Bol بول
Film poster
Directed by	Shoaib Mansoor
Produced by	Shoman Productions
Written by	Shoaib Mansoor
Starring	Humaima Malik Atif Aslam Mahira Khan Iman Ali Amr Kashmiri Shafqat Cheema Manzar Sehbai Zaib Rehman
Music by	Atif Aslam Shoaib Mansoor Sajjad Ali Ahmed Jahanzeb Hadiqa Kiyani
Distributed by	Geo Films Eros International Ltd.
Release date(s)	24 June 2011 (2011-06-24) (Pakistan) 31 August 2011 (2011-08-31) (India & United Kingdom)
Country	Pakistan
Language	Urdu

Bol (Urdu: بول‎ meaning Speak), is a 2011 Urdu-language social drama Pakistani, Lollywood film written, directed and produced by Shoaib Mansoor, released 24 June 2011.^[1] The film stars Humaima Malik,^[2] Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan, Iman Ali, Shafqat Cheema, Amr Kashmiri, Manzar Sehbai and Zaib Rehman in the lead roles. It became the Highest-grossing Pakistani film of 2011. ^[3] It concerns a religious Muslim family facing financial difficulties caused by too many children and changing times, with a major plot involving the father's desire to have another son and his rejection of his existing transgendered son.

The film was reviewed by the Central Board of Film Censors in Lahore on 8 November 2010 and received its approval the next day.^[4] Bol is set in Lahore and many students from National College of Arts' (NCA) filmmaking department have assisted Shoaib Mansoor on it.^[5]

Plot [edit]

The film starts by showing the protagonist, Zainab (Humaima Malik) is about to be hanged. She decides to tell her story to media right before she is hanged. She grew up with 6 sisters, a mother and a father. The father always wanted a son so that the son could help with the financial issues of the family, since he doesn't believe in women being gainfully employed. They end up having a transgendered daughter, named Saifi (Kashmiri). The father (Hakim) doesn't like Saifi since she identifies as a girl, but Saifi is deeply loved by the rest of her family. Zainab's mom keeps giving birth to babies that are born dead, so Zainab gets Tubal ligation done for her. When Hakim finds out, he becomes very angry.

One day, Zainab sees Saifi dressed in women's clothes gets disturbed. Hakim owns a small pharmacy sort of place and is approached by a man, who asks Hakim to teach the Quran to children, since Hakim is a very religious man who has bonds with the Mosque. Hakim initially refuses because the man is running a brothel. Meanwhile the mosque gives him some money to keep, since they believe him to be very trustworthy. Mustafa (Atif Aslam), living in neighbour, gets Saifi a job at a place where they paint trucks. There, Saifi is harassed there because others discriminate against her gender identification as a woman.

One day she is raped, and another transgendered person finds her on the floor and takes her home. Hakim overhears Saifi telling her mother and Zainab what happened to her. Later on when everybody is asleep, Hakim suffocates Saifi to death with a plastic bag. He must bribe the police officer to keep what happened a secret with two lakhs. Hakim is forced to take the money out of the masjid funds. The masjid asks for the funds, and Hakim doesn't have enough money. He is forced to go to the Saqa's house to get the money.

Teaching children the Quran isn't giving him enough money, so Saqa gives him another option. He must get married to Hakim and have a baby with Meena (Iman Ali) who is one of the prostitutes and is the Saqa's oldest daughter, since he keeps on having girls and Saqa tells him that it is the men who creates the gender. Zainab gets Ayesha and Mustafa married since Hakim found another man at the masjid and wants to get Ayesha married to that man. Simultaneously, Hakim marries Meena. When Hakim finds out about Ayesha's marriage, he is furious but can't do anything about it. Meena has her baby, and it is a girl meaning Saqa gets to keep it. Hakim begs Meena to give him the baby so that the baby doesn't have to face a horrible future. Saqa overhears and kicks Hakim out. Later on, Meena comes to give Hakim the baby. When Hakim's wife asks who that women was, he takes her to a room and tells her that he married Meena. She freaks out and starts screaming at him, and he beats her up. The mother tells the kids what happened, and Zainab insists they all leave the house and move somewhere to start a new life.

At night, Saqa comes to take the daughter, since Meena was not supposed to give it to Hakim. Hakim tries to kill the daughter to keep the daughter from a horrible future, but he is killed by Zainab by a fatal knock on the head. They hide the baby and Zainab tells Saqa that Hakim killed the baby and threw her out somewhere, and that she killed Hakim, which is why she is being given the death penalty. Now back in the present, a reporter keeps trying to prove she is innocent, but is unable to. Zainab ends by asking that why is only killing a sin? Why isn't giving birth one? Then she is hanged. The president sees the reporter's newscast that ends with that question and schedules a meeting with the topic the same as the question. In the end, the daughters open up a restaurant called Zainab's Cafe, which becomes very successful. They also raise their new sister, Meena's daughter.

