Na Maloom Afraad is an all-out Pakistani endeavor directed by Nabeel Qureshi and produced by Fizza Ali Meerza under the banner of Filmwala Pictures, starring Javed Shiekh, Fahad Mustafa and Mohsin Abbas Haider as the three protagonists in a story cooked with all ingredients indigenous to Pakistan.
The more than two-hour-long film draws heavily from the societal norms and practices, state decisions and their effect on the common man, and the frequent havoc played by the notorious “Na Maloom Afraad” – referred to as “unidentified men” in several news reports – on the streets of Karachi.
Na Maloom Afraad is the story of three different people – the stuttering Shakeel Bhai (Sheikh), who is short of money for his sister’s dowry, Farhan (Mustafa) who his fired from his job at an insurance company IFU and Moon (Haider), a Punjabi who tells his family that he is settled in Dubai while he struggles in Karachi. How financial constraints connect these three to a toy dealer, Gogi (Salman Shahid) and how their paths intertwine is for you to find out over Eidul Azha.
The film deserves a watch for its powerful storyline, crisp, vernacular dialogues and upbeat and catchy music.
Mehwish Hayat’s dance number– Billi – provides just the right oomph factor. Sajjad Ali has lent his vocals to the bubbly lyrics of “Phurr Phurr” written by Sabir Zaka. The music of the romantic number “Darbadar” by Vicky Haider and Naqsh Haider, sung by Sara Raza Khan is also a treat to the ears.
Silver screen debutantes, Mustafa and Urwa Hoccain (as Naina), have displayed promising acting skills while Haider seemed to have been made for the role of Moon. Javed Sheikh has given one of his best performances to date while Nayyar Ejaz is comically intimidating in the few minutes of screen time he gets.
The film is well-paced with not a single dull moment. Each scene gels well into the next and story flows effortlessly.
The bank robbery, addict puffing away in a rubbish dump, the state’s decision to bulldoze houses in a colony to build a bridge and media personnel shoving the microphone into the mouths of eyewitnesses of a bomb blast are all relatable and comically portrayed.
With a television programme titled “Chori kay peechay kya hai” and miscreants not needing a telling twice to burn down a bank when Farhan says “yeh goron ka bank hai”, the film keeps its comic tone intact throughout.
Talking to Pakistan Today, director Nabeel Qureshi said, “Na Maloom Afraad’s plus point is that it is an original and all-out Pakistani piece of work.” Supporting Qureshi’s views, veteran Javed Sheikh was palpably proud of the film.
Nevertheless, the film is not perfect. British model Kubra Khan fails to woo with her role as a banker, whereas it also seems that the three protagonists have slathered bullet repellant on themselves to get away unscathed from some sticky action-packed scenes. Moreover, there is little meat to the female’s roles in the film; their inclusion seeming almost forced at times.
Despite the hitches, Na Maloom Afraad is a must one-time watch for the raw slapstick humour in the backdrop of a myriad of Pakistani problems.
