LAHORE: Veteran filmmaker Syed Noor has described the decision to cast TikTok star Janat Mirza in his recent film Tere Bajre Di Rakhi as “a disaster”, after the movie failed to make an impact at the box office.
Speaking as a guest on a private television programme, Syed Noor said the film — which he stressed was made with considerable effort — did not draw audiences to cinemas.
“Casting Janat Mirza in my film was a disaster,” he told the show, adding that viewers may feel they can already watch her on TikTok and therefore have no reason to see her on the big screen.
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The director also lamented a changing audience culture, saying that earlier films enjoyed loyal followings who would wait for a particular star’s release and then go to the cinema. “That is no longer the case,” he said, asserting that modern viewers rarely wait for an actor’s film in the same way.
Tere Bajre Di Rakhi’s box-office performance has renewed debate about the effectiveness of casting social media personalities in mainstream Pakistani cinema and whether online fame can be translated into theatrical success.
