Ho Mann Jahaan

Refreshing Start, immersive throughout, excellent execution and beautiful music.

Ho Mann Jahaan had everything that a modern day movie should have. It was relatable, it was not far fetched and it all seemed honest. This was a movie based on the life of three friends from College, how their lives were interconnected and how events unfolded as time progressed. I know it all sounds like an over used and cliché idea. But the way it was executed, connecting with how the different facets of society and family structures in Pakistan operate did not allow the viewer to think 'cliché' even once. And the way it was panned out, it all linked back together like a well direction-ed, well steered boat. In the end Converging together with the initial message of the film, 'dosti'(Friendship).

Ignoring the occasional flaw when the musician's fingers or hands were not moving on the guitar yet the tune was altering. The direction, the location and they way the film was paced was impeccable. It may have seemed a bit stretched a little before and after the intermission, but that effect was unnoticeable when fused with beautiful yet refreshing music.

None of the characters seemed unnecessary, everyone on-screen had some part to play. And everyone played their part near perfect. Be it the evergreen Bushra Ansari, the beautiful Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain or Sheheryar Munawar. Each actor had a distinctive character, no one seemed to be put on the sideline and none of the characters seemed fake. Which is extremely important because the actors need to believe in characters as a start to even have a chance of making the audience believe.

The music was the undisputed star of this movie. Considering that the plot was largely based on music, the art itself. The film shined in the music that it brought forward. Be it the beautiful Balochi tunes, Atif aslam's Dil Kare, the pure entertainer Shakar Wanda or most importantly the classical Revitalized Zoheb Hassan and Nazia Hassan's 'Dosti'. This particular song may I add fit perfectly with the story line of the movie.

Besides all the technical aspects of the movie. In the end what does it or breaks it for the viewer is whether he/she is able to 'feel' with the movie. Does the viewer walk out of the theater with a smile on his/her face? This movie was able to create that feel and that is why I loved this movie.

This is indeed a wonderful start to the New Year and a wonderful first step of the year in the revival of the Pakistani Film Industry.

4.5*/5*

I truly believe that there is nothing better to alleviate stress of any and all kinds then watching a good movie, for some time now Pakistani cinema has seen some sort of a resurgence, not only in terms of the market share and the bragging rights but also in terms of the quality of the films. The trend was started by Khuda Kay Liye, then came Bol and the trickle down effect has seen the local talent from directors, producers to the many up and coming actors both male and female come to the fore and churn out unexpected hits that not only resonate with our culture but are appreciated abroad as well. I was cautiously optimistic going in for Ho Mann Jahan, the film had everything going for it from tremendous marketing with a tie in with the marketing juggernaut that is the brand Coca Cola, to a very talented though somewhat underrated cast. The many vignettes on TV commercials seemed very promising, little did i know that the film will completely blow my expectations out of the water.

It won't be an understatement to say that this is a modern classic by all accounts and i am not saying this because i am a Pakistani, you have to see the film to understand how beautifully its crafted. First and foremost, the three main actors: Mahira Khan, Adeel Hussain and Sheheryar Munawar deserve huge props for their performances, each embodied their character and were pulling out all the stops and seemed to be living their roles. The ever present Bushra Ansari was great as usual and even the cameos by Hamza Ali Abbasi, Zoheb Hassan and Fawad Khan were very welcome and never seemed to be just filler with no substance. The film being a musical had to have good music and although i didn't like every song in the movie, its safe to say that it caters to a variety of tastes in music and does have something for everyone, although Atif Aslam's solo number 'Dil Kare' seemed to stand out amongst others.

The cinematography was superb, there were scenes where the relative newcomers were outclassing the veterans and were pushing all the right buttons to generate a reaction from the audience. The narrative of the film revolves around friendship and so it has its fair share of variety when it comes to plot twists and memorable moments. I was especially impressed by Sheheryar Munawar's performance, he seemed such a natural in his role and it seems that sky is really the limit for his future. Mahira was looking ravishing but that doesn't mean that she was all eye candy, this was probably her most complete performance yet. Adeel Hussain did a very commendable job as well. To conclude, this is a film that simply can't be missed by a Pakistani cinema goer, as for the audiences abroad, if u want to see a film that is representative of Pakistan through and through; packs a punch and is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish without relying on silly item numbers, you can't do much better than this.

Ho Mann Jahaan is coming of age film which tackles youth problems; their emotions, their relationships and does it quite well... Starting from acting department everyone did great. The main cast stands out and everyone does exceptionally well. Sheryar Munawar becomes the star of the show and plays his character very well. Mahira Khan gives another beautiful performance and Adeel Hussain played this character extremely well . I was amazed to see Sonya Jehan play her character with certain kind of subtlety . Well I have already praised Asim but if have a problem with Asim its his writing which left alot of things a bit confused. One thing which film tackles is society's continuous reference of religion in pursuing certain professions like music in the film but if your religion does not stop you from pursuing certain professions then where the hell were references in the film so the makers could satisfy their audiences which was supposedly the main theme which this film tried to tackle and the film could have been a little shorter. This is a testament to the fact that our films lack smooth editing.. The music is like a breath of fresh air which makes the film's long runtime bearable and enjoyable for you.. For all its flaws, Ho Mann Jahaan feels like a film (finally) and I am very happy that Asim gave this beautiful film to the industry...

Finally a movie released in these two three that is decent, well choreographed and well written. The characters are all easy to relate to on so many different levels. Oh and the wardrobe was amazing. The dresses from start to finish are beautiful. Also note that Coke Studio is sponsoring it so red is used in EVERY SINGLE SCENE (just saying in case, like me, you like red). This movie also has no item songs(thank God for that) and is not vulgar at all. The film has specifically been made for people who find it difficult to tell parents what they really want to do in life, and for the parents who fail to understand the interests of their child i.e they want their children to fulfill their dreams.

All in all, Ho Mann Jahan was an enjoyable watch. Although the movie seemed relatively flat at the beginning, as the story develops, so does the audience's interest. The direction and story line were decent. Unlike Bin Roye, the movie had great flow between scenes and looked appropriately edited. The songs were unique and the theme well played out. The three main actors, Adeel Hussain, Mahira Khan, and Shehreyar Munawwar acted extremely well, so much that some scenes became real tear-jerkers, however some of the older and more mature actors did not act with such finesse.

Ho Mann Jahan was a great attempt by Pakistani cinema and is definitely a must-watch. Although some aspects of movie-making are still lacking and there is always room for improvement, Pakistani cinema has definitely taken a huge step forward with this movie.