Who knew that Jemima Goldsmith had this super interesting screenplay up her sleeve! We’ve heard that it took her ten years to write it and recently at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) screening of the film this September, she said it was her ode to Pakistan – the country she called home from the age of 20-30 – a place where she did a lot of learning and growing up.
However, the film is not about Pakistan but more about Pakistanis living in the UK and the much-awaited trailer did not disappoint! It is exciting to hear that the producers are calling this film the next big thing after Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually, that iconic British rom-com that we all love to watch! In fact, Lily James, the lead star who plays documentary filmmaker Zoe, put her finger on it when she called the whole theme: ‘Love contractually’! The story is about a British Pakistani man Kazim, played by the handsome Shahzad Latif, who agrees to an arranged marriage! ‘Dare I ask what about love,’ Zoe asks Kazim when he informs her of his ‘assisted’ marriage! Zoe then chooses to make a film about her long-time friend and neighbour Kazim, on his journey to marry a partner chosen by his parents! Wonderful to see Emma Thompson playing Lily James’s mother, Shabana Azmi as Kazim’s mum, and the lovely Sajal Ali as Kazim’s chosen Pakistani bride.
This film is directed by the erstwhile Shehkar Kapoor of Bandit Queen (1994) and Elizabeth (1998) fame – who can forget his epic film Masoom circa 1983. Shekar Kapoor calls his latest work a beautiful family drama, a warm romantic film – a funny look at romance across cultures. In a recent Q&A session at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) he praised the ensemble cast saying that they all had a willingness and courage to expose their souls. He complimented Jemima Khan’s script saying that she was able to convey ‘such yearning, such longing, and such an ability to look for love’. Pretty much the ingredients for a beautiful romantic film, the only snag is that the British Asian arranged marriage theme is a little dated, more 1990’s than 2022! But the diversity buzzword is amplified and that goes with the times, especially in the west.
Jemima Goldsmith speaks repeatedly about her affection for Pakistan. It’s safe to say that What’s Love Got to Do with It is about our common humanity –the upside is that the treatment of Pakistan in the film is not stereotypical; we are not portrayed as a country that breeds terrorists. As the scriptwriter, Jemima Goldsmith has enabled this much-needed narrative in mainstream cinema – a cross-cultural romance without negative baggage usually associated with the west explaining Pakistan and Pakistanis. I hope the film doesn’t disappoint!
