Parwaaz Hay Junoon

''Parwaaz Hai Junoon'' (; lit: ''Soaring is Passion'') is a 2018 Pakistani aerial combat-war romantic film, directed by Haseeb Hassan (in his directorial debut), produced by Momina Duraid and written by Farhat Ishtiaq. The film features an ensemble cast of Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahad Raza Mir, Hania Amir, Kubra Khan, Alamdar Khan, Marina Khan, Shamoon Abbasi, Adnan Jaffar, Shaz Khan, Shafaat Ali, and Mustafa Changazi in pivotal roles. Earlier, Osman Khalid Butt was also a part of the film but had to withdraw as the film's shoot schedule clashed with his promotions for Balu Mahi. The film is a tribute to Pakistan Air Force.

It was released on Eid al-Adha, 24 August 2018, under Momina & Duraid Films and was distributed by Hum Films. It is the seventh-highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time.

Plot

In the picturesque mountainsides of outer Islamabad, Pakistan, Sania (Hania Amir) finds solace while gazing at PAF jets soaring through the skies. The narrative unfolds with an intense dogfight between PAF JF-17s, piloted by Hamza Haider Ali (Hamza Ali Abbasi) and Nadir Kirmani (Shaz Khan), against enemy Mirage-2000s infiltrating Pakistani airspace. Hamza's daring maneuvers lead to victory, and despite reprimands for the dangerous risk, he draws inspiration from a past hero, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafique.

A group of aspiring PAF Fighter Pilots, including Saad Khan (Ahad Raza Mir), Rashid Minhas Yousufzai (Sikander Vincent Khan Yousafzai), Zaid Ali (Shafaat Ali), Shamir Hamid, and female cadets Sania and Ujala, embark on their journey to the PAF academy. Sania faces skepticism due to her physical attributes, but her unwavering love for Pakistan earns her a spot. The diverse group undergoes rigorous training, marked by humorous encounters and Saad's initial arrogance, particularly towards Sania and the female cadets.

Meanwhile, Hamza, preparing for Nadir's wedding to Fiza, Sania's cousin, meets Sania. Their playful interactions lead to a deepening romance, with motorcycle trips and mountain tea becoming their cherished moments. Hamza's commitment to being a fighter pilot, akin to his father, sparks playful banter about choosing between love and duty. As terrorist attacks surge, Hamza and Nadir are selected for critical bombing missions against Taliban militants.

Back at the academy, Saad's jealousy intensifies, especially as Rashid excels. Zaid leaves the Airforce, emotionally affecting his friends. Sania faces challenges, with Saad offering genuine advice amid occasional mockery. The plot takes a poignant turn when Hamza's marriage plans face parental objections, leading to a life-altering decision.

A Taliban attack near civilians prompts Hamza's heroic low-altitude strike, resulting in critical injuries and martyrdom. Hamza's father, initially dismissive, undergoes a transformation after meeting Sania at the grave. The narrative reveals that Sania's journey, fueled by both patriotism and her relationship with Hamza, was intertwined with fulfilling Hamza's dream.

In the present, Saad confronts his misplaced jealousy and learns about Rashid's fiancée, Sherbatgul. Saad apologizes, realizing his unfounded fears, and a humorous dinner scene unfolds. At the graduation ceremony, Sania, Saad, and Rashid receive honors, with the seniors, including a decorated Nadir, in attendance. The film concludes with Sania finding peace in the mountains, reminiscing about Hamza, and a hopeful scene of Saad and Sania, now flying JF-17s, hinting at a possible romance. The final vision of Hamza's spirit saluting encapsulates the enduring impact of their journey.

Cast

* Hamza Ali Abbasi as Sq/Ldr Hamza Ali Haider
* Hania Amir as Flying officer Sania Taimoor
* Ahad Raza Mir as Flying officer Saad Khan
* Shaz Khan as Sq/Ldr Nadir Kirmani
* Kubra Khan as Fizza Nadir Kirmani
* Shafaat Ali as Aviation Cadet Zaid Ali
* Sikandar Vincent Khan as Flying officer Rashid Minhas Yousafzai
* Rachel Viccaji as Flying officer Ujala
* Mustafa Changezi as Flying officer Rashid
* Sabeena Syed as Diya
* Alamdar Khan as Adil
* Adnan Jaffar as OC Flying Taimoor
* Arslan Asad Butt as Air Force student

