Buddha Gujjar

Buddha Gujjar

Film poster
Directed by Syed Noor
Produced by Haji Chaudhry Faqeer Mohammad, Chaudhry Shahbaz Ali alias Ch. Karamat
Written by Syed Noor
Starring Shaan
Resham
Saima
Music by Tafoo
Release dates
 December 6, 2002
Country Pakistan
Language Punjabi

Buddha Gujjar is a Pakistani Punjabi film by Ch. Shahzad Ali for Pak Nishan Films.

That the director of Buddha Gujjar hardly innovates is apparent even from the name of the movie. The suffix Gujjar has appeared in about half a dozen movies released during the last 12 months, though only a couple of them have been commercially successful.

Film business

Syed Noor has, during the last decade or so, acquired the status of the filmmaker in Pakistan but his critics say his movies seldom defy the 'formula'. Buddha Gujjar, in more ways than one justifies this criticism. The narrative is simplistic - rather one-dimensional like most movie plots in Pakistan. The form, too, is rather conventional. Golden Jubilee, 63 weeks .Naghma 15, Odeon 13 weeks in Lahore.

This is reminiscent of Jatt phenomenon led by Maula Jatt, though Syed Kamal can be given the credit of using the word prior to its release not in one but a series of flicks like Jatt Kurian Toun Darda and Jatt Kamala Gaya Dubai. Filmmakers, inspired by Maula Jatt's phenomenal success thought the secret lay in the name alone and, therefore, they continued using it until it ran out of steam to be able to ensure box-office viability for loose plots and even looser productions. In Gujjar's case, the word is yet to run its complete course and Buddha Gujjar is fortunate enough to have used it when it is a bit of a novelty.

The acting mostly is acceptable, if not good. But one man who stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast as far as acting is concerned is Yousaf Khan. In fact, the role of an aging but graceful man comes to him quite naturally. He does not need to act, rather he opts to under-act here and there. But even this suits him and the character. Shaan strives hard to play the spoilt guy but his attempt to always face the camera with eyes turned upwards sometimes irritates. Nawaz Khan and Arshad Mehmood do well.

The saving grace of the movie is its realistic setting and an attempt to keep the wardrobe as wearable as possible, obviously with a couple of exceptions for lead female characters played by Saima and Resham. The music and the lyrics too are apt and evocative, though not memorable.

See also

References