Sarmad Khoosat’s cinematic debut, Manto, premiered last night in the city and ran to a packed hall. The man of the hour, Sarmad Khoosat, was all smiles and why wouldn’t he be? The film premiered in Lahore to an nprecedentedly large crowd and received loud cheers from the audience.
Social media was flooded last night with photos of Mahira Khan resplendent in a Feeha Jamshed sari at the premiere of Manto in Lahore. People rarely have time to pay attention to other things when the beautiful actress is around, but for once even Mahira’s popularity couldn’t overshadow the hype surrounding Sarmad Khoosat’s cinematic directorial debut Manto.
The red carpet dazzled with star power and we spotted Meesha Shafi trendy as ever in an Ali Xeeshan sheer organza jacket, actor Yamina Peerzada sporting a traditional all-white Rano’s Heirlooms outfit and songstress Hadiqa Kiyani amongst a crowd of fashionistas, socialites and intellectuals who willingly made the trek to Cinestar in Johar Town on a weekday, to pay tribute to Manto’s legacy, lovingly crafted for the screen by Sarmad.
The film casts her in an unconventional avatar, but at the premiere Mahira Khan stuck to a classic and feminine look in a floral Feeha Jamshed sari and proved to be a red carpet style star.
The man of the hour, the director himself, was thronged by eager fans and camera crews and it seemed he didn’t have a moment to take a breather and gather his thoughts. Not that he minded, we are pretty sure, for the 1000 plus crowd was proof that Manto was perhaps the most eager awaited release in recent history.
With a capacity to seat 570 people (but close to 800 managed to make their way inside, content to sit on the steps or in the aisles), many were left disappointed when the cinema doors closed at 8.45 pm. Those that refused to leave the premises were rewarded for their perseverance – the producers ran a second showing right after the first one ended for the 300 or so people who couldn’t find seating initially. What’s more, Mahira Khan sat with the crowd and we are pretty sure many starry dreams came true that night.
Hadiqa Kiyani was one of the many celebrities who turned up to support the cast and crew of Manto.
While critics’ reviews regarding the film are slowly trickling in, those who attended the premiere are waxing eloquent about it. Hadiqa Kiyani tweeted the following, “Blown away by @MantoTheFilm. The performances, the soundtrack, the dialogue… everything was brilliant, thank you for such a great movie. Meesha Shafi was also full of praise on Twitter. “@MantoTheFilm can get #Pakistan 2nd #OSCAR @KhoosatSarmad is a genius.
Performance of a lifetime!!”
Manto will release nationwide tomorrow. With shows already booked solid, we suggest you do not wait any longer and grab your tickets right away!
Meesha Shafi, who has lent her vocals to the Manto soundtrack with the intense ‘Mehram Dilaan De Mahi’, hailed the film as ‘sophisticated and powerful cinema.’