Special appearance

* Marina Khan as Sania's mother
* Asif Raza Mir as Haider Ali
* Hina Khawaja Bayat as Shehla
* Annie Zaidi as Sania's aunt
* Farhan Ally Agha as Ali
* Rasheed Naz as waiter
* Shamoon Abbasi
* Irfan Ahmed
* Faisal Nawaz
* Solat Hameed
* Asif Samad
* Jibran
* Shahnawaz Khan
* Ahsen Abdul Sattar
* Israr Shaheed

Production

Development and casting

According to director of media affairs PAF Syed Mohammad Ali and Momina Duraid, the film is intended to be a tribute to Pakistan Air Force with stories inspired from real life. Duraid also announced that all of the major earnings of film will be donated to PAF funds. The casting of Hamza Ali Abbasi and Osman Khalid Butt was announced at the launch event of film, with real life members of Pakistan air force comprising the rest of the cast. Few days later Osman had to withdraw as the film's shoot schedule clashed with his promotions for Balu Mahi and was replaced by Ahad Raza Mir. Farhat Ishtiaq wrote the film's script. The final cast includes Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahad Raza Mir, Kubra Khan, Hania Aamir, Shaz Khan, Marina Khan and Shamoon Abbasi.

Filming

In an Interview to ''Daily Pakistan such as cities which included Saidpur, Murree, Sargodha and Lahore, as well as Karachi. The director Haseeb Hassan also revealed that some parts of the film were shot on K2 and the Karakoram Highway.

Release

Two separate teasers of the film was released, first teaser, featuring Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shaz Khan was released on 19 April 2018, while the second teaser featuring Ahad Raza Mir and Hania Amir was released on 23 April 2018.
The trailer of the film was released on 6 July 2018. Initially, the film was set to release on Eid al-Fitr 2018, but due to the limited screens available, it was postponed until Eid al-Adha 2018. After the delay, the film was released on Eid al-Adha worldwide, 22 August 2018. It had a premiere event in London on same day, after previous premieres were cancelled due to some issues with Central Board of Film Censors. It is the second Pakistani film after Parchi which is screened in Saudi Arabia and the first in China after forty years.

Box office

''Parwaaz Hai Junoon'' opened to a good response on the first day of its release and managed to collect despite massive clash at the local box office. The film also collected Internationally, taking its first day total collection to . Worldwide figures after two days were around after collecting and from local box office and from overseas markets respectively on second day. On its third day of release, it grossed around from Pakistan and from international markets respectively, bringing the total nett collections to . Film grossed worldwide, after four days of its release. Film's global nett gross after one week was around . Within second week of release, it collected at local box office, breaking the record of Teefa in Trouble and Punjab Nahi Jaungi of fastest to locally. After ten days, It collected at global box office. It collected locally until the end of 2018. After its release in China in November 2020, the film collected there lifetime.

Critical response

Shahjehan Saleem of ''Something Haute'' rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and said, "despite having major problems script-wise, the film is extremely strong in its aesthetics and acting skills". Abdul Waheed Bhutto of ''Review it'' rated the film 5 stars out of 5 and said, "The movie is visually appeasing & aesthetically sound with the director also doing complete justice to the beauty of Pakistan".

Omair Alavi rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote to Brandsynario, "It is shot like a TV drama and comes out as one too, despite some very attractive aerial shots where cadets train and pilots unleash their weapons on enemies". Hamza Shafique of Dubai Desi rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Overall a very well made, performed and directed product which suffers only from TV drama serial style screenplay and story telling. The performances by the and the infused patriotism through brilliantly shot Pakistan Air force sequences never let you get bored but doesn't excite you either". The editor of Oye yeah gave a somewhat positive review and praised the direction and marked, " as a film PHJ has little novelty to offer. The recipe has been over been oversold. The changing the sides didn’t much of a difference.It’s a story we have heard before, wanting us to shed tears we have shed before!". Asjad Khan of HIP gave a positive review but criticised the script and praised the performances.

Hamna Zubair of Images Dawn gave a mixed review and wrote "PHJ may leave the audience with renewed respect for the air force but as a viewer, you may only truly enjoy its silly bits, and that's troubling for a film that's not a comedy".

Accolades

Soundtrack

See also

* List of Pakistani films of 2018
* Aircraft in fiction
* Fighter (2024 film)

References

External links

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* {{facebook, ParwaazHaiJunoon

Hum films
Films directed by Haseeb Hassan
MD Productions
Farhat Ishtiaq
Films with screenplays by Farhat Ishtiaq
Films about aviation
Films about air forces
Films shot in Gilgit-Baltistan
Films set in Pakistan
2018 films
Pakistani war films
2010s Urdu-language films
Urdu-language Pakistani films