You’re not an actor if you don’t speak Punjabi: A view from Shaan of “The Legend of Maula Jatt”
I The director claimed he chose Fawad Khan to play Maula Jatt instead of Shahid because he wanted to have a solid onscreen combination in a talk with Lashari, the show’s host, Ahmed Ali Butt, recalled at first. Then Butt asked the Zarrar actor if he concurred with Lashari’s choice.
I think a director should always have a vision, and if Bilal has a specific match in mind, that’s terrific, said Shahid in agreement.
The Waar actor then changed the subject mid-sentence to address the use of Punjabi in the movie. However, he asserted, “I personally felt that the Punjabi language should be treated with more respect; rather than being used as tissue paper, it should be worn instead, since it is your pehnawa (clothing). If you are going to use the basic narrative of that “I don’t know Punjabi,” then you are not an actor.
Shahid also discussed how it is essential for actors to perform well in various languages because it is a need of their job. Added he, “It is a very minimum necessary to have appropriate accents for them if you have to do a Pushto film, a Sindhi film, or even an English picture. But it is the actor’s responsibility to prepare oneself in accordance with the film if they are required to work on a French production.”
The Arth actor then praised the The Legend of Maula Jatt cast, emphasising that despite his belief that everyone in the movie spoke Punjabi fluently, the film nonetheless fell short of the mark. Shahid reported: “The fact that the actors could speak Punjabi is admirable; yet, while it was presented properly, there was a lack of certain lyricism. Their conversations ought to have been clear on this point.”
To draw attention to Humaima Malick’s standout performance in the movie, Shahid particularly mentioned her. “If Humaima is the subject, her work was remarkable. Her gait and flawless portrayal of Daro connected with a Punjabi in every way.”
The Yalghaar actor then discussed his personal journey in picking up the aforementioned accent for his roles. “I just appeared in a Punjabi movie, and learning about the production was a process. I sought up every seasoned Punjabi actor and watched every one of their movies. Shahid continued, “I felt as a director that his [Bilal’s] choice was the appropriate one since I knew what I was supposed to do, but I also thought that Maula Jatt’s character had a lot of potential.
