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Lollywood shows a leg

1/ 1/2003

LOLLYWOOD made a bid to re-launch itself at Manchester's Trafford Centre as stars travelled north for the premier of Pakistan's most expensive production to date.

At a cost of $1 million 'Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua' is very small potatoes by Hollywood and even Bollywood standards but with more cleavage, belly and leg on display it certainly sets itself in the direction of its film industry rivals.

Some things do not change however. The eager crowd of Pakistan fans and a sprinkling of media had to wait one-hour-and-a-half before director Javed Sheikh, leading lady Sana and male star Salim Sheikh made an apologetic appearance.

But Javed quickly won the hearts of the audience by telling them that the film was made for Pakistan but especially for the Pakistani audiences in the UK.

'Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua' - 'This Heart is Yours' - is a romantic comedy and revolves around three families caught in a love triangle.

Salim plays the best friend of Falak (Moammar Rana) whose sister Pinky is in love with him. Problem, Falak loves Sana (played by - guess who - Sana).

The plot involves a love chase through Spain, Switzerland (location, location, location) and finally back home.

In keeping with the new Lollywood this movie stays well away from slapstick and tries to be a sophisticated comedy of manners - but only partly succeeds.

Director Javed said the production was the fulfilment of a 25-year-old dream.

Himself an actor with a staggering 125 films under his belt, he said he was spurred on to make YDAKH by the general embarrassment felt by Pakistani's all over the world at the quality and standards of Lollywood.

"People criticised Pakistani films saying they don't appeal to the wider audience. Young people in particular did not like watching films from their own country.

"I already had an idea for a story line. I got the best actors, we used the latest technology. The scenes were extensively shot in Spain and Switzerland. And for the first time in a Pakistani film the music was composed in Mumbai. The quality will match any international film."

Sana, who is the Karisma Kapoor of Lollywood, feels that with YDAKH Lollywood isn't far behind the rest of the world. She said that Pakistan has enough talent and a solid fan base around to sustain the industry.

"The trouble is that we have very few producers and financiers that have the vision to see Lollywood go as global as Bollywood films," she said.

"We need directors like Javed Sheikh who are looking beyond Pakistan and are trying to aim at the international market - if a film does well internationally it will do well in Pakistan."

Although Sana has starred in several films she feels YDAKH is her debut.

She adds: "This film is so different, I fell in love with the character I was playing as soon as I read the script. The people I have worked with were fabulous."

Added Javed: "Bollywood makes very good films, it is the biggest producers of films in the world so we cannot compete with them. I want to produce family films that can also be entertaining."

'Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua' is currently running at UCI, Trafford Centre.