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    Film Review: Kattar Karachi

    Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
    Posted on: January 22, 2025 |

    The main cast. (L to R) Kinza Hashmi, Talha Anjum and Imran Ashraf

    Suppose Sir Isaac Newton had ever watched a movie in a cinema. In that case, he might have proposed a Fourth Law of Motion (Pictures): "The enjoyment (E) of a movie is directly proportional to the number of popcorn buckets (P) consumed and the emotional intensity (I) of the film."

    It was a chilly winter night when I decided to watch Talha Anjum-Kinza Hashmi-Imran Ashraf starrer Kattar Karachi (Hardcore Karachi) in a theater. The first surprise hit me even before I settled in. At the ticket counter, I was told that the movie’s duration was 40 minutes, the shortest I’ve encountered in my 47-year life. What followed left me puzzled. Was it a music video with a story tacked on? Or a story with songs awkwardly woven in? Seemed more like a lengthy cigarette commercial with glimpses of a movie trailer sprinkled in.

    Talha Anjum and Kinza Hashmi

    The film featured Talha Anjum from the Young Stunners band, a favorite among the youth, as Talha. The band has been around for years and is surely a crowd favorite. Founder of the Hip-hop music band with Talhah Yunus, Burger-e-Karachi is the most recognizable song by them. Both Talhas were even part of the PSL song 'Groove Mera' featuring Naseebo Lal and Aima Baig in 2021. The year 2024 was lucky for 'music-man' Talha, who dethroned Atif Aslam as Pakistan's most-streamed artist of the year. He might have gotten carried away and drew inspiration from Atif, who had successfully bridged music and acting. Sadly, the fame of social media hardly guarantees box-office success and the same happened with Kattar Karachi and Talha's debut. Watching a movie in a theater after spending a considerable amount of money is much harder to justify than listening to a song at home during your leisure time.

    Talha Anjum in the film

    The KK story follows Talha, a young man with big dreams of success. He befriends a woman named Tanya, played by Kinza Hashmi, and they quickly form a bond. After a few meetings (two of which are shown in the film), Talha decides to propose to her, but this is when Sikandar enters the picture- Actor/Host Imran Ashraf in what seemed a promising role of a land-grabber with a pronounced limp. The decision to add the limp to the character feels questionable as Imran Ashraf’s portrayal of Sikandar seems more like an homage to Bollywood Superstar's Shah Rukh Khan’s exceptional acting skills. The limp of the man who made the character BHOLA immortal was so exaggerated that at times, I found Talha's character was limping too much, at times. Imran Ashraf's return to films could have been a meatier role, Kinza Hashmi's on-screen love affair with Talha, was something that required more air time. The other actors are good too, namely Hussain Mohsin and Syed Jameel, but all were overshadowed by Talha, who turned executive producer and lead actor in the film.

    Imran Ashraf and Syed Jameel in the opening shot

    Talha, with his inner Nana Patekar-like resolve, with a bunch of the locality’s boys decides to stand up to Sikandar, who nearly controlled the city. The complexity of Talha’s character is revealed when, in one moment, he longs for a car, only to spend all his savings on the ring in the next. Talha's acting talent is evident, but it feels that he was forced in this role. Cigarette breaks, not by viewers but by actors on-screen, smoked out the brains of the viewer.

    Imran Ashraf and Talha Anjum in the climax of the film

    Kattar Karachi may have been a Karachi of the future, but even today, it’s a lot better than what was shown in the film. The direction by Abdul Wali Baloch, a first-timer, of course, didn’t quite translate into a cohesive film experience. A graduate of NCA Lahore and known for his creative visual flair in Young Stunners' music videos, Baloch did what a Baloch does with Karachi (pun intended).

    Despite his skill in music video direction, the director forgot to look into the story, which is most important in making a film. He had a promising hero, a loving heroine, a threatening villain, and a few good songs, but he lacked control. Screenwriter Bilal Atif’s story offers nothing new and feels as though it was written in haste. Bilal and Baloch's work makes me reflect on the lack of film schools in Pakistan, where aspiring actors, directors and writers could be properly trained and mentored. Overall, it seemed that the film was made with a music video mindset and later released in cinemas. Given the inflation, asking for 1000 rupees for a film in today's Karachi is asking for too much.

    Talha Anjum and Kinza Hashmi

    Usually, I write comprehensive reviews for films that offer a compelling story, meaningful themes, memorable music and a satisfying climax. However, in this case, I found myself uncertain about the length of my review, after all, the credits rolled before I even finished my first bucket of popcorn!


    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