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Shahzad Gul  If the director is the captain of the ship, then the producer is the backbone of the movie. If we look at Lollywood we see only handful of people who attempt to invest in entertaining movies for the masses, because the masses have proved time and again that they will settle for anything with violence sprinkled with sex, as and when needed.
The man, one can look upto, with high hopes is Shehzad Gul, son of Agha G.A. Gul, the legendary yester year movie moghul. Perhaps it is ironic that the man who wanted to be a medical practitioner is trying to resuscitate Lollywood out of it's doldrums.
He's been taking risks ever since kicking off by making Doorian in the early '80s. After a long sabbatical he made Ghar Kab Aao Gay and it was the success of this star studded, action packed thriller that fortified him to take refuge in the dicey business of showbiz. Tere Pyaar Mein was the ultimate feather in his cap bagging every major award and hijacking the headlines.
Simple and down to earth, with no visible chip on the shoulder, Shehzad Gul speaks about the blood, sweat and tears that went into a risk that didn't work.
Chalo Ishq Larain has finally hit the silver screen and though it is not doing well at the box office, it has great production values like all your films. Can you tell me a bit about the technicalities that make it so glossy?
Well, Chalo Ishq Larain is the first ever movie in Pakistan which has DTS, the sound technology used by Hollywood. The significance of the technology is the Sound Panning which enables the clear capture of sound without being overshadowed by surrounding noise. For example, if there is a bird flying, through this technology we can record the actual sound of the wings flapping. The post production was completed in Bangkok whereas the shooting took place in Dubai.
The execution of the sound record took place in Bangkok in coordination with Lez Mackenzea who is considered amongst the world's 35 best sound recordists. So if you watch the movie, you'll see a jungle scene rendering a feeling as if one is actually standing there. Similarly there are certain sounds like the landing of an aeroplane, the creaking of a boat and also scenes where you experience actual pin drop silence.
All theses compliment the film's requirement. It is due to this reason that I have decided to release the movie in selected cinemas equipped with a DTS system. Releasing the film in every other cinema may be good for me in monetary terms but I didn't opt for that just to give my audience that well deserved feeling that something different is presented to them.
Again you took another risk of introducing quite a new cast? What compelled you to go for this experiment?
Look, I don't want to include myself in the part of the list that is labelled for exploiting same formula over and over again. Instead, I would like people to call me a trendsetter.
Lollywood is like a Royal Park Mafia monopolized by a few people. They want every movie in the industry to be the way they want. If you look at the recent history of the silver screen, you will find Shaan pasted every where. These people dictate that if Shaan is not included in the cast they won't take the film, or the film won't sell or it won't be a hit. I don't have any doubts about Shaan's credentials as an actor but he is not always synonymous to successful ventures. No one actor is.
I opted for a new cast minus Shaan in Chalo Ishq Larain because I believe in trend-setting. People want to see fresh new faces. If we don't provide them with a break they will suffocate. Take Ali Haider for example. Having seen him in a tele play, I was impressed by his subtle and soft facial expressions that perfectly matched the requirement of the role.
Meera is a seasoned actress who needs no introduction. I selected Imran Khan because his personality suits the role I wanted him to play. Zara Sheikh is not only acting but has also sung and composed the music in the movie. Four of the songs in the movie are in her voice.
Would you agree with the critic's stance that the editing department of our industry requires immediate surgery?
That's true. We have focused on that area as well. And if you see the movie you won't find any jumps or one scene biting the other.
The most critical role in a movie is played by the Censor Board. How did Chalo Ishq Larain fared with the censor board?
Chalo Ishq Larain is a light hearted romantic comedy having no objectionable scenes at all. So censor board was pretty flexible with it.
After spending considerable time in the industry, how would you rate yourself as a producer?
Although my string of successes has brought me fame, fortune and name, I think I have just kicked off my career and still have a long journey ahead. I have put in a lot of efforts but I believe there's much left to be done.
What is the biggest attraction in showbiz that pulls people towards it?
Fame and quick money. If a film hits the jackpot you can make a lot of moolah. All it takes is investment of money, time and patience combined with hard work and you get the reward. Of course, we face the risk of a film not bringing back money invested in it. Movies is a business package of quick returns with a high risk factor. The ratio of a successful movie in this regard is below 10 percent.
Is there a perfect fool proof formula of making a successful movie?
I believe team of work of professionals combined with the timing, subject of the story and selection of the cast plays a significant role in producing a good movie. However, there is no fool proof formula for making a hit. First of all making a movie is comparatively a much easier job than making a good movie.
As far as I am concerned, I devote fourteen to fifteen hours every day working on such lines and using ways and means to improve the quality of work enabling me to eventually satisfy the viewers. Actually in this business fate has an upper hand in making a movie hit or miss. Sometimes you feel you have given a blockbuster but it ends up in the trash bin.
Similarly during the production of the film, you might have the feeling that your efforts will go down the drain, but it may turn out to be record breaking. Also, there is dearth of trained professionals in this field which is another handicap in producing good stuff. If I get a chance, I would try to open an academy for people enabling them to hone their talents.
Are you satisfied with the standard of Lollywood?
The problem with our film industry is that most of the people working here take their inspiration from foreign land and foreign actors.
What we don't realize is that we belong to a country which has its own rich culture, traditions, values and religion.We must take them into account while producing a movie. Celebration of our own values and culture and correlating them to our movies would improve the situation as well as the standard of the industry.
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