''Good Morning Karachi'' (formerly ''Rafina'') is a 2013 Pakistani

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Sabiha Sumar Sabiha Sumar (born 29 September 1961) is a Pakistani filmmaker and producer. She is best known for her independent documentary films. Her first feature-length film was ''Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters)'', released in 2003. She is known for explor ...

and produced by Sachithanandam Sathananthan under the banner ''Vidhi Films''. The film is written by

Malia Scotch Marmo Malia Scotch Marmo (born May 4, 1955) is an American screenwriter and teacher, best known for writing Lasse Hallstrom's ''Once Around'' and Steven Spielberg's ''Hook.'' Scotch Marmo also collaborated with novelist Soman Chainani in adapting '' ...

, Sumar and Samhita Arni, based on the novel ''Rafina'' by the acclaimed Pakistani writer Shandana Minhas.

Synopsis

It is the story of a young girl, Rafina, (

Amna Ilyas Amna Ilyas ( ur, ) is a Pakistani film and television actress, and model. She is the younger sister of models Salma Ilyas and Uzma Ilyas. Amna began her modeling career at the age of seventeen, and a few years later, moved on to acting in 2013. ...

) who chases her dream to become a renowned model.

Cast

as Rafina *Beo Zafar as Rosie * Saba Hameed as Rafina's mother * Atta Yaqub as Jamal *

Aamina Sheikh , image = 287137-AaminaSheikhcropped.jpg , caption = , image_size = 190px , birth_date = , birth_place = New York, United States , nationality = Pakistani , alma_mater = Hamp ...

as Mehwish (card girl) *

Savera Nadeem Savera Nadeem ( pa, ) is a Pakistani actress, producer and director. Primarily known for her work in television, she also acted in theatre and films. Nadeem is the recipient of a Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress out of five nomin ...

as PJ * Yasir Aqueel as Arid * Faiza Syed as Nausheen * Khalid Malik as Murad * Shaheen Khan as Nawal *

Farhan Ali Agha Farhan Ally Agha ( ur, ; also spelled Farhan Ali Agha) is a Pakistani politician, film, television and voice actor who appears in Urdu television serials and films. He has dubbed the voice of Commander Safeguard in an animated series, Commander ...

as Fahad * Faisal Qureshi * Abdullah Akram (Qatar)

Release

An early version of ''Good Morning Karachi'' was presented in 2013 in India at the 15th

Mumbai Film Festival The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is a public trust that organises the annual international film festival in Mumbai famously known as the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Actor, producer and author Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the Chairperson ...

, in Sweden at the Goteborg International Film Festival, and in the United States at the 3rd i South Asian Film Festival in San Francisco and the South Asian International Film Festival in New York. On 14 June 2014, the completed film screened at the

London Asian Film Festival The UK Asian Film Festival, previously known as the London Asian Film Festival, is a British film festival organised by the not-for-profit organisation Tongues on Fire Ltd. and takes place annually in the spring in London. The festival is the leadi ...

. ''Good Morning Karachi'' had its

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

premiere on 28 December 2014 where Saba Hameed, Savera Nadeem, Amina Sheikh and Yasir Aqil along with other showbiz stars attended the premiere. The film was released in cinemas across Pakistan by A-Plus Films on 1 January 2015. Good Morning Karachi was released on video in the North America and most European territories on 12 January 2015.

Critical reception

Jennie Kermode of Eye for Film gave ''Good Morning Karachi'' 3 1/2 of 5 stars, saying "the story benefits from a fairly nuanced script, with even the traditionalist fiance allowed to be sympathetic on occasion." Dr. Joy Browne gave the film the same rating on her weekly radio show. The '' Daily Times'' wrote, "The film looks at the culture of violence in Pakistan and how youth are most affected by this environment. It shows how new industries, such as media and fashion, have democratised spaces in urban Pakistan. It has provided new opportunities for young people and given hope to the next generation. This can pave the way for a new, modern and tolerant society. Young women like Rafina are the embodiment of this hope for the future." Hale Syed of

DAWN.com ''Dawn'' is a Pakistani English-language newspaper that was launched in British India in 1941. It is the largest English newspaper in Pakistan, and also serves as the country's newspaper of record. ''Dawn'' is the flagship publication of the ...

rated the film 3 out of 5 and wrote "The Cinderella story is not new, but has had more distinctive retellings. More fleshed out characters and better pacing could have kept the movie from feeling predictable and obvious." Shafiq ul Hasan of ''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Daily Express'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the ''Interna ...

'' rated the film 2.5/5 and wrote "Good Morning Karachi, for Pakistani cinema, is amongst the few unconventional, path-breaking movies. The reason is very simple; Good Morning Karachi is a female-oriented film with a female protagonist. Unfortunately, except for this bit, there is little else that is extraordinary about this film."

References

External links