Cast [edit]

• Humaima Malik as Zainub (eldest daughter)
• Manzar Sehbai as Hakim Sahib (father)
• Atif Aslam as Mustafa (Ayesha's husband)
• Mahira Khan as Ayesha (Second sister)
• Iman Ali as Meena (Courtesan)
• Amr Kashmiri as Saifi (the brother/hijra)
• Shafqat Cheema as Saqa Kanjar (panderer)
• Zaib Rehman as Suraiya (mother)
• Osama Ahmed not credited
• Khayyam Sarhadi not credited

Release and reception [edit]

Bol was released on 24 June 2011 under the banner of Geo Films. The film established a new box office record in Pakistani cinema. It became the highest earning film in Pakistan in its first week of release, breaking all previous records.^[6] The previous record was held by Bollywood movie My Name Is Khan, which grossed PKR 13.417 million in its first week, whereas Bol did a business of PKR 62.792 million in six days.^[7] In two weeks, the total gross revenue of the film from 24 screens amounted to PKR 94,287,090.^[8] Bol also collected 2,80,00000 from 75 screens in India.^[9]

Bol was released in India, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, U.A.E and Australia on 31 August 2011.The Movie got huge fame and appreciation.

In September 2011, the Times of India reported that Sahara One network has bought seven-year satellite rights of 100 films, including Shoaib Mansoor's Bol for a total of Rs 70 crore for all the 100 films.^[10]

Critical reception [edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Bollywood Hungama	[11]
The Times of India	[12]
NDTV	[13]

Bol received highly positive reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4/5 describing it as "A brilliant film embellished with bravura performances". Likewise, Komal Nahta of The Times of India gave the film 4/5 by going on to describe the film as "topical and thought-provoking". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 3 on 5 stating that the "message that the film delivers is urgent, heartfelt and of considerable import".^[14] Galaxy Lollywood, in its review gave 4.4/5 stars to the film and stated it to be 'meeting public expectations' after Khuda Kay Liye.^[15]

It was awarded the Best Hindi film award in IRDS Film awards 2011 by Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a Lucknow based Civil society for raising many social issues including the regressive attitude of a male-dominated society.^[16]

Soundtrack [edit]

Bol is the soundtrack album of the 2011 Urdu-language Pakistani film Bol by Shoaib Mansoor. Prior to the movie's release, Atif Aslam (who plays one of the main roles in the film) in an interview stated, "I have done two songs for the soundtrack. It's been a great experience working with Shoaib Mansoor, he is an amazing person and very dedicated. My role isn't controversial and we discussed it beforehand. It’s a film that is being made for a good cause".^[17] Morever one of hits of Hona Tha Pyaar was composed by Ali Javed (16 year old young boy from a small city called Toba Tek Singh) who sold the copyrights of song to the team of Bol.

All songs are mixed and mastered by Kashif Ejaz. The singers include Atif Aslam, Sajjad Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Shabnam Majeed, Sahir Ali Bugga, Bina Jawad. Hona Tha Pyaar composed and written by "Ali Javed " The soundtrack was successful and generally received positive reviews from critics. However, one critical review published in The Express Tribune called the movie's soundtrack "A surprising disappointment"^[18]

Track listing [edit]

Awards [edit]

Won [edit]

The film has won the following awards at Lux Style Awards

• Best Film Bol by Shoaib Mansoor
• Best Film Actor Manzar Sehbai
• Best Film Actress Humaima Malik^[19]

The film has won the following awards on other awards events.

• Best Film Actor Manzar Sehbai at the 2012 SAARC Film Awards
• Best Film Actress Humaima Malik at the London Asian Film Festival
• Best Film Bol by Shoaib Mansoor at the London Asian Film Festival
• Best New Talent Amr Kashmiri at the London Asian Film Festival
• Best Lead Actress Humaima Malick at the South Asian Rising Star Film Awards
• Best Male Debut Amr Kashmiri at the British Academy Film Awards
• Best Actress Humaima Malick at the British Academy Film Awards
• Best Film of the Year 2011 at the Pakistan Media Awards
• Best Film Actress Humaima Malik at Pakistan Media Awards

Nomination [edit]

• Best Performance by an Actress Humaima Malick at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
• Best Feature Film Bol by Shoaib Mansoor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
• Best Film Actor Atif Aslam at Pakistan Media Awards
• Best Playback Singer Atif Aslam at Pakistan Media Awards
• Song of the Year Hadiqa Kiyani at Lux Style Awards
• Best Original Sound Track Hadiqa Kiyani at Lux Style Awards
• Song of the Year Atif Aslam at Lux Style Awards
• Best Original Sound Track Atif Aslam at Lux Style Awards

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Bol at the Internet Movie Database
• Speaking The Unspeakable, The News International