Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: April 15, 2025 | 
Shamyl Khan in an avatar like Heath Ledger's Joker
It was the second day of Eid when I woke up to the disheartening news that Pakistan had lost the second ODI to New Zealand’s B team in Hamilton. It was painful to see how far the Men in Green had fallen, but I had other matters to attend to that day, top of the list being the much-hyped Qulfee.
With a cast boasting Hollywood-returned Adnan Shah Tipu, Bollywood-returned Javed Sheikh, the still 'macho' Moammar Rana, and the eternally 'up-and-coming' Shahroz Sabzwari, I was expecting a film that, at the very least, would be more logical than our cricket team’s performance. A few hours later, I walked out of the cinema even more depressed.
Shahroz Sabzwari's fight scene inside the train like Mission Impossible.
Some films have a good script but weak performances and direction; some have weaker scripts but average performances; while a few have good behind-the-camera work, but the acting potential is low. You would seldom see a film that has it all. Qulfee ended up as that film — in all the wrong ways.
The production began in 2019, and it was supposed to be released in 2020 before COVID-19 entered our lives. Qulfee was to be solely directed by veteran cinematographer-turned-director Saleem Daad and produced by Kalakar Productions, the team behind Saawan, Aar Paar. Dr. Mashood Qadri, best known for his acclaimed screenplay in Saawan, wrote and produced (read: spent money lavishly on) this "cold as ice" movie. Qulfee could have been an excellent film if only talent could be bought with money. And that applies to the producer too, who appeared in a role that could have been important but wasn’t.
Adnan Shah Tipu with his gang
Qulfee follows the story of a hacker, Zaviar a.k.a. Zulfi, who gets his hands on powerful and potentially dangerous software. The stakes? If it falls into the wrong hands, banks would be 'plundered', which, of course, means he’d be using it to help the poor. Enter the villain: GC, short for Gulab Chattri a.k.a. Ghazanfar Chaudhary, played by Shamyl Khan, who seemingly aimed for a Jim Carrey–meets–Heath Ledger–meets–Joaquin Phoenix level of madness, but landed somewhere closer to forgettable.
Angry GC (Ghazanfar Chaudhary), played by Shamyl Khan, with his gang.
A tragic backstory à la Bruce Wayne, Zaviar’s father was killed by GC, was squeezed into the plot but conveniently abandoned midway. Due to his short and sweet role in The Legend of Maula Jatt, veteran actor Babar Ali may have been cast in an even shorter role as Shahroz Sabzwari’s father, who died before the title. Legendary actors like Ayub Khosa and Munawwar Saeed’s blink-and-miss roles seemed more like a favor to the producer. Adnan Shah Tipu, who was the threat to the gang of Shahroz, Mariam, Wahid and Javed Sheikh, fizzled out by the interval. An “international touch” was given to the film by signing German model and actress Leyla Dastan in an Interpol-style role. She briefly played Momee's love interest. No point in guessing that Saeeda Imtiaz's character was sent as a mole to trap Shahroz's Zulfi. That 'obvious' track is also there.
Javed Sheikh and Uzmi
The director’s love for Mission Impossible (cue: a fight inside a local train), Fast & Furious (hacking and international baddies), and Van Damme's Hard Target (yes, it shows) is more than evident. Qulfee tries to do too much, borrowing from everywhere, and ends up being a chaotic mix of everything and nothing.
The mid-80s were harsh on the Pakistan film industry as non-filmi people entered the business. The waderas, doodh wallahs and gujjars ruined the industry, whose productivity came to a standstill. Today, professionals from other fields have entered the non-existent film industry and are proving to be an equal threat. Dr. Mashood Qadri, a kidney specialist in the US, who earlier produced the forgettable Aar Paar (2023), did equal damage with Qulfee. A plot taken from Hollywood, the acting of Bollywood, and the execution of Pakistani theatre drama made it a Gola Ganda than Qulfee. The movie is a waste of time, with no connection between scenes and no character build-up.
Dr. Mashood Qadri
The movie, due to its extended shoot schedule, needed three directors. Senior cinematographer Saleem Daad directed it until July 2023. Abdullah Badini stepped in for additional scenes, and the late Asad Zedi completed the film that was started way back in 2019. As for the actors, the producers seemed to prioritize actor-backed roles over author-backed ones.
Wali Hamid Ali Khan, the music composer, was brought in to play the protagonist’s best friend ‘Cookie’, while Mariam Ansari was cast as his love interest—only to disappear midway and reappear at the end. Uzmi, of the famous Uzmi-Barkat duo, took on a role reminiscent of Shakti Kapoor in Bollywood classic Judwaa (1997), likely at his own request. Sana Fakhar seemingly opted for a non-romantic role and like Mariam, vanished midway. Moammar Rana channeled a Dabangg-style Chulbul Pandey as a Punjabi-speaking Khadim. Saeeda Imtiaz, the ‘cannot act, cannot emote’ actress, once again showed the world why the Pakistani film industry is in the doldrums. And Shahroz Sabzwari, possibly in a final attempt to establish himself as a leading man, played a 20-something character despite being close to 40.
Moammar Rana, Leyla Dastan and Mariam Ansari
Javed Sheikh, having spent 50 years in the industry, should be more selective about his roles. Playing a tharki uncle obsessed with watching explicit clips risks tarnishing his legacy. His Bollywood contemporaries, Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and even late Rishi Kapoor, would have thought twice before taking on such a role. Then again, they belong to a much larger and evolving industry.
The film’s reliance on double-meaning dialogues, indecent gestures, and outdated theatre-style humor only adds to its downfall. Even Pathan jokes, once a staple of slapstick, fail to elicit laughter anymore. A forcefully inserted item number, a stereotyped informer portrayed as bisexual, and songs placed at the most inappropriate moments all highlight the lack of seriousness from the filmmakers.
Wali Hamid Ali Khan, Javed Sheikh, Saeeda Imtiaz, Shahroz Sabzwari and Mariam Ansari running in a scene.
A bigger name like Hania Aamir or even Ramsha Khan, might have delivered a stronger performance. But then again, why would these A-listers associate themselves with a team that brought the loud theatrics of stage drama and unabashed Bollywood song imitations to the big screen? The music, too, carried that familiar “haven’t I heard this before?” vibe, and by the time I left the cinema, not a single tune had managed to stick.
The only positive thing from the movie was the cinematography, as it was shot all over Pakistan. Television Dramas these days are mostly shot in that areas and not a single location was new to the eye. The VFX were top-notch but I believe a good performance can only compliment the effects. Qulfee is a movie that should be avoided at all costs. If you were hoping for something sweet on Meethi Eid, head to your nearest sweet shop. Cinema is a no-no.
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