Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt reunites South Asian skyscraper in Antwerp (Antwerp)
The film’s story revolves around family work and honor, with a vigilant hero and an invincible villain. The main character is a Punjabi fighter in a world where men with mustaches and guns on horses wield ferociously a Gandasa (an ax used primarily in cultivation and farming to harvest crops) to terrorize rivals and protect fellow villagers.
The film is an adaptation of the Pakistani cult classic Maula Jatt from 1979. The disappearing film was banned by the existing conservative government of Zia ul-Haq in 1979 for violence and display of a subversive culture. A few years later, the film came back to the screen and became the pacesetter of Gandase culture. Violence and intimacy are not shunned in the films of that genre.
The Pakistani action film is written and scripted by Bilal Lashari and released by prominent production houses in Pakistan – Lashari films and Encyclomedia. In 2013, Lashari directed his Pakistani debut film, Where (Het Gevecht), which has since generated 2 million euros worldwide. Writer Lashari puts an end to the Gandasa culture with this film, in which he portrays the closure of the Pakistani South Punjabi culture. From men with a Gandasa in their hand to strong Punjabi women who are as heroic as the men.
The display of the overarching Asian culture in the film was appreciated by various Antwerp religious groups. If it depends on the political leaders, the Asian countries are hereditary enemies among themselves. In the province of Antwerp we observe a more beautiful picture. The Indian Ayaat Ali and the Afghan Mehar Siddiqui from Antwerp negate the hostile image. The Pakistani Khizar Naseer from Turnhout is proud of the film of the various religious groups here.
Ayaat Ali (25): “As a child I never realized that Pakistan and India were two different countries.”
Ayaat was born in India and raised in the heart of Antwerp. She has been exposed to the enchanting world of Bollywood since birth. She was born in the metropolis of Bombay where the Indian Hindi-language film industry is located. “Our sources of entertainment have been Bollywood movies and songs for centuries. The film culture is passed away from generation to generation”.
“I was six months old when my parents migrated to Belgium. There were not yet a large Indian diaspora, but many Pakistani families came to Antwerp. My mother became friends with Pakistani women, so I came into contact with them a lot. I never separated them from us. We wear the same long robes, speak the same language and have the same customs. As a species, I was not aware that Pakistan and India are two different countries.”
“The film The legend of Maula Jatt is a film that represents our culture across the board. We have a Punjab in India as well as in Pakistan. The Punjabi subculture and language is the most beautiful in all of Asia. The Punjabi people are liberal and progressive. I am a bigger fan of Bollywood movies and our superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Those movies are magical and take you into a fantasy world. Pakistani films focus more on a social theme, show the reality and represent the different ethnic groups in the country.”
“I feel nostalgic about the movie. Indian Punjab does not differ much from Pakistani Punjab. I have relatives living in Punjab. Punjabis are known to be very brave, helpful and reliable people. The beauty of Punjab is even magical in real life as shown in the movie. We see villages with deep green fields stretching into the sunny distance, decorated here and there with tree houses.”
“With my Bollywood roots from Bombay, I am grateful that our films are followed in Antwerp and the rest of Flanders. In this way, we should not leave our roots behind at home.”
Mehar Siddiqui (30): “You got far in life when you join forces”
Mehar Siddiqui has Afghan roots and lives in Merksem. As a child, she used to watch Bollywood movies and Pakistani serials. It is no secret that there are tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan because the governments of both countries despise each other. “Our governments divide the citizens and create divisions. The moment the Afghan and Pakistani migrate west, they become inseparable friends.”
“The Legend of Maula Jatt is a beautiful movie. The film describes cultural values and norms that we no longer have a grasp of today. The South Asian cultures are known for their brotherhood, generosity, openness and the strong family ties. The film had romantic scenes with a border. That is how our culture is and in my opinion it should stay that way.”
“The nice thing about our culture is that we act from a collective approach in our countries of origin. In Western society, there is still often an individual career. The longer you live in the West, the faster you lose connection with your own roots. Movies like The legend of Maula Jatt connect us not only with our roots, but also with each other. The cinema was packed with Asian nationalities. It was a Pakistani film, but no Pakistani will force the Indian, Bengali or Afghan people to leave the theatre. That also applies when Pakistani Antwerp residents go to see a Bollywood film.”
“I have a son and I find it extremely crucial that I break the vicious circle of division and teach him that we are one people with the same culture and language. The film shows how strong family ties are, how openly everyone is welcomed at home and how, for example, they cook not just for themselves, but for the whole street. I believe deeply in the dual social roles of the South Asian people. The moral support we give each other in the West is irrevocable.”
“This film has opened doors for the Pakistani film industry. My dream is that we will not only be reunited in the West, but that the countries of our origins will also discover their mistakes and work together. The us-versus-them mentality must be eliminated urgently. You got far in life if you put your hands together.”
Khizar Naseer (25): “In the Punjabi film world, there is often a mix between Indian-Punjab and Pakistani-Punjab”
Khizar Naseer has Pakistani roots and was born at the age of 17 from Pakistan to Turnhout. “In the year 1979, the name recognition of Pakistani film industry followed by the earlier version of The Legend of Maula Jatt. About four decades later, the contemporary filmmaking of the industry has come to life in both Pakistan and the West. That is a milestone.”
“I have spent much of my life in Pakistan. I was born and raised in Punjab province. I was born with Punjabi values, norms and customs. The culture is close to my heart. Everyone is welcome with us in Punjab. Do we get guests over? Then we will not let them leave without eating their evening meal with us. The duty to love and protect each other is ingrained in our culture. The story of the movie was awe-inspiring. The makers of the film have combined graphic designers and Hollywood stuntmen.”
“The expectations of the Pakistani diaspora were high anyway, because it was a sandwich monkey story that was now filmed in contemporary times. Punjabi is not a well-known language among other ethnic groups, but many Indian and Afghan people listen to Punjabi music. Art and culture knows no boundaries. What all South Asian relatives have in common is that they listen to Punjabi music and know all the old Bollywood songs by heart.”
“In the Punjabi film world, training is now often between Indian-Punjab and Pakistani-Punjab. Our Pakistani actors often travel to India for work and confusion. The Indian diaspora in Europe is not part of the film of their arch-rival Pakistan. They go to the cinema en masse because it is rather a film in which their own language and culture are discussed. There are even photos circulating on social media of the most famous Bollywood director watching this film in the cinema with a wide smile on his face. European people with South Asian roots have a different mindset. They are not chauvinistic or nationalistic. I myself have an affinity with India, because we were once one country.”
“Our Pakistani film world is moving forward and providing security. The online movie database on IMDb has given the movie 9 stars out of 10. That’s not a given. The film has opened the doors to an overarching culture where there is no hate speech. It has so far raised 6.7 million euros worldwide. That is a lot for a Pakistani film.”