I have very low expectations for this movie, but I am very surprised by this! Theatre was in hoots during some of the scenes and amazing direction every element of this movie is prefect. Laal Kabootar will make you regain your faith in Pakistani cinema.
44 Reviews
Full suspense Action Packed Drama
asad_tanvir_1822 March 2019
First Pakistani Thriller, EPIC.
mohammadahmed-8440330 March 2019
In the first 5 minutes of the movie it pulls you in like a Hollywood top notch thriller. Main thing is direction in this movie, it breathes the city of Karachi, story is fast paced you will never be thinking about something else.
It has one of the most darkly twisted characters, the main lead is a so man desperate and driven by his own wishes. And the Villain in the movie, what an amazing evil guy to witness. His face is full of terror, the guy who performs is dead on point. Pakistan is in the race now. Even the side characters are so well performed and their story is intense too. This movie leaves no corners untouched.
Let the things go horribly wrong.
Something New
sammarraza29 March 2019
What Kamal Khan has done with Laal Kabootar is something which more established and esteemed directors in Pakistani cinema have yet to do: provide something new. Modern day Pakistani cinema (with a few exceptions) can be subdivided into two categories: the attempting, but failing miserably, Bollywood copies and the over the top mind numbing patriotic/army movies. However, Laal Kabootar shows the talent and thought is there in Pakistani cinema, it just needs to be explored. A movie which deviates from the norm, focuses on story and has beautiful cinematography, Laal Kabootar is in a class of its own. Hopefully, it'll act as a foundation to a much better and more diverse Pakistani film industry.
Karachi on screen like never before
Tee_Alee_Naqvi26 March 2019
A crime thriller based in the city of Karachi is already a very intriguing scenario and then you add some great actors and a great director like Kamal Khan it becomes a must watch.
How Karachi is whatever happens in Karachi is not good but when it is about filmmaking then Karachi is a gold mine for filmmakers but unfortunately no filmmaker had dug that gold but now Kamal did. Kamal Khan has used Karachi not as a city but as a character in the film. it is a very courageous movie, and especially for a Pakistani filmmaker. Hats off to Cheema brother and sister who took that risk.
The film is gorgeous Mo Azmi has captured every single shot with absolute perfection. Music by Taha Malik is absolutely top notch.
I am out of words to describe how great this film is, I would just say that this is a very rare film we don't see films like this coming out of Pakistan everyday or even every year, so please go out and support this movie and encourage these producers so they can take more risks and make more movies like this.
How Karachi is whatever happens in Karachi is not good but when it is about filmmaking then Karachi is a gold mine for filmmakers but unfortunately no filmmaker had dug that gold but now Kamal did. Kamal Khan has used Karachi not as a city but as a character in the film. it is a very courageous movie, and especially for a Pakistani filmmaker. Hats off to Cheema brother and sister who took that risk.
The film is gorgeous Mo Azmi has captured every single shot with absolute perfection. Music by Taha Malik is absolutely top notch.
I am out of words to describe how great this film is, I would just say that this is a very rare film we don't see films like this coming out of Pakistan everyday or even every year, so please go out and support this movie and encourage these producers so they can take more risks and make more movies like this.
If Oliver Stone would have come to Pakistan to make film on Karachi then it would be somewhat similar to "Laal Kabootar".
kshehzad25 March 2019
Once an American social reformer Frederick Douglas said," men may not get all they pay for in this world; but they must certainly pay for all they get." In midst of target killing, mobile snatching and land mafias, hoping an opportunity to improve quality of life for an individual from middle or lower class of the society is not less than boiling the ocean. This is the tragedy of life of Adeel Nawaz (Ahmad Ali Akbar) the male protagonist of newly released Pakistani film "Laal Kabootar".
Directed by debutante Kamal Khan, "Laal Kabootar" is such a cinematic piece which drags its viewer into darker side of Karachi. Though Karachiites are well acquainted with this darker shade of the city but the one who carries only surface knowledge of this mega city may have his or her shock of life after witnessing the events on silver screen and those events are blunt and ruthless. These are the elements which make "Laal Kabootar" such a content no one has dared to show on silver screen before. No one can do it if he or she has not tasted the real essence of Karachi and Kamal Khan has done it. Along with Kamal Khan the producers of the film Hania Cheema and Kamil Cheema must be commended for taking on such an uphill task in their young age.
Ahmad Ali Akbar, who has been a regular feature of few good films lately with forgettable roles, appears as an actor par excellence. One may no doubt on his acting caliber but "Laal Kabootar" has provided him enough room to blossom his skills and he does it brilliantly. Critics who understand the pros and cons of realistic performances would have already short listed him in the category of Best Actors in next year's award shows.
