
of clever direction and native awareness. Actor in Law
tells the story of Shan Mirza (Fahad Mustafa), an aspiring actor who is a disappointment to his lawyer father
(Om Puri). Thwarted in his acting career, he ends up
impersonating a lawyer, using theatrics and over-the-top
rhetoric in the courtroom while his father is away on Hajj.
He shoots to stardom when reporter Meenu (Mehwish
Hayat) captures his courtroom speechifying on film and
the two embark on a series of public interest litigations,
picking up some powerful enemies on the way. The plot
requires a certain suspension of belief; social injustices are painted with a broad brush and facile solutions
indicate that this is the stuff of fantasy. The plot gives
Qureshi ample room to pull in scenes about societal issues ranging from Eve-teasing to political slogans being
painted on walls. While the episodic nature of Shan’s
cases allows for plenty of satire, the story fails to gather
the suspense and momentum that would have taken the
film from good to great. The movie is, however, full of
ingenious visual gags and the scenes seamlessly segue
from drama to comedy to romance, with the songs fitting
naturally into the narrative. Atif Aslam’s Dil Ye Dancer
Ho Gaya and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Khudaya are both
cleverly choreographed as is the title song, Actor in Law.
While much of the humour comes from pop culture references that foreign audiences are unlikely to recognize, local viewers will thoroughly enjoy the allusions to
memorable incidents such as Ayesha Sana’s infamous
‘Bright Karein’ episode and model Ayaan Ali’s arrest for
money laundering. Satirical elements such as Bhai’s
birthday party or powerful anchor Mubashir Sultan are
not subtle but are deftly handled, avoiding the trap of becoming belaboured.Na Maloom Afraad seemed to draw
inspiration Hera Pheri and the courtroom antics in Actor
in Law exhibit shades of Jolly LLB. Depending more on
rhetoric than any sort of legal base, the law scenes underestimate the audience’s intelligence. The courtroom
drama does encourage Fahad Mustafa to indulge in
some histrionics but the rest of his portrayal is effective.
He has great comedic timing and is excellent in the song
and dance numbers, unlike most Pakistani actors. Om
Puri gives the sort of strong performance you would expect, his measured delivery in the finale forming a telling
counterpoint to Mustafa’s presentation.Meenu is yet another feisty avatar for Mehwish Hayat, after Anmol in the
TV serial Dil Lagi. While she is somewhat unconvincing
as a Parsi, the rest of Hayat’s performance is very entertaining. She obviously has fun with the role though
some of her major speeches could have done with
more nuance. The other female characters in the film
are, however, poorly developed. Meenu, at least, gets
to be independent and courageous, unlike Shan’s sister
who is bland and downtrodden. Is it really necessary to
show her being ordered to make tea by her brother? The
scene may reflect reality but we expect more from a crusading filmmaker like Qureshi. It’s all very well to include
impassioned speeches about eve-teasing but the depiction of female characters is perhaps just as important. In
general, Actor in Law is an amusing romp. Qureshi has
delivered another firmly Karachi-centric film, full of familiar landmarks and the energy of the city. It’s not a story
that will grip you, but Actor in Law is tremendously funny,
beautifully made and enjoyable. Definitely worth seeing.
28 | BOOM