MOHSIN SOOMRO

KARACHI: It was February 1979, when Younis Malik’s Punjabi flick Maula Jatt hit the screens of Pakistan and turned out to be the biggest fantasy/action drama ever. Sultan Rahi and Mustafa Qureshi-starrer was applauded by the film fanatics all around the country.

After 40 long years, fans will once again witness the same action, but this time there will be new faces including heartthrob of Pakistani youth Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi. Writer and director Bilal Lashari is bringing something amazing for enthusiastic audience of Pakistan. ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ will hit the cinemas in 2019, on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Along with Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi, the action drama also stars Mahira Khan, Humaima Malick, Gohar Rasheed, Faris Shafi, Shafqat Cheema, Nayyer Ejaz and Saima Baloch.

Film gurus claim that Bilal Lashari’s action-packed drama will be Pakistan’s most expensive production to date.

Film critics say that the movie resembles much of Amir Khan’s Thugs of Hindostan and the plot of the Pakistani movie might be same. However, fans are enthusiastic despite all the criticism and they are waiting for a ‘would-be’ blockbuster.

Not only in Pakistan, some fans in Bollywood are also praising the trailer of the movie and appreciating director’s efforts in art direction as well as in the screenplay.

Here’s what prominent Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap wrote about the movie in his tweet.

Bilal Lashari’s other directorial debut film War (2013) holds the record of being the seventh highest grossing Pakistani film.