Moving Closer: Serendip Productions
by Usman S. Ghafoor
Cashing in on the hoopla surrounding the Indo-Pak thaw is the Islamabad-based Serendip Productions who released their much-hyped documentary Moving Closer last December. The professed aim of the project is to “break down barriers and bring people in India and Pakistan together through pop culture.” But the real sell is Bollywood actress Urmila’s appearance through a collaboration with India’s well-known ad director Prahlad Kakar.
Whether or not Moving Closer succeeds in breaking down barriers is up for grabs. To its credit, the documentary inspired PTV to bend its rules and allow the film 40-odd minutes of air time, a modest success which gave director Farooq Beg the confidence to take the movie to Doordarshan TV in India. Critically speaking, though, Moving Closer doesn’t measure up to all the hype. The venture prides itself on bringing together a variety of popular Indian and Pakistani stars on a common platform, in this case, a video shoot of Fuzon’s now famous number “Deewaney”. Other than that, the project has little else to offer.
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