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Starring: Hassam Khan, Hammad Siddiq, Maddi Murtaza, Rose Mohammed, Shameen Khan, Natasha Bayg
Azaad is Pakistan's first psychological thriller, an independent film, written, directed and stars Hassam Khan in the lead role, who confesses he enjoys switching between the roles. Azaad, a gripping tale of a serial killer who has left no trails of evidence behind him with the exception of one body which Dr. Talat Ali (Hammad Siddiq) must use as a basis to unravel serial killer Talha's (Hassam Khan) case. Showbiz Pakistan exclusively spoke to Hassam Khan on his upcoming film, let’s see what he had to say...
Tell us about yourself and your journey into films:
Coming from a family of stars, Ahmed Jan (silent movie actor), M. Ajmal ('Kehdo' fame), Akmal Khan, B.A Bukki, Rehmat Ali (Khatrnak fame), Z.A Zulfi (film editor), to name a few, it was almost inevitable for me to venture into the world of filmmaking. I did my first official theatrical appearance in 'Kopykat’s Come Again' (2010) which was a mere 1.5 minute entry that later landed me the iconic lead role of Quaid-e-Azam in Anwar Maqsood’s play 'Pawnay 14 August' (2012). Additionally, I played numerous lead roles in several other theatrical productions. A few short films that are worth mentioning include lead roles in 'Taqdeer' (won Best Editing in FILUMS 2013) and 'Jinnah Returns' (2013).
Azaad is your upcoming feature film, what can you tell us about it?
'Azaad' is Pakistan's first psychological thriller. The story focuses on Dr. Talat Ali (Hammad Siddiq), a forensic psychiatrist by profession who has been given the case of Talha Zulfiqar (Hassam Khan), a serial killer charged with eight murders out of which only one body of the alleged victims was found. As Dr. Talat tries to unravel Talha's case, along with the diagnosis of fantasy prone personality (FPP), the events that follow are truly unpredictable! 'Azaad' overcomes the cliché of commercialism and redundant stories that presently grips the Pakstani cinema while addressing and exploring issues that have never been touched upon before.
Tell us about the genesis of the film, the inspiration behind it? Where did the idea for Azaad come from ?
The primitive concept of Azaad first developed in my mind a few years ago, as a set of poetic prose; it then evolved from poetry to a song, to a short film and then eventually into the full length feature film as we now see in front of us. Azaad is a fusion of both fiction and reality. The messages that I wish to get across to the audience are quite a few; the Urdu word Azaad literally translates to ‘free’. The title depicts the desperate attempt of the youth of Pakistan at being heard and expressed. As a young filmmaker myself, I want to symbolize this urge of expression through my production. Additionally, in doing so, I wish to show how with limited amount of resources, quality work can be put forth, considering the current deteriorating condition of the Pakistani cinema. Azaad is a completely independent production with no help whatsoever from any institution or organization.
Is it true you studied real-life cases and spoke to police officers when writing the script for Azaad?
Yes, it is true as I am a filmmaker who believes that a film is first made on paper through proper research and then brought on the screen. For me, 80% of the film is made on paper and the rest is shooting. I faced massive problems while researching on this particular topic, including numerous walk ins and kick outs from different places. Another discipline that I want to bring attention to is the much deprived field of forensic psychiatry in Pakistan. The story is based on real-life events taken from serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Ed Gein and Javed Iqbal.
How did you come up with the title Azaad? And how do you justify it, considering the film is about a serial-killer?
I remember for the longest time while we were shooting the film, we used to call it untitled, till the day I thought that I should get free from the chains holding me back to come up with a name for this production and boom! Azaad. The basic translation of Azaad is free, and the lack of psychiatric facilities in Pakistan results in many psychiatric patients being sentenced to life terms unnecessarily, therefore, this is one of the primary messages embedded in this film.
What is your ultimate goal for Azaad? What are you are trying to achieve?
Honestly, I don’t aim for this production to be a blockbuster hit or a flop. This is not a film but a baby to me and my team, after all that we went through. I just honestly want to buy a box of pop corns with coke and sit back with the rest of the audience and enjoy a film that can try to educate me and entertain me at the same time and fulfill my duty as a filmmaker. Oh, and gossip in the end with others along the lines of: ‘bhai jaisi bhi hai, humaree film hai’.
The Azaad trailer has been available fro some time now, what reaction have you received from the people?
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this level of appreciation from the people. Not only Azaad but my life is also turning out to be a film in which a dream starts becoming reality. We came up with a teaser and were not expecting such great levels of appreciation in Pakistan and in the international market but Azaad is getting a lot of offers from international companies as well.
You are the actor, the writer and the director of the film. What was it like to do all three and which role did you enjoy the most?
A question I get asked a lot and I always try to ignore it due to it being very hard to answer but I love to act and love to work as a writer and a director.
What stage in production are you currently with the film? Do you have a release date yet?
Azaad's teaser has been out for quite a long time now and I know fans are really hating me but due to some issues, there has been a lengthy delay in Azaad's release but there is no chance that it will not make it to the cinemas, it will and it is my promise to the fans. Azaad is currently in its final production stage and will very soon hit local and international cinemas.
And finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Thank you so much for appreciating me and my team’s work and not only Azaad but HK films promises to produce quality productions for Pakistan in the future as well. Support Pakistan and support Pakistani films!
Additional Information:
Cinematography: Sikander Athar Butt
Executive Producer: Suhail Ahmed
Score/ Music by: Basir Ahmed (youngest score producer in Pakistan, only 15 years old)
Assistant Director: Aamir Khadim
Post and VFX: HK Films
Sound and SFX: Apex studios
Country: Pakistan
Shot in: Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Tagline: Azaad- Not every man is born a serial killer
Genre: Psychological thriller
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