Pak producer Shayan Khan says nepotism exists there too

Money Back Guarantee release got delayed for three whole years. It must have been disheartening…

Shayan Khan: It was actually very disheartening. We were very excited after we completed filming it, though we will get to release it soon. But, covid happened and the cinema shut down. It took a great hit but I am glad it’s making a great comeback.

It is a dark comedy. Do you hope the audience will take it in the right light because of how sensitive the audience has become, be it in India or Pakistan?

Shayan Khan: Money Back Guarantee is a bit of a dark comedy but it’s not something that will make you upset. It’s a light-hearted comedy. But there’s no hero in the film. Every person is a villain.

It’s not against the government but it’s against tyranny where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It’s a band of different ethnicity who are tired of being robbed or wronged. People even though they complain about being screwed by the government, they end up supporting the same government. There are very funny instances in the film. It’s the first Pakistani film to release in Sri Lanka.

Your character belongs to Kashmir and lives in Islamabad. I see the connection with India…

Shayan Khan: This is an imaginary world. We don’t name the place Islamabad. We just call it capital.

Ilyas Kashmiri is someone who has never been to Kashmir. He doesn’t know about anything but all he wants is azaadi (freedom). He is sort of a misfit in the group, someone who doesn’t need the money but gets into with the wrong people.

Quite some time ago Javed Akhtar’s comment in Lahore was taken differently in both countries. How do you see it?

Shayan Khan: I am not very familiar with what has happened. I vaguely remember reading some of it but obviously when there is hate being bred words could be misconstrued, right? On both sides of the border. Here, they can take it as ‘ok we got hit’, in India, they can be like ‘We punched them.’

The fact that Javed Akhtar Saab came over here, he didn’t come here to hate. He came here to the cultural event to talk. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, people can say things and some people can misconstrue them. It can become a problem. I am more about making love than war.

Tell me about your work experience with the Money Back Guarantee team

Shayan Khan: Faisal Qureshi is a very talented guy, it’s his directorial debut. I am also the producer. Within the first 15 mins of the script, this guy had me engaged. It wasn’t only me, I am sure even Fawad Khan, Wasim Akram, and Mikaal Zulfiqar felt the same way. The whole cast and crew were amazing. Putting all these big names together is not easy.

It’s Wasim Bhai’s first film and he did a great job. It’s a different role for Fawad. He is used to doing romantic films, this might be his first comic film. Prior to The Legend of Maula Jattt, nobody believed that we could reach 100 crore. India is very big on films. Now it’s changing in our country because good content sells.

Pathaan was the last blockbuster in Hindi films. Have you watched it?

Shayan Khan: I actually watched Pathaan in the US, I live here. I won’t say it was the greatest movie, it was decent. Because a lot of action was like…you know. But that’s another milestone for Bollywood.

Who’s your favourite actor from Pakistan?

Shayan Khan: Mikaal Zulfiqar is my favourite because he is very versatile and one of the best-looking actors. He is just a good performer and hard-working. He does a lot of projects.

What about from India?

Shayan Khan: In India, when I was younger Salman Khan was my fav. When I grew up Irrfan Khan started really appealing to me.

Does nepotism exist in the Pakistani film industry?

Shayan Khan: Yes, mostly. Recently I was telling Kiran Malik that 90% of the people that you see on TV in Pakistan are children or relatives (of known people). There’s a lot of nepotism here. I am a self-made entrepreneur. I wanted to be an actor at a young age but we weren’t super well off.

I figured and thought I will make money and then chase my dreams.This is what I like about Mikaal. He is independent. Even Fawad made a place for himself. I appreciate Nawazuddin Siddiqui a lot.

How has been your experience in the industry?

Shayan Khan: I think it’s a kind of industry where looks matter. There’s jealousy. People really hate you. They want you to the point you cry, give up and leave. You have to be strong if you are passionate about it.

When I started in the industry, I got a lot of hate. But I felt that the fact that they are hating on me means they are interested in me. Their interest is going to make it easier for me. That’s exactly what happened.

Joyland was banned in Pakistan. How do you see it as a filmmaker and an actor?

Shayan Khan: Banning something shows your fear of it. The most successful people in the world are those who faced their fear. Censors are for age restriction, it isn’t for banning them. The fact that the topic of Joyland is something that is real, it’s not that it doesn’t exist, we see it. So, why not put it in a movie? We need to become more tolerant as modern human beings.

I moved to America when I was 14. I had a very different mentality. For example when I would hear about gay people, I would be like ‘woah I don’t want to deal with it.’ But, now I respect them. I have friends who are gay and I dont think it’s something that someone should be banished about. There’s no right or wrong way to live.