This movie review may contain spoilers, read at your own risk!
One of the most anticipated movies to be released this Eid ul Adha, Parwaaz Hai Junoon, has finally arrived! I must admit, I was very excited to see this movie because of the star studded cast, the portrayal of our nation’s brave fighter pilots, and overall hype of a Momina Duraid feature film. There has certainly been a lot of promotion ahead of the movie, especially since it had such fierce box office competition some of which included Teefa In Trouble and Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2
There was speed and thrill from the get go, reflective of the motto that everything in a pilot’s life moves at full speed. However, unfortunately, the movie did not quite live up to the promise that the trailer had shown. What could have been a fantastic movie to promote the Pakistan Air Force, ended up being a movie relying heavily on comedic bits to provide its main form of entertainment. Shafaat Ali’s character Zaid added to the overall humorous tone to the movie before the intermission. Although the script was full of colorful dialogue which involved banter between characters, it simply was not enough to make it worthy of the silver screen. Instead, the script would have fared well over multiple episodes for a drama on the small screen.
The movie itself banked on having the support of the public because of their love for Pakistan. Unfortunately, patriotism can only go so far. The story itself revolves around Hania Aamir’s character Sania, her love story with Hamza Ali Abbasi’s character Hamza, and her eventual enrollment into the air force fighter pilot program. The nature of the film involved a combination of flashback and present day scenes. Unfortunately, it felt at times very lacklustre. In fact, some extra time in the editing chair to remove some of the redundant scenes would have have added a little more smoothness to the film.
In addition, there were some characters that felt underdeveloped. Their direction became lost in the sea of characters and appearances. I found Asif Raza Mir’s character to be questionable for one, having a few odd moments in the movie. On the flip side, there was some solid acting in place, most notably by Aamir, Abbasi and Shafaat Ali. I also enjoyed Shaz Ali Khan’s performance as well as Kubra Khan who was a treat to see on the silver screen, of course!
Not all was lost, however. The use of advanced technology to capture footage from the air was done very tastefully. There was a gorgeous backdrop along with breathtaking scenery at the filming locations and the wardrobe, especially when the recruits/pilots were not in uniform, showcased top-notch style. The soundtrack had a few nice songs, albeit they were not perfectly fitting for the overall tone of the movie as some of the musical selections felt a bit questionable and out of place at times.
All in all, the film showcased mediocrity in terms of coming across as promotion for the air force and bringing out patriotism in Pakistanis over the globe. There is a nod to filmmaking here, especially in such a young industry, and there is a definite sense of accomplishment by the filmmakers, cast, as well as everyone else involved in producing such a piece. Everyone’s collaborative efforts involved in this movie do no go unnoticed and are in fact commendable. I absolutely recommend giving this movie a shot it in theaters but I cannot promise you that I would go back for a second viewing.