The veteran director Saeed Rizvi released Pakistan’s first sci-fi film Shanee, complete with special effects, on March 10 in 1989.
The sci-fi flick was a box office block buster in its time and bagged seven Nigar Awards. It used to be screened on Eid holidays by NTN, one of the first networks to break PTV’s monopoly.
The cast featured prominent actors like Babra Sharif, Muhammad Ali and Sherry Malik. Music was looked after by musician Anjum.
The story revolves around a couple: Babra Sharif as Hina and Sherry Malik as her beau, Shanee.
However, a notorious villain kills Shanee and Hina is left only to hope that her beau will return one day. During this time, a spaceship visits earth and leaves behind an alien. This alien decides take on Shanee’s physical appearance then, well, marries Hina.
But that’s not it — the film uses special effects that weren’t seen in Pakistani films before 1989. During a fight sequence, Shanee breaks and then yanks off someone’s arm and prevents a train from running Hina over — thanks to his super vision.
It becomes really amusing when it turns out that Hina’s pregnant and has her baby in a moving train without any help whatsoever. We won’t say whether Hina finally realises who Shanee really is… we’re not a fan of spoilers! That being said the film totally fits the bill if you want to laugh all day long.
