Saqib Malik makes a grand entry with Baaji The Film!

Saqib Malik is one of those ad filmmakers who have been passionately thinking of making a movie for a long time. His Baaji The Film comes out as a crossover between Hollywood classics Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve with a pinch of Meera. It has been wonderfully shot and well-directed and can be watched more than once for various reasons, Meera being one of them.

The Plot: Baaji The Film Is A Throwback To Hollywood Of The Past

The film revolves around a young girl Neha (Amna Ilyas) who befriends an over-the-hill actress Shameera (Meera) after a chance meeting. Their lives change after the encounter as Neha helps Shameera avoid making stupid decisions and manage her career to the best of her abilities. The arrival of Rohail (Osman Khalid Butt) changes the equation as Shameera falls in love with the Hollywood director, and believes Neha is trying to snatch him away. Does ‘Baaji’ reconcile with Neha and make her comeback or does something else happen to divide them, watch the film to get the answers.

The Good: Every Actor Gets The Chance To Excel In Baaji The Film

From Meera to Amna Ilyas, Osman Khalid Butt to Mohsin Abbas Haider, Ali Kazmi to Nayyar Ejaz, Nisho Begum To Aamir Qureshi, every actor gets a chance to prove their worth. The casting is perfect as no one else could have complimented Meera than Amna Ilyas; they both look like different sides of one coin. While Meera is growing old, Amna is young and makes her uncomfortable at times. Osman Khalid Butt uses his theatre experience to express with his eyes whereas he dances flawlessly. Mohsin Abbas Haider has a limited presence but he sets the screen on fire with his abs; as does Nayyar Ejaz with his baritone vocals. Ali Kazmi finally gets a role that suits him while Nisho Begum’s return to the screen is a throwback to her era, the 1970s.

Click here to watch Khilti Kali songs from Baaji The Film

Then there is the amazing soundtrack that brings back the golden era of Pakistan’s film music. Khilti Kali and Yeh Aaj Mujhko Kia Hua are two classic numbers from the 70s that have been placed intelligently in the Film. Saqib Malik, music director Taha Malik and the team of dance directors must be commended for a job well done. Some of the scenes have been captured intelligently by Suleman Razzaq and require a filmi mind to understand their significance.

The Bad: Some Lollywood inconsistencies, but not too much!

Like all films from Pakistan, this one has its share of inconsistencies but does that make Baaji a bad film? No. It would have been better had the first half been trimmed and the climax extended to make it more interesting. And not accepting a huge twist at the climax is not the director’s fault but the viewers who should be ready for everything. Yes, in some places, they made simple mistakes but after watching the film, you can forget these instances easily.

The Verdict: 3.5/5

Watch Baaji for Meera’s brilliance, Amna Ilyas’s hotness, Osman Khalid Butt’s diversity, Ali Kazmi’s anger, and Mohsin Abbas Haider’s abs. Director Saqib Malik makes his film entry grand by using the film industry like a pro. Irfan Ahmed Urfi’s script could have been better but the visuals compensate for that. The film is also Meera’s biggest break since Khilona. The way she has acted in the film shows that she is a director’s actress. On the other hand, Amna Ilyas carries the film as the protagonist and has a bright future ahead. On the whole, Baaji is to be watched to be understood as it’s a seasoned director’s first offering.

And Meera now wants to play this Pakistani politician in a biopic!