Amjad Parkar Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Pakistani film scene may be lagging behind its Bollywood counterpart but the country boasts a thriving arts and theater scene, according to the new Pakistani Consul-General on Saturday night. Aftab A. Khoker, who was hosting a screening of the Pakistani arthouse film “Kashf” at the Sri Lankan Consulate as part of the ongoing 6th Asian Film Festival, believed there was huge potential for Pakistan's film industry. He told Saudi Gazette: “If you look at the social, cultural, religious background in Pakistan, you can see the film industry is still growing; it's still in its initial stages. “But at the same time, if you look at the art and theatre (in Pakistan), it is much more advanced, it has more demand compared to Bollywood films, and our dramas and theatres are very popular in the Asian subcontinent.” The festival is the brainchild of the Asian Consuls General Club, comprising the Philippines, Sri Lankan, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi diplomatic missions, among others. Khoker said the festival served as a showcase of the different Asian cultural scenes, reflecting their respective communities in the Kingdom. Kashf, directed by US-based Pakistani director Ayesha Khan, tells the story of a young man who returns to Lahore after 25 years, unaware that his mother promised a Sufi master that her son would have to follow a certain spiritual path in adulthood in exchange for a blessing allowing her to conceive him. It is a surreal film that constantly blurs the lines between reality and fantasy and its protagonist struggles to keep a grip on his sanity while undergoing a spiritual journey where he learns more about his roots and the consequences of his mother's promise at the same time. At the same time, his cousin also attempts to fulfill his inner calling as an actor in Lahore's Lollywood movie industry, embarking on a path filled with musical fantasies and hallucinations. Khokar said the film is not really typical of the Pakistani film scene in general. “(Kashf) is representative of one minor segment of the whole film industry. “Normally our movies are about social issues, about what is happening in certain countries; we also have love stories. This movie, however, is not a normal production.” The Asian Film Festival has already screened films such as Indian hit “Barfee” and Korean Olympic comedy “Pacemaker”. The festival will continue with movies from China, Bangladesh and Singapore and finishes with a screening of the Indonesian film “Sang Pemimpi” on April 4.
