In an exciting announcement, prominent Pakistani journalist, author and film producer Reham Khan announced her new film Cheema, Chattha and Bajwa while appearing as a guest on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast. Reham previously produced the 2016 romantic comedy Janaan starring Armeena Khan and Bilal Ashraf in lead roles and debuting Hania Aamir in a supporting role. According to the producer, the upcoming film will be a cinematic celebration of Punjabiyat, bridging the cultural essence of Faisalabadi Punjabi with the vibrancy of overseas Punjabi communities in the UK and the US. She said, “My first film, Janaan, had Pashto dialogues so this time it will be a heavy Punjabi dialogue laden film. I have written this with a lot of love because I have worked a lot with the Sardar community in both the UK and the US.” Highlighting the meticulous efforts invested in capturing the essence of the language, Reham disclosed, “I had to learn how to speak Punjabi, I took some help in writing dialogues because I was very particular about the sound, I wanted to get the dialect right. So the Pakistani element of it Faisalabadi Punjabi.” The film, aptly titled Cheema, Chattha, and Bajwa holds layers of cultural significance, inviting the audience to delve into the intricacies of love, betrayals, and the vibrant tapestry of Punjabiyat. The choice of title, cleverly alluding to elements well understood by the audience, hints at a story that goes beyond the surface. "It’s a love story and you know, love stories have betrayals. But it’s not what it seems to be, it’s about Punjabiyat and overseas Punjabis. It’s a story about young people," the filmmaker teased, promising a narrative that resonates with the dynamics of contemporary Punjabi culture. Reham also drew inspiration from the global recognition achieved by the Kannada Punjabi community, particularly in the US, acknowledging their success in sharing their culture worldwide. She expressed a desire for a similar celebration of Pakistani culture, emphasizing the need to embrace and showcase the richness of Punjabi traditions. “In the US, I have appreciation for the films coming from Kannada Punjabi community. They have introduced their culture across the world so well, just look at Diljit Dosanjh in Coachella. We should also celebrate ourselves similarly,” she urged, underlining the importance of cultural representation on the global stage. However, the quest to find the perfect cast is taking longer than she thought. “We just shortlisted a couple of actors. I have been in the search of a perfect Pakistani Punjabi hero. One issue has been our playing age which is about 27 years old. The actors here who play this age are not that young,” she laughingly pointed out, insisting that she and her team wanted someone truer to their age to play the hero. When asked if she is considering bringing in a new face to the screen, Reham recalled how Janaan brought Hania to the limelight. “It was also technically Bilal Ashraf’s first film and Hania Aamir is a huge success,” she explained how a fresh face becoming a star is a stroke of luck before adding how audiences will see many familiar faces in the upcoming project. Reham also divulged how Janaan was a financial success. “There were many rumoured figures circulating but we barely had money, we made the film within a very tight budget. But the profit was generous and back in 2016, Janaan made it to the top ten in UK. As per the producer, the struggling film economy in Pakistan can be attributed to lack of finances and cinema houses. Recounting the rumours of loss Janaan had purportedly faced, Reham said ‘17 crores’ was not even close to the amount that had gone into making the film. “In Pakistan, there are very few people who invest in films, they fear [a loss]. It’s easier for drama serials to find investors.” She went on to say that Pakistani film industry could only come at par with Bollywood if the latter’s films were allowed to screen here to foster competition, in addition to creating more cinemas and encouraging investors to finance upcoming films. “The gamechanger today is narrative and what is a better narrative than a film?” she posed. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
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