Fawad Khan will soon grace the big screen again in Zashko Fim’s political satire, 'Money Back Guarantee', written and directed by Faisal Qureshi. The movie is set to release in theaters on April 21, everywhere in the world except India, and will also feature former cricketer Wasim Akram making his acting debut with the film. Kiran Malik, Mani, Gohar Rasheed, Jan Rambo, are other actors who are part of the project that promises to be a huge money spinner at the box office.
In an interview with Outlook, Shayan Khan, the producer of MBG and mogul of Zashko films, talks about his forthcoming movie, the growing world of the Pakistani entertainment industry, and more.
Excerpts from the conversation:
Q. You are associated with some great projects for example ‘Mandi’, ‘Gama’, and ‘Money Back Guarantee'. Would you like to talk about your commitment to the Pakistan Entertainment industry?
I have made a commitment to the Pakistani Cinema industry since the start of ZASHKO Films and the release of our first film. We are working on fulfilling that commitment of bringing quality Urdu Films to audiences worldwide. ‘Money back Guarantee' will set new standards for the industry and god willing with every coming project we will meet or exceed the mark we set.
Q. Shayan would you like to talk about the current Pak entertainment industry especially after ‘Joyland’ success?
Shayan: It is a great time for the Pakistani film industry. We have a lot of young creators who are coming out with good creative constantly which is new and unique. Our audience is starting to accept your ideas, and the world is starting to see the talent that hasn’t got a chance. We need to give chances to new creators, and not just rely on creators who have already been a success as it’s a no risk no reward policy.
Q. Do you think Pak films and cinema have moved excelled in terms of storytelling for the global audience and not just for their own country
ZASHKO Films is an American film studio, which believes in Pakistani talent and their ability to tell unique stories and entertain. Since the release of films like ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, more confidence can be placed in the industry and good content especially among younger filmmakers and directors like Myself, Ammarah Hikmat, Bilal Lashari, and Faisal Qureshi. Young talent and entrepreneurs bring fresh ideas to the arts. We have to take chances and risks and allow our writers and directors to bring their imagination to the silver screen and then only new heights will be reached.
Q. Let's talk about your role as a producer. What kind of films do you want to back and why
I like to make content with a positive message or an intelligent idea. I’m not looking for the cookie-cutter approach as I am a risk taker and will dedicate time and effort to finding the right project even if I had to read 100 scripts to find it. Of course, the directors, and writers I look for must have some quality talent in even smaller productions, someone who’s willing to take a chance and create even short quality content and put it out shows that they are serious about the craft. I look for the right storytelling and confidence in their script.
