An interview with Ammad Azhar

 

By: Rai Habiba Gulzar 

Associated Press Service

Your life is a movie. You are the main character. You say your scripts and act to your lines. Of course you do your lines in each scene. There is a hidden camera and a director who you can ask for help anytime up above. Your life experience is a moving picture, of which you are writer, director, performer, producer and critic.

A director is a general in charge of an army of traitors like any showman. An audience will love you, laugh with you and wait outside your stage door when you’re hot and on a roll, but no audience is ever truly friendly. Not for long. Bore ’em or disappoint ’em – even once – and they’ll turn on you and tear you to pieces, regardless of who you are or might once have been.

An average director directs. A good director leads and follows at the same time. A great director gives life to a work of art- gives it a heartbeat… a pulse… opens its eyes to the world.

If you want to be a good actor or director, firstly see life, secondly see films and thirdly read books!

A good director creates an environment, which gives the actor the encouragement to fly.

Ammad Azhar is a film director and unique from others, in terms of performance, competence and intelligent.

Q1. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE RECENT PAKISTANI FILM?

Actor in Law

Q2. IF YOU WERE NOT A FILM DIRECTOR WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN?

I would probably have been a good chef

Q3. YOUR INSPIRATION IN DIRECTION?

Francis Lawrence

Q4. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCREENWRITING & SCRIPTWRITING?

Script is content based containing story & dialogues and Screenplay is the visual aspect with narrative details. Screenwriting makes the script looks interesting for the audience.

Q5. AMMAD THE POET OR AMMAD THE DIRECTOR?

I have been a poet since childhood and it’s an honor that the legendary Ashfaq Ahmed has praised & written his valuable views about my poetry. My first book came in 2002 by the title Moujood . And Film making & Direction is a part of my soul. I plan to do commercial yet subjective films as i believe it’s a huge responsibility to give our audience the right content along with entertainment.

Q6. YOUR DATE OF BIRTH?

23^rd Feb 1977

Q7. SO YOU ARE A PISCEAN…THEY ARE VERY CREATIVE AND HEADSTRONG. DO YOU BELIEVE IN HOROSCOPE?

To some extent. I think they are interesting

Q8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOR?

Black

Q9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD?

Fried Fish

Q10. YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE TO WORK IN?

Mystery -Fiction

Q11. AFTER ASHIR’S MAALIK , FILM WHISTLE WAS A DARING STEP IN CRTICISIZING OUR POLITICIANS & ALSO INDIAN AGENCIES (RAW)? HOW TOUGH WAS TO SHOW THIS BITTER TRUTH ON CINEMA SCREENS?

It was a little tough but gladly the film cleared Censorship without any query. Surprisingly when our Film was in Cinemas the same events were being telecast on News regarding the Pakistan Law & Order situation including Cross-borders drug trafficking through Afghanistan, penetrating Drugs through Medicine and RAW involvement in bringing unrest in Pakistan.so I would say the truth came out a little earlier through WHISTLE.

Q12. WHOSE BRAIN CHILD IS “WHISTLE”?

The Story of the Film WHISTLE is written by Shafaq Ammad who is my better half. The Story was very different amongst the current stream of Films with Tatmain playing a negative and female version of James Bond.

Q13. YOUR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE CAST OF “WHISTLE”?

Casting was done by me and Shafaq. It was great working with both Senior & junior Artists. I specially would like to thank Farhan bhai & Tatmain for putting in their best. They both definitely are an asset to Pakistan Film Industry.

Q14. SAHIR LODHI’S FILM FACED A LOT OF CRITICISM? WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ABOUT IT?

Film is not a one day task. It requires immense patience, teamwork & dedication. We all are working to revive our Film Industry including Sahir, Wajahat and many more, so every effort made should be acknowledged. Film doing good business or not is an entirely different thing.

Q15.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FILM CRITICS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE FILM?

I believe Film Critic is an over-rated job. How can one person decide for a large number of audience or the entire Nation? We Humans even find imperfection in God’s creation which says a lot about us alone. A Filmmaker can only try giving his best.

Q16 WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CAN DESTROY A FILM?

Well, I think there can be many but mainly Our Intentions, Country’s economic & political instability, Wrong concept and Bad Timings. Luck plays a very vital role in a Film’s success.

Q17 YOUR NEXT PROJECT/FILM?

Would most probably be a Romantic-Comedy

Q18. ANY ADVICE FOR NEW TALENT?

Keep working hard and avoid shortcuts in Life. Never lose hope and always respect your mentor.