2018 Pakistani film
| Motorcycle Girl |
|---|
 Official Poster |
| Directed by | Adnan Sarwar |
|---|
| Written by | Adnan Sarwar |
|---|
| Produced by | Adnan Sarwar
Jami |
|---|
| Starring | Sohai Ali Abro
Samina Peerzada
Ali Kazmi |
|---|
| Cinematography | Nabeel Jawaid Qureshi |
|---|
| Edited by | Tahir Ali |
|---|
| Music by | Xulfi |
|---|
Production
companies | Logos Film & Media
Azad Film Company |
|---|
| Distributed by | Excellency Films |
|---|
Release date |
- 20 April 2018 (2018-04-20) (Worldwide)
|
|---|
| Country | Pakistan |
|---|
| Language | Urdu |
|---|
Motorcycle Girl is an upcoming 2018 Pakistan biographical adventure drama film based on the life of motorcyclist Zenith Irfan. Directed, written and co-produced by Adnan Sarwar, it is second installment in Sarwar's thematic Hero trilogy, following Shah (2015). The film stars Sohai Ali Abro as Zenith Irfan who travels to northern areas of Pakistan on a motorbike to fulfills his father's wish, facing many challenges along the way, with Samina Peerzada, Ali Kazimi, Sarmad Khoosat, and Shamim Hilaly also playing supporting roles.
The film is scheduled to release on April 20, 2018 nationwide.[1]
Plot
An 18-years old girl Zenith Irfan, travels across the Northern Areas of Pakistan on a motorcycle to fulfills her father's wish and became the first women of Pakistan to travel alone to north of the country.
Production
Development
After the success of Shah, director Adnan Sarwar announced in 2017, that the second film in his planned Hero trilogy would be based on the life of a motorcyclist, Zenith Irfan. Sarwar explained, "this film will be the second installment of the "Heroes Trilogy" that I have planned. Zenith's story is important because at such a young age, she is doing things that challenge gender stereotypes which are deeply engrained in the fabric of our society. This film will be my little effort towards inspiring a future where, hopefully, the women of our country will be more empowered, truly independent and unshackled from archaic taboos that hold back their progress".[2] Citing the inspiration of film, Adnan said, "the remarkable story of what Zenith did at such a young age caught my attention after Shah and I knew it was the right subject to turn into a film", said Adnan Sarwar. "I have scripted a fictional world around the core true story of her journey and I hope that Motorcycle Girl will help further the cause of women empowerment in Pakistan".[1]
In an interview Sarwar said "I think what attracted me most to this topic was the fact that at such a young age, Zenith was able to pull off such a remarkable feat. I’m a firm believer of women empowerment and gender equality and Zenith has proved that times are changing," he quipped further saying, "when I found out that the reason she made the journey was in memory of her father, I fell in love with the story completely. I have tried to treat the film with immense sensitivity and at its core; it is about a daughter’s love for her father."[3][4]
Casting
Actress Sohai Ali Abro was approached for the role,[5] who was then working on a project that was shelved because of production issues.[6][7] Describing her role Abro said, "I felt like I was being typecast a lot as this typically pretty, doll character on screen and I wanted to break out of my comfort zone and do something different. I went through a LOT of scripts before finally settling on this one", sharing on playing Zenith she said, "I could relate to Zenith’s desire to fulfill her late father’s ambitions. She grew up without a father and I too, have been through that so I could relate to her a lot."[7]
Motorcycle Girl is believed to be second film centred around women character after Hareem Farooq's, Parchi,[8] commenting on that Abro said, "It is absolute honour to play Zenith in his film. The role of this incredible, empowered female is one that I can relate to and is close to my heart. I have always believed in the liberating the power of our women, especially considering the taboos we face in our society, and I am really happy that a lot of young girls would be able to look up to me for doing something positive and inspiring."[9]
The film also stars Samina Peerzada as Abro's mother while Ali Kazmi, who plays Abro's husband a role similar he played in series, Baaghi, describing his role he said, "I wanted something light and not negative but Adnan convinced me. My character is a small part of the great ensemble cast but a pivotal one. It is an amalgamation of the interesting potential suitors of Zenith."[3]
Filming
Principal photography began in early September 2017.[10] The film was shot entirely in Hunza and Khunjerab, with initial scenes were filmed in Lahore.[11] Before the shoot, Sohai went through hectic trainings as she didn't knew how to drive a motorbike,[12] and was reportedly made the same journey from Lahore to the Khanjarab Pass that Irfan's took in 2015.[8]
Music
The film score is composed and co-produced by Xulfi with Sherry Khattak. Lyrics are mostly penned down by Smai Khan and Adnan Sarwar. The first song of the film "Urr Chalay" was released on April 12, 2018.[13][14] The song received critical acclaim.[15][16]
Track listing
Release
The trailer of the film was released on March 25, 2018,[17] and the film is scheduled to released on April 20th, 2018 nationwide.[18][19]
Response
Critical response
The trailer of the film received positive response, many citing it is groundbreaking for women empowerment.[20] Sohai was praised for playing Zenith and many said this film is unconventional against the women-ecentirc culture of Pakistan.[21][22] Sohai herself said, “the idea behind the film is to make it okay for women to ride motorcycles on the streets of Pakistan and get rid of the notion that it is something abnormal.”[23]
