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    Film Review: Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor

    Written by: Aamrah Moin Khan
    Posted on: February 07, 2018 |

    Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor

    While Pakistan’s film industry has seen a boom in recent years, one genre that has remained woefully unexplored is animation, and this alone is reason enough to go watch Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor. The adventure film by Uzair Zaheer Khan takes the viewer on a trip through the north of Pakistan, along with its titular protagonist.

    The film starts with the narrator recounting the legend of a derwish and his companion, a markhor, who protects him and upon his death is given the wealth of knowledge that the derwish possesses. It is prophesized that only someone who is pure of heart will be passed on this knowledge. Cut to present day, where we meet Allahyar (voiced by Anum Zaidi), a tiny boy with a big heart and wide, wistful eyes to match. From the outset, Allahyar has a strong sense of justice; he is shown watering a dying plant and in another instance sets a trap for a cruel teacher who mistreats a dog. This desire to do right by all creatures stems from his interactions with his father, who is a member of the Rangers, and tasked with watching over animals. This father-son relationship was one of the strongest aspects of the film, containing good-natured banter that was endearing without being sentimental, and focused on instilling virtues through actions.

     Allahyar and his dad

    Allahyar and his dad

    Set on the eve of Pakistan’s Independence Day, the tale kicks off when Allahyar and his father find a crate containing a young markhor (Pakistan’s national animal) outside their house. The poachers who accidently dropped the box, end up kidnapping Allahyar and the markhor (voiced by Natasha Humera Ejaz). The ensuing adventure involves Allahyar’s attempt to return Mehru, the markhor, to her family as the two are pursued by the terrifying poachers, Mani (Ali Noor) and his companion Bablu (Arieb Azhar), who will go to any lengths to retrieve the markhor. Along the way, Allahyar picks up an overly amorous chakor patridge, called Hero (Azfar Jafri), and a baby snow leopard, Chakku (Abdul Nabi Jamali), who lost his parents to Mani. The movie, which was sponsored by WWF, does a great job at depicting the very real threat that poachers pose to endangered wildlife, while also showing that most do it out of ignorance rather than malice.

    Mani

    Mani

    Although Allahyar is unique in that it steps away from the standard themes of action and romance prevalent in most Pakistani films, there were several issues that must be addressed in the future if the industry is to move forward. The biggest problem was the plot, which moved very slowly at times, filling its minutes with cheap jokes, gimmicks and a musical sequence reminiscent of an item song. Not only were the jokes awkward, because they implied an older target audience, they did not help push the plot along. Any future filmmakers need to shift their focus to a well-paced plot, if they want to succeed in creating engaging films for children.

    There was also a disappointing lack of strong female characters in the film. The only female character, Mehru, showed no character development and was objectified by her companions. One of these instances, where an adult character makes romantic overtures towards her, was in very bad taste. Because television and movies have become such a huge part of children’s lives, it is important that they depict female characters with the same depth as male characters, without having to resort to tired old tropes.

    Mehru

    Mehru

    Finally, like its predecessors, Allahyar uses a 3D animation style that is more suited to simulation rather than storytelling, with its characters lacking the expressiveness that is seen in their western counterparts. While the animators do a stellar job on the film’s scenery, rendering the mountains and trees with great care, there are details missing in close-range shots that reduce the overall impact. This is, perhaps, because we lack experience in making animated movies, as well as a lack of traditional 2D animators in Pakistan.

    Hero

    Hero

    Nevertheless, one can be confident that these technicalities will be fixed as animation films evolve. Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor is a well-intentioned film that goes awry, but remains a good effort as one of our first animated features.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021