Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: March 11, 2024 | 
| 中文
Adnan Siddiqui and Maha Tahirani in Jamun Ka Darakht
For a country that has not had a hit movie in the last five years, barring The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022) , where cinema culture is slowly disappearing, multiple international awards for a short film is a pleasant surprise. Jaamun Ka Darakht a.k.a. The Java Plum Tree by Rafay Rashdi, has managed to clinch prestigious awards at international film festivals. Director Rafay Rashdi was on a high after awards at the international level. After grabbing the ‘Best Social Justice Short Film’ at Cannes on February 28, 2024, the movie won the outstanding achievement award for Indie Short at Los Angeles International Film Festival.
Jamun Ka Darakht (The Jave Plum Tree) at Cannes
The movie is ‘an independent perspective of neutral subjugation of consensuality, between a man and a woman’. Set in the fashion industry, it revolves around aspiring actors and problems they encounter. Models Mahira Tahirani and Fouzia Aman are pitted against the internationally acclaimed actor Adnan Siddiqui, who outshines everyone as Kareem.
The name Jaamun Ka Darakht is symbolic for young girls, who intend to enter the fashion industry, but like the java plum tree, the industry can ruin any young and budding aspirant. It is common for this tree to spread out, all over the courtyard of our life. Adnan Siddiqi plays Kareem, who preys on young women who enter the industry while chasing their dreams.
Adnan Siddiqui and Maha Tahirani in the film
Talking to Youlin from Canada, the director of the film Rafay Rashidi said that the acclaimed writer, Bee Gul, was a big help in conceiving the idea of Jaamun ka Darakht. ‘I wanted to work on a film that tackles the issue of gender-related injustice in the entertainment industry, and my target was the international market. That was even before the production of Baadshah Begum, aired on Hum TV in 2022. When I contacted Bee Gul for a script of a short film, she urged me to replace the entertainment industry with the fashion world. The completion of the script took around half a year, but was put on hold, as I got busy with the shoot of Baadshah Begum. We held auditions for the roles, and even visited NAPA (National Academy of Performing Arts) in search of talent. We tried out new talent for the challenging roles that this short film demanded.
Sensitive topics like harassment and sexual assault, seem like a ‘no go area’ for Pakistani film makers. However, it did give its executive producer, Syed Murad Ali, son of the late poet Parveen Shakir, a chance to show his creativity as he co-produced the movie with Wah Wah Productions.
Director Rafay Rashdi with the production crew
The distinguished poet, Parveen Shakir, had been close friends with Rafay’s mother Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, a teacher, an intellectual and a television host. ‘Ammi (Mehtab Akbar Rashdi) and Parveen Shakir had been friends before they even got married. We had a special bond with Parveen Shakir and Murad grew up with us. It was the duty of the kids to continue the legacy of our mothers, and when I asked Murad to come onboard, he was more than happy’, reminisced the 41-year-old actor, who has been making dramas for over a decade.
A banker by profession, Rafay had spent a lot of time in television studios as a kid. Sultana Siddiqi, founder of HUM TV, was mostly producing shows where Rafay’s mother would either be interviewing a celebrity or interacting with a panel of guests. "We never had many avenues to study filmmaking or get enrolled in universities teaching Media Sciences back in our day in Pakistan. We were asked to either take up science or information technology (IT), as no one dared to enter films. Media is a technical field and one cannot survive for long in the business. I was fortunate enough to study production first hand and execute it with like-minded people. Whatever I learnt was by watching people work and their experiences. I had been in and out of media for a couple of years, and I must thank my family for supporting me when I was trying to return to camera work, Rafay said. Rafay has been influential in setting up the Director's Guild in Pakistan in 2023.
Adnan Siddiqui and Faisal Siddiqui during the preview of the film
Jaamun ka Darakht also marks the return of Adnan Siddiqui after a three-year hiatus. Always on the look-out for better roles, Adnan found the script intriguing and joined the bandwagon. The film also stars Saman Ansari, Syeda Ramsha Nawal, Yogesh Karara and Irfan Motiwala, each of whom excelled in their roles.
Yogeshwar Karera and Maha Tahirani
There is a great deal of censorship on Pakistani television channels, and that is why Jaamun ka Darakt targeted the international festival circuit. The makers of this short but unique film are in talks with local distributors, but it is not clear as yet whether it will be available for viewing by Pakistani audiences.
Rafay’s debut feature film, Thora Jee le, released in 2017, carried a drug-related theme and its impact on students. The film was not well received by the Pakistani audiences. Rafay’s next feature film, Deemak (Termite) , is highly anticipated and is in the post production stage, with Faisal Quraishi and Sonya Hussyn in the lead roles.
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