Aag Lagay Basti Mein is a movie based on haunting realities of poverty. It captures the true essence of Karachi and its lingo. It encapsulates the stories of street performers like the infamous Golden boy and Spiderman on the streets of Karachi.
A story of a husband and wife; one street smart and the other too honest for the world. Meanwhile, the characters of the movie immediately becomes your favorite. Despite Almas’s unethical path to fast track money, the audience was still rooting for the greedy wife’s win.
To see Mahira Khan in a comedy movie like Aag Lagey Basti Mein was a breath of fresh air. She broke free from the conventional roles that she does, but her role as a maid and a streetwise sadder local was not convincing, that thick Karachi accent was missing. The accent almost seemed forced, “peelan” and “doobai” did not seem natural. She definitely has a flair for comedy but there is still a long way to go.
Fahad Mustafa did justice to his role as Barkat in Aag Lagey Basti Mein.
He legitimately portrayed a man buried under the weight of responsibilities, honesty, and the expectations of providing a quality life for his family. He made his role as an average Pakistani male believable Fahad Mustafa has been seen in such similar roles multiple times, to watch him do a repetitive role did not leave an impact.
Tabish Hashmi was a welcoming change in his debut movie. Pakistani movie Industry long craved for a talent like him. His comic timing was immaculate and to do a convincing villainous role while being comic is a difficult representation and he did well, considering it was his debut.
Cameos of the content creators was refreshing to see, they brought out the authentic substance of comedy. Shehzadi Samra as a doctor, was a complete representations of government doctors.
Not a theatrical watch
Aag Lage Basti Mein failed to deliver, offering a predictable, basic, and unoriginal plot that viewers have watched multiple times. It featured some adult jokes that did not land, the adult content that is not appropriate for an Eid movie. The lack of background music made the transition too abrupt and failed to build any suspense. Aag Lagey Basti Mein was cinematography deficient and the absence of colors on the screen led it to be a boring watch.
The set design feels noticeably low-budget, with props that look reused and uninspired. The production team reused the plastic knife from the opening scene of Tabish Hashmi the final fight sequence.
The movie was however a 5 on 10. Aag Lagey Basti Mein would have been more befitting on an OTT platform or a telefilm. It did not complement being a theatrical movie.
