MOVIE-MAKING can be anybody's choice..but surely not everybody's game. This time, our valued and noted writer and journalist Ali Pota has chosen to make a movie as have many other prominent journalists and writers before him, like Riaz Shahid, Nasir Adeeb, Syed Noor.

Reviewing this film was a tough task, as I knew for sure that judging some one’s work could be so much difficult. But now..If my review praises the movie beyond what it deserves, I may be branded as sending lollipops to promote my own interests - and if I do otherwise, I risk losing the soft corner in their hearts for me. However, I have decided to perform my duty as a true student of cinema, and I am now sitting in this hot seat as a film critic whose job it is to analyze a film from three perspectives: a) The film-maker's b) The critic's c) the audience's.

Although I hate to be judgmental about other's works, I find it exciting, like many other directors, to analyze Asif Ali Pota’s work – Asif Ali Pota, who has been a noted journalist left his early career and focused entirely on to writing in 90’s, when he wrote scripts for tube. But it was in 2000 that Asif Ali Pota rose to new heights when his Kanch Ke Par rose to be the biggest hit of the year. The powerful dialogue, excellent screenplay was the highlight of the play. It was at that time when Asif Ali Pota finally made his way to direction also, thus Mom Ka Chehra and Zindagi came as his two directional efforts. But it was in mid 2002 that he finally announced his debut film Fire. I am now convinced that most film-makers who begin with a strong belief in parallel cinema finally surrender to commercial cinema, with the embarrassed pledge, "Finally, it is good cinema that matters..''

Now, for Fire.
The most hyped film of the year after Yeh Dil Aap Ka huwa, with an excellent star cast, the current Momi fever, average music and brilliant marketing, it may bring good news at the box-office initially, whether Fire has the fire or not. Fire was in news from the very start, Asif Ali Pota utilized the star power of Meera and Reema and by making it an issue he tried to resolve the conflicts that both had developed over the years. So, Fire was very much news for that but then by casting Noman Masood in the leading pair, he once again tried to be somewhat different in his approach, but who knew that Fire was going to be such a disaster. Tall claims were made about the story and the music but sadly enough none comes even to average level.

Fire is a story about Momi (Zeeshan) lives with his younger brother and mother. He works in office and he has a very thick friendship with Noman Masood (Bilal) who works with him in the office. Momi's younger brother who is engaged to Noman's sister, studies in a college. One day he has a bet with his finance and he kisses the hand of Meera who also studies there. Meera feels insulted and she goes to her brother Saud who is the "badmash" of the film.
Saud takes his men and goes to Momi's house and kills his brother and sets his house on fire. And then he kills Noman's sister as well. As Meera thinks that she was responsible for making Momi's brother kiss her hand.
Momi and Noman tries to file case against Saud but Saud hires a police officer who that police officer files a fake case of terrorism against Momi and his mother. In the jail Momi meets lady police officer, Reema, who gets harsh with his mother and slaps his mother on her face. Momi gets mad and he by chance takes out revolver from Reema's belt and takes her to a deserted place.
On the other side Saud also gets Noman and tortures him and kills his sister in front of him. Noman in returns kidnaps Meera (Saud's sister). Momi and Noman decides a meeting place and they take along Reema and Meera with them. Both heroes run from there and take Reema and Meera with them. They reach a hilly area that is owned by a tribe. Then appears the vulgar and incomplete song of Laila singing with the son of the master of the tribe. The son takes all four to the master of the tribe and their Momi and Noman tell their stories. Reema and Meera believe in them and fall in love with them.

As a film-critic, I have full sympathy for the writer-director and his intentions of making Fire a great film. But there is a huge journey between conceiving a film and finally presenting it on screen to the audience. I'm sure Asif Ali Pota must not be very happy with the final product, since his characters, his story and his inspiration to make Fire a good film have been lost somewhere along the way - this happens to many young, talented directors too, who surrender to market forces and keep changing their mind during the making of the film. Asif Ali Pota, too, could not escape from these extraneous forces, whether it is the star cast, drum-drum music, flashy dances, and vulgar and cheap choreography. The film has sketchy characterizations, an incoherent script and a poor narrative with screechy background music.

I'm sure Fire is not the film Asif Ali Pota had thought of at the time of its conception. They were conceived brilliantly, but were not brought as such on the screen. A director's skill in guiding actors is missing, so the finer moments are lost. The screenplay keeps managing the situations conveniently and adjusting to all the market demands - whether it's Nirma's item dance or other market demands in the climax.
Unfortunately, Asif Ali Pota has made all the mistakes that he has been mentioning quite a long time during the making about the run-of-the-mill cinema for many years. So, he lags far behind in giving a soulful film in spite of support from the best talent in the country. No debut director could ask for more than this. Wajid Ali Noshad’s music is average, only there are a couple of numbers that are melodious. Only Ankhon Ankhon Mein and Hote Hote Dil Huwa come up to the merit while all others are average stuff. The theme song that was been much publicized also could not be noticed much.

Although all the artistes have done their best to perform in spite of crafty scenes and lofty dialogue, it is Momi who keeps your eyes glued to him with his mannerisms, his body language, his expressions and his dance. He reconfirms your belief that he surely is an actor who will survive in Lollywood for a long time - unless the media and his own success destroy him. Meera and Reema both were as usual good in their relative roles. On the other hand newcomer Noman Masood was worst in the film. His body language and dance was very bad. Saud also performed very well and he was good in his villain character.

The choreography is as usual consisting of Latka and Jhatkas, cheap sequences can be seen in many songs. One thing that surprised many was the inclusion of two songs of Nirma just to add a commercial tinge in it. The songs were too vulgar and bad that can one wonders if Asif Ali Pota is the same writer who has written play like Kanch Ke Par.

I wish Asif Ali Pota could have made the entire film as good as the few good opening and closing shots of the film, which promise you the real elements of good cinema and experience. But you come out of the theatre in search of good cinema in spite of the deep involvement of a debutante director who undoubtedly wanted to make a good film. Fire may appeal to a certain section of the audience...my best wishes with him.

--Yasir Nisar