Ali Zafar is one of the few stars from Pakistan who has enjoyed stardom that many only can imagine. His latest film Teefa in Trouble premiered last night.
WHAT WORKS:
Production Values: It is said to be the most expensive Pakistani movie to date and that can be seen in all aspects of the film. From production values to cinematography to action sequences and locations, everything is visually and aesthetically top notch.
Witty One-Liners: The dialogues have been written by Ali Zafar which work as a catalyst and there are more than a few moments where you laugh out loud. The loudest claps are reserved for the moment when he takes a dig at Islamabad ke burger and mulk chor diya per tharak nahi gayi.
Punjabi Tadka: Ali is originally from Lahore so the Punjabi accent comes naturally to him and he looks believable as a Punjabi goon. The second half is shot in Lahore and it looks great as part of the backdrop. Time and again, Mehmood Aslam and Javed Sheikh get into fights in a typically loud Punjabi manner and those scenes are show stealers.
Ali Zafar’s Star power: It’s hard to believe, but this is Ali Zafar’s first Pakistani film. And he has put his best foot forward. He looks good, has performed his stunts himself and his acting skills have improved a lot over time. My only issue is that given his character, his face and hair look too perfect in each frame ( He reminded us of Bollywood’s Shahid Kapoor). Nonetheless, the film belongs to him and he is as keyed up as a Boost bunny, exuding charm and competence in equal measure.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK:
Weak Plot: Unfortunately, the biggest problem is the storyline. Ali plays a goon who believes that money is everything in life and he is hired to kidnap the Maya Ali who is super wealthy, has had a troubled childhood and is ignored by her father, a billionaire tycoon. She lives in a mansion and has a scheming stepmom. She thinks Ali is helping her elope and as expected, the pair find themselves drawn to one another, but she doesn’t know what he does for a living. Now could it get any more clichéd than this? We have seen such stories right from the time of in Bollywood like the film Jab Harry Met Sejal where the two leads with super contrasting backgrounds get romantically involved, part ways and then reunite.
The Drag:
The second half is lengthy to the extent that it feels dragged. There is too much of chasing going on. We will not hold anything against the cinematic liberties taken time and again. For instance, the way Teefa lands in Europe in just one day and how Javed Sheikh’s army of guards are so useless that they can’t match with the actress’ speed!
Overall: We believe that this film has revived Ali Zafar’s career as an actor. This was the last chance Ali had to prove himself as an actor and he delivered on the grandest stage! The script of the film gave justice to Ali’s character and made him bring his A-Game! The other actors who shined and stole the spotlight in their respective roles were Javed Sheikh, Mehmood Aslam, Faisal Qureshi, Asma Abbas, Nayyar Ejaz, and Billu Butt himself – Marhoom Ahmad Bilal.
We love Maya Ali tremendously… However, we don’t think she did justice with the role of her character. At many times it felt that she was trying too hard. (Reminded us a bit of Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met.)
