Since the revival of Pakistani cinema industry, there have been quite a few films aimed at lifes of armed force officers. Eid Ul Azha 2018 release 'Parwaaz Hai Junoon' aims to shed light on the lives of Air Force officers but does it succeed? Lets find out.
Parwaaz Hai Junoon revolves around the lives of Pakistani Air Force Cadets and Pilots. The hardships one goes through in order to serve their country and entangling their personal lives along the way. The main storyline is based on Sania (Hania Amir) and Hamza (Hamza Ali Abbasi). Their journey together and individually as armed forces members and the strains they face. The parallel story line sees Saad (Ahad Raza Mir) and Sania as cadets enrolled who deal with harsh training methods, while creating an able friendship bond. The film goes back and forth between these timelines and finally converges to its outcome. Nadir (Shaz Khan) and Zaid (Syed Shafat Ali) provide a strong supporting role in each timeline.
Director Haseeb Hassan keeps the audience engaged through the impressive and hard hitting scenes. He has the right vision and heart for PHJ but the script holds him back from making a truly impactful film. The story from Farhat Ishtaq has honest intentions but tries its hand at too many things by capturing romance, action, friendship, comedy and patriotism in one go. Thus leading to the major flaw of PHJ. Nonetheless the film is shot beautifully and on a grand scale. Cinematography and CGI are breathtaking considering our industry. The stunts using PAF fighter jets are amazing and the film manages to highlight military perfectly. The music provides good support to the narrative, from which the Atif Aslam song stands out. And the background music gives a tide to the emotional setting.
As far as acting is concerned Hamza Ali Abbasi is the main lead and he is perfectly cast as the patriotic pilot. His dialogues are sure to bring the nationalist out of everyone in cinema halls. Hania Aamir after impressing in a couple of films is the female lead. She has contrasting roles in both timelines and gives it her all. She has a bright future ahead. Ahad Raza Mir tries his best but his shoddy character writing does not help him leave a mark. Syed Shafat Ali provides repetitive comic relief. The cast also includes actors like Rasheed Naz, Asif Raza Mir, Marina Khan, Kubra Khan and each one of them have an extended guest appearance which leaves a mark.
On the whole PHJ underlines what everyone affiliated with Air Force goes through. The sacrifices they make personally and what serving for your country truly means. It shows that even the strongest of personalities are human beings after all thus giving a realistic feel overall. The movie has a perfect blend of everything; there's comedy, there's romance, there's drama & then such moments where you are left teary eyed because you have formed this connection with all the characters that they affect you on an emotional level.
