Bilal Lashari is a Pakistani filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and occasional actor.[2] He made his directorial debut with Waar (2013), which at the time of release became Pakistan's highest-grossing film (currently 12th highest).[3] His next feature The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022) was a remake of the 1979 film Maula Jatt.[4] The film broke box office records and became Pakistan's highest grossing film. Lashari won awards in four categories at the ARY Film Awards 2014 for his directorial debut.[5] In 2024, he was awarded with the President's Sitara-i-Imtiaz for his contribution towards the Pakistani cinema.[6]
Bilal Lashari | |
|---|---|
| بلال لاشاری | |
 Bilal Lashari in 2014 | |
| Born | August 4, 1981[1] |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Education | Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore Grammar School Senior Boys Campus JT |
| Alma mater | HEC Paris, Academy of Art University |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Screenwriter, Cinematographer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Waar, The Legend of Maula Jatt |
| Relatives | Kamran Lashari (father) |
| Awards | see below |
Early life and education
editBilal Lashari was born into a Baloch family. His father, Kamran Lashari, is a retired senior Pakistani bureaucrat who served as a Federal Secretary and did a lot in cultural preservation in Lahore, while his paternal grandfather was a landlord, lawyer and poet.[7] His younger brother, Rohail Lashari, an MBA graduate from HEC Paris, was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Lahore-based band Jhol (2010-2015) and was "in charge" of the seventh season of Coke Studio Pakistan, while his other younger brother, Omar Lashari, is a Cornell-educated financial analyst.[8]
Lashari grew up in Pakistan, attending local schools. He went to the United States of America for college, studying at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Motion Pictures and Television in 2008.[9]
Career
editAfter his return to Pakistan, Lashari first directed music videos and won 'Best Music Video Director' twice at the Lux Style Awards and ‘Best Pop Video’ at the MTV Pakistan Music Video Awards for “Sajni”. He has also directed “Chal Bulleya” for Meekal Hassan Band. He has worked with artists and bands such as Abrarul Haq, Atif Aslam, Mekaal Hassan Band, Jal, and Entity Paradigm. He also directed the video “Chal Bulleya” for Meekal Hassan Band. In 2004, Lashari briefly worked as assistant director for Shoaib Mansoor during pre-production of Khuda Kay Liye in 2004.
Finally, in 2013, Lashari got his start on Waar. The film opened to positive reviews and was Pakistan's highest-anticipated film at that time. It was his feature directorial debut. His next project in 2022, The Legend of Maula Jatt opened to positive reviews and is considered to be Pakistan's biggest blockbuster and most expensive film. It is also the second Pakistani film to use the Red Epic W camera as it was previously used for Waar, which is mostly used for certain Hollywood films.
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Director | Screenwriter | Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Khuda Kay Liye | No | No | No | Assistant director | |
| 2011 | The Glorious Resolve | No | No | Yes | Documentary film | |
| 2013 | Waar | Yes | No | Yes | CTG Officer Ali—Sniper | Debut as director |
| 2015 | Jawani Phir Nahi Ani | No | No | Yes | Police officer | Cameo appearance |
| 2022 | The Legend of Maula Jatt | Yes | Yes | No | Also cinematographer and editor |
Music videos
edit| Year | Song | Artist | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Dhamaal" | Overload | Overload | Music Video Director[10] |
| "Sajni" | Jal | Boondh | Music Video Director[11] | |
| 2008 | "Kinara" | Atif Aslam | Meri Kahani | Music Video Director[12] |
| "Hungami Halaat" | Music Video Director[13] | |||
| 2009 | "Chal Bulleya" | Mekaal Hasan Band | Saptak | Music Video Director[14] |
| 2010 | "Shor Macha" | Entity Paradigm | Single album | Music Video Director[15] |
Awards and nominations
editARY Film Awards
edit| Year | Nominated work and artist | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Waar | Best Director | Won |
| Best Director Jury | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Won | ||
| Best Editing | Won |
Hum Awards
edit| Year | Nominated work and artist | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hum Honorary Special Recognition | Award for contribution to Pakistani Cinema | Won |
Lux Style Award
edit| Year | Nominated work and artist | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Sajni" | Best Music Video Director | Nominated |
| "Dhamaal" | Best Music Video Director | Won | |
| 2010 | — | Best Music Video Director | Nominated |
| 2011 | "Shor Macha" | Best Music Video Director | Won |
| 2014 | Waar | Best Film Director | Nominated |
References
editCitations
edit- ^ "How much business will the Legend of Maula Jatt do? - Bilal Lashari's big claim - Geo News". YouTube.
- ^ "Bilal Lashari dips his hands in films". DAWN.com. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Rafay Mahmood (23 November 2013). "It's official, Waar is the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Rafay Mahmood (14 December 2013). "Bilal Lashari's next project: A multi-million dollar remake of Maula Jatt". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Saira Agha (30 April 2014). "'Waar' dominates ARY Film Awards with 13 major wins". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ "Eminent Filmmaker Bilal Lashari Honoured With Sitara-i-Imtiaz". The Friday Times. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Kamran Lashari, The man who kept our Culture Alive
- ^ Rohail Lashari (18 January 2018), "I wanted to earn the ‘Lashari’ surname, and studying abroad in HEC Paris helped me achieve just that!", The Express Tribune. Retrieved 05 August 2018.
- ^ "Bringing Pakistan's Film Style to the World Stage - Academy of Art University". academyart.edu. Academy of Art University. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Overload - Dhamaal (Music Video), retrieved 2022-10-21
- ^ Jal - Sajni, retrieved 2022-10-21
- ^ Kinara - Atif Aslam, retrieved 2022-10-21
- ^ Atif Aslam - Hungami Halaat Video (High Quality), retrieved 2022-10-21
- ^ Mekaal Hasan Band - Chal Bulleya (HQ Music Video), retrieved 2022-10-21
- ^ EP (Entity Paradigm) - Shor Macha, retrieved 2022-10-21
General and cited references
edit- "The one who singlehandedly revived a dying industry". The Express Tribune. 29 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- "Bilal Lashari Charm – 'The Best Cinematographer of Pakistan'". MMN. Sumair Raza. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- "The Legend of Maula Jatt –'The Legend of Maula Jatt is all set to release on Eid'". TheAzb. muhammad Saleem. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
