Written by: Mustafa-ur-Rehman
Posted on: December 03, 2021 | 
| 中文
Students of Government College University Lahore, also known as Ravians, during the Harry Potter festival (Credits to Khayali Productions)
The Harry Potter franchise has spawned books, movies, spinoffs, adaptations and a diehard legion of fans—who proudly call themselves Potterheads. But how far can one take their passion for Harry Potter and his magical world? And what does a historic educational institution in the middle of Lahore have to do with Harry Potter?
Potterheads at GCU's English department
It turns out that students of the historic Government College University (GCU) Lahore have proved to be trailblazers when it comes to Harry Potter. Inspired by their hallowed campus, which bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts in terms of appearance, the students have adapted the Harry Potter series into their own version of the wizarding world.
Photos from the shooting (Credits to Khayali Productions)
Pakistan’s first Harry Potter fan-made movie titled The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort are the brainchild of these students. This project is entirely student-funded, and it has been shot on the Lahore campus of GCU. The movie has excellent special effects and cinematography, despite the fact that it only uses one camera for the entire shoot.
The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort, which have already having premiered at GCU Lahores’ Bukhari Auditorium, have been extremely successful since Potterheads from all over Pakistan have flocked to see the Pakistani versions of their favorite Harry Potter characters. This offering is a part of GCU Lahore’s Harry Potter festival, which is scheduled from 29th November 2021–5th December 2021.
The setting of the Harry Potter festival at Government College University, Lahore
This one hour and forty minute long movie is set after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, with Nathan serving as the protagonist. He has returned to Hogwarts after the death of Lord Voldemort, who is known as Asmordeus for the duration of the film. With its’ crisp cinematography and spellbinding visuals, the film is sure to attract a large audience and to be hook them to every scene.
A scene from Khayali Productions' film on the Harry Potter series (Credits to Khayali Productions)
Assistant Director Hammad Javed is quick to clarify that despite its roaring success, the team had to face multiple obstacles. Even though The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort received acclaim, the projects faced financial troubles since their inception. It is solely a student-funded passion project, which is led by the GCU alumnus, Waleed Akram, who spearheads Khayaali Productions and is credited with bringing this project to life. The team has been able to incorporate a repackaged version of Harry Potter and his magical universe in Pakistan, which is sure to keep audience pouring in through the doors.
This project began in 2018 and took quite significant time to reach its final form, especially due to onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused normal life to come to a standstill since the past year. However, none of these setbacks were able deter Waleed Akram and his team from bringing this project to life. A close-knit group of 5-6 people supervised and executed everything including wardrobe, special effects, color grading, and editing. The Demonstration of resilience has remained the highlight for the team behind The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort. The team sincerely believes that this creative effort outdoes all the other fan-made Harry Potter movies, and is quietly confident that it is set to become a nationwide phenomenon.
Harry Potter festival (Credits to Khayali Productions)
According to the team, this labor of love is a tribute to the Harry Potter universe, and Harry Potter fans all over the world. The passion and effort shines through, making this one of the most commendable student-led arts and culture initiatives in the country’s recent history.
A picture from Harry Potter week at GCU Lahore
However, there is still confusion about the level of patronage—both public and private—that such creative passion projects receive. The thriving of art and culture and an active participation of the youth of a country are essential to its’ progress. This presence, coupled with words of appreciation from senior figures in different fields, will boost the morale of the team behind The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort.
The Harry Potter festival, which is all set to continue at the hallowed GCU campus till 5th December 2021, includes a Harry Potter experiential space at the GCU Salam Hall, Harry Potter merchandise, food stalls, face paint, posters as well as photo booths.
Talk about a spellbinding experience!
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