Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: July 24, 2023 | 
| 中文
Aashir Wajahat and Romaisa Khan in John
One doesn’t get to see movies depicting gangs and issues faced by the less privileged or the have-nots in Pakistani films. Urdu films are more about romantic comedies or tragedies, while action and suspense are a no-go area for filmmakers. Surprisingly, in the last few weeks, two feature films were screened that introduced the underside of our society to the viewers, where fists and guns talked. One was Madaari (puppeteer), made by the students of National Academy of Performing Arts and the other is John, directed by Babar Ali, an NCA drop out. Heavily influenced by gangster films from Bollywood, 'John’ is a courageous attempt. Babar Ali has been directing short films for some time, yet picking a subject rarely attempted as his feature film debut, shows that he means business.
The movie revolves around the life of a boy, who falls into bad company. Aashir Wajahat, son of the filmmaker Wajahat Rauf, plays the title role of a teenage boy who goes to the other side of law, despite knowing the implications of it. Famous for his role as Ayesha Umer’s little brother Zeezo in Karachi se Lahore (From Karachi to Lahore, 2015), he manages to do a commendable job for someone who has never acted in any films other than his father’s. Despite being aware that a child star seldom excels as a lead, one is hopeful that Aashir Wajahat changes that.
Aashir Wajahat as a gangster
John, as the name suggests, is a character who belongs to the Christian community. Living with his mother, he is fed up with the treatment meted out to people of his faith. He has a golden voice and loves music but has anger management issues. After settling as a janitor in a school, he meets Maria, a fellow Christian, who works as a Teaching Assistant in the same school. As someone who is outspoken and cannot tolerate the ills of society, John is recruited by a gangster Baali (Tabish Mughal) after the death of John’s mother Shaista, played by Faiza Gilani in a short role. Mentored by Daud (Saleem Mairaj in a tough guy’s role), John learns the trick of the trade but remains conflicted. A regular in films these days, veteran actor Saleem Mairaj dominates all the scenes he appears in, but in this film he was stuck between amateurs. Daud acts as a mentor to John and encourages him to start a family.
Saleem Mairaj and Aashir Wajahat in one scene
John, after getting married, fails to reveal the truth about his life to his wife, Maria, and tensions follow. Played by TikTok Star Romaisa Khan, Maria does nothing exceptional except being chirpy and looking good in a role that could have done wonders with an established actor. With limited expressions, her tone remains the same throughout the movie. Whether she was expressing love, working in office, angry with her husband or out on a date, she remained unchanged. Daud’s sidekick Faz is played by Raza Samo, a famed YouTuber, who fared no better than Romaisa. Carrying a different look from his YouTube stint, Samo fails to match the standard set by Daud, where the former had to stand up to him. Raza Samo’s anger and laughter resonated at the same wavelength, and he never appears threatening in the film.
Raza Samo and Aashir Wajaht
Though the story revolves around the life of John, Aashir expresses emotions better than Romaisa and Raza. Fed up with his new life, John expresses his frustration by breaking his favorite guitar, as a symbol of his good days. Torn between good and evil, he eventually destroys it all. Absence of a rival gang, a mole for law enforcement agencies and above all, police sans the beginning, keep the story one-dimensional. Baali, Daud and Fazal are the only bad guys one gets to see in the over two-hour film. All the killings were done by Daud, who fearlessly roamed on his motorbike with his sidekicks. Daud's soft side is also exposed when he distributes food to the hungry, a good deed in exchange for the killings he had done. The only significant dialogue is the one used in the trailer, Har Jaanwar Paaltu Nahi Hota (not every animal can be kept as a pet). Babar Ali as writer (he is the director, co-producer, editor and co-cinematographer) fails miserably as a scriptwriter, for the overuse of slang is irritating and Babar should have opted for an established writer.
Saleem Mairaj and Aashir Wajahat in John
With powerful dialogues, John could have been way better than it is. The fight sequences were well choreographed, matching Daud’s killer instincts. The City of Lights was beautifully depicted in the movie, and in some scenes looked marvelous. Shot in Korangi and Ranchore Lines Area, Karachi appeared as never before on the screen, and the amazing sights could inspire future films as well.
Romaisa Khan and Aashir Wajahat
Released when Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible- Dead Reckoning was dominating the screens, John was an experiment that failed to achieve its desired result. A fresh lead-pair can succeed in an established production house, but not when a director is also making his debut. Relying too much on Saleem Mairaj backfired, as his presence overshadowed the film. What is important is that new directors have started to think out of the box, and a new genre has been explored. The production crew showed talent, and one hopes that the team soon comes up with a better produced and a more successful film.
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