Ahmad Ali Akbar steals the show with his realistic portrayal but Mansha Pasha does not fall back and shines with equal intensity. Rashid Farooqui who last impressed film critics in "Ramchand Pakistani" gives outstanding performance as a typical police-wala with genuine needs. At last but not least Saleem Mairaj, who appears as a cameo but frightens enormously. With his acting prowess Saleem Mairaj may challenge India's Nawazuddin Siddiqui and as a critic I would love to see him proving his metal along with him someday. Background score, editing and music are top-notch. Mo Azmi has done splendid job in cinematography and makes "Laal Kabootar" a well-shot film.
On the whole, "Laal Kabootar" is a film with gripping narrative, realistic treatment and impeccable performances. The way Kamal Khan has carved out his first film project it will not be an exaggeration to say that if Oliver Stone would have come to Pakistan to make film on Karachi then it would be somewhat similar to "Laal Kabootar". Do not miss it.
Directed by debutante Kamal Khan, "Laal Kabootar" is such a cinematic piece which drags its viewer into darker side of Karachi. Though Karachiites are well acquainted with this darker shade of the city but the one who carries only surface knowledge of this mega city may have his or her shock of life after witnessing the events on silver screen and those events are blunt and ruthless. These are the elements which make "Laal Kabootar" such a content no one has dared to show on silver screen before. No one can do it if he or she has not tasted the real essence of Karachi and Kamal Khan has done it. Along with Kamal Khan the producers of the film Hania Cheema and Kamil Cheema must be commended for taking on such an uphill task in their young age.
Ahmad Ali Akbar, who has been a regular feature of few good films lately with forgettable roles, appears as an actor par excellence. One may no doubt on his acting caliber but "Laal Kabootar" has provided him enough room to blossom his skills and he does it brilliantly. Critics who understand the pros and cons of realistic performances would have already short listed him in the category of Best Actors in next year's award shows.
Ahmad Ali Akbar steals the show with his realistic portrayal but Mansha Pasha does not fall back and shines with equal intensity. Rashid Farooqui who last impressed film critics in "Ramchand Pakistani" gives outstanding performance as a typical police-wala with genuine needs. At last but not least Saleem Mairaj, who appears as a cameo but frightens enormously. With his acting prowess Saleem Mairaj may challenge India's Nawazuddin Siddiqui and as a critic I would love to see him proving his metal along with him someday. Background score, editing and music are top-notch. Mo Azmi has done splendid job in cinematography and makes "Laal Kabootar" a well-shot film.
On the whole, "Laal Kabootar" is a film with gripping narrative, realistic treatment and impeccable performances. The way Kamal Khan has carved out his first film project it will not be an exaggeration to say that if Oliver Stone would have come to Pakistan to make film on Karachi then it would be somewhat similar to "Laal Kabootar". Do not miss it.
Pakistani Neo-noir crime drama
aazmirawesome7 April 2019
Brilliant performances by the lead actors and a breakthrough direction by debut director Kamal Khan. The storytelling is an ode to Karachi tragic life, where state has given up on its basic responsibility and individuals of all kinds are ruling the city, in the guise of mafia. One of a kind Pakistani movie. Go watch and support the local cinema industry!
All in all it was a fair effort
Hussain-AL-Naseer23 June 2020
Film Lacks the depth with respect to the story & its character building that is why it fails to ignite the emotional sympathy among its audience. Film depicts the era when target killings, street crimes were common in the city of lights but again no depth it was like showing a single page for describing a whole book which for Karachiites would be easy to understand but for others it might struggles also desperate love angle between Adeel & Aaliyah in climax was not required. The best part of the movie was its cinematography the realistic showcase of Karachi streets with some brilliant color saturations was indeed applause able followed by some good performances by its leads especially Mansha Pasha who was very promising & looked natural while Ali Akbar's performance was also good and I like how he is getting or choosing roles to show his versatility as an actor also Rashid Farooqui as Inspector Ibrahim was noticeable.
Masterpiece
mabdull-1060128 March 2019
Greed and sins never go unpunished
msunando17 March 2020
Laal Kabootar - Fate brings Aliya Malik (Mansha Pasha) and Adeel Anwar (Ahmed Ali Akbar), people from completely different backgrounds together to fight a common battle, albeit for different reasons. The former is seeking revenge or justice for the murder of her journalist husband and the latter, a taxi driver, is using her resources and objective to get out of the country to his dream destination, Dubai.
Danger lurks in the dark underbelly of Karachi, where greedy real estate developers can go to any extent to grab land, using bounty hunters for indiscriminate murders without leaving any trace. The police is clueless, indifferent, unwilling to proceed, corrupt and often complicit. The nexus works well until the investigating officer Ibrahim (Rashid Farooqi, in a well nuanced role) takes a personal blow, losing his innocent and loving daughter in a shootout, and joins forces independently to eliminate the single source of all evil.
