Pakistani blockbuster The Legend of Maula Jatt secured two prestigious awards at the seventh Jackie Chan International Action Film Week held in Harbin. The film received the Special Jury Award along with the Best Art Direction Award during the event’s closing ceremony.
Director Bilal Lashari expressed his disbelief at winning two awards amid pouring rain on a stage bearing Jackie Chan’s name. He described the experience as surreal, especially seeing his film featured alongside major titles like Mortal Kombat 2 and The Furious at one of Asia’s largest celebrations of action cinema.
Lashari recounted the ceremony’s atmosphere, noting intermittent rain throughout the evening that intensified just as he was called to the stage. Soaked by the time he reached the microphone, a stranger kindly held an umbrella over him as he accepted the dripping trophy, with the arena illuminated behind the rain. He reflected that such moments are usually crafted on set, but this one unfolded naturally.
The Best Art Direction award held special significance for Lashari, as it honored production designers Namsa Abbasi and Hamza Bajwa. He praised their work in creating not only sets but an entire immersive world that brought every scene to life. Lashari expressed regret that the duo could not attend to receive the award personally and dedicated the honor to them. He also mentioned the absence of producer Ammara Hikmat, who was unable to travel to Harbin.
In a significant development, Lashari called it a dream come true to represent Pakistan on a stage named after Jackie Chan, an actor whose films influenced him growing up. Meeting Chan and receiving his congratulations was beyond what he had imagined when the film began production. Lashari highlighted how action cinema uniquely connects people worldwide without language barriers and extended gratitude to Chan, the organizers, and the jury for recognizing action films and their creators.
He also acknowledged producers Nadeem Mandviwalla and his wife for their partnership during the film’s journey in China and thanked his entire team, dedicating the achievement to Pakistan.
The Legend of Maula Jatt is a reboot of the 1979 cult classic and features a star-studded cast including Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humaima Malick, Gohar Rasheed, and Faris Shafi.