Laal Kabootar is a commercial venture with a heart. Great production values and a racy execution are its assets - the story is something that you may have witnessed on multiple occasions in Bollywood thrillers though. Where the film misses out on is perhaps the opportunity of infusing some strong histrionics into Mansha Pasha's role - the flashbacks about her romance with her husband don't do enough justice to either the demonstration of her grief or her single minded resolve to seek revenge. Where director Kamal Khan fails is that barring Rashid Farooqi, the rest of the cast delivers a somewhat underwhelming performance keeping the film's sentimental balance low key instead of allowing it to rise to a crescendo.
Danger lurks in the dark underbelly of Karachi, where greedy real estate developers can go to any extent to grab land, using bounty hunters for indiscriminate murders without leaving any trace. The police is clueless, indifferent, unwilling to proceed, corrupt and often complicit. The nexus works well until the investigating officer Ibrahim (Rashid Farooqi, in a well nuanced role) takes a personal blow, losing his innocent and loving daughter in a shootout, and joins forces independently to eliminate the single source of all evil.
Laal Kabootar is a commercial venture with a heart. Great production values and a racy execution are its assets - the story is something that you may have witnessed on multiple occasions in Bollywood thrillers though. Where the film misses out on is perhaps the opportunity of infusing some strong histrionics into Mansha Pasha's role - the flashbacks about her romance with her husband don't do enough justice to either the demonstration of her grief or her single minded resolve to seek revenge. Where director Kamal Khan fails is that barring Rashid Farooqi, the rest of the cast delivers a somewhat underwhelming performance keeping the film's sentimental balance low key instead of allowing it to rise to a crescendo.
Excellent Direction.
m_alichaudhry19 April 2019
Action Packed suspense like no other Pakistani Film
aimenoon25 September 2019
I'm stoked why can't you give a half star rating to a film here. Because if that was the case I would've given it 9.5 / 10 . Its definately something new and fresh to come out of Pakistani cinema . I think our people are not used to films like these but truely it was a perfect blend of action , drama , suspense , thriller all topped with a great soundtrack. Definately must watch
Best Pakistani movie ever?
abbasnadir11 April 2019
Never seen any movies as well produced, Pakistani or Indian. Simple story about street crimes, corrupt police, and land/building mafia. Gripping screen play and dialogues. Great acting and photography. Music a bit loud at times. A lot of violence. May be should be PG. Rashid Farooqi and Saleem Meraj unbelievably strong performances. Both Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha also very creduble performances.
It's a Must Watch!
noushadranani22 May 2019
In a league of its own
irfanm4 April 2020
Tired of sobby melodramas and stupid comedies? Laal Kabootar is a crime thriller with a good story, flawless direction and amazing performances creating a powerful and mind-boggling cocktail of love, hatred, sinful passion, rebellion, loneliness, fear and total liberation.
Dark moody slow burn which deserved a better ending
masheikh0327 March 2019
Not perfect but not bad at all. Datk moody slow burn with very commendable buildbup. But our movie makers just don't know how to close a movie. Very abrupt and full of holes. 90 odd minutes with no songs. Very profane despite the obvious swear words being censored but not cringe worthy. Decent performances despite no one actually standing out. Worth the while especially if you want to support the local industry.
Amazing Pakistani Movie
haroonraufshah23 April 2020
What was this? 😑
angelinakhuram1 April 2019
It blows your mind
dawarsaboorr30 March 2019
Simply Blown Away!!!
arslan-6535423 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Its brilliant piece of cinema that portray the real image of karachi in such a amazing thrilling way...
Its the best crime thriller i have seen after O21 ... Please watch and support this masterpiece... this will worth your time and money... it has an amazing way of storytelling...
highly recommended 10/10
Its the best crime thriller i have seen after O21 ... Please watch and support this masterpiece... this will worth your time and money... it has an amazing way of storytelling...
highly recommended 10/10
Must watch
ahmedfahim-7558827 March 2020
I'm a Thriller freak from Bangladesh. And this is a must watch. Also I'm wondering why this film is so much underrated?
Only handful review found in IMDB! So frustrating from Pakistani fans.
Direction, Music, Screenplay ... every moment you will see something new... Sudden Masterpiece by Pakistani film industry.
Direction, Music, Screenplay ... every moment you will see something new... Sudden Masterpiece by Pakistani film industry.
Outclass thriller
itsblackscorpion7 February 2020
One of the best action thriller last year
drpankajshil12 March 2020
Cinematography is awesome. Story is quite good .Movie is just of 93 minutes but it will leave no chance to amaze you. This is first movie I have seen in Pakistani platform and I loved it by all means- direction, cinematography, storyline,acting everything.
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