Kiran Malik on the need for entertainers like 'Money Back Guarantee'

The Dubai-based actress stars with Fawad Khan in the Eid release

By Sadiq Saleem

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Published: Wed 19 Apr 2023, 2:54 PM

Last updated: Thu 20 Apr 2023, 1:48 PM

Statistically speaking, heist movies, though predictable, have been one of the most successful genres in most film industries. The protagonist, who is often a criminal mastermind, puts together a crew, hatches a plan and then pulls off the heist, either because the system has wronged him — or maybe just for the thrill. Of course not everything goes as per the plan. The occasional bumps in the road knock everything off as was seen in the 2002 release Aankhen or in the Spanish series La Casa de Papel or in Ocean’s 8.

One doesn’t know until the climax if they get away with the loot or they end up in jail. The result is, an ‘edge-of-the-seat thriller’. This is how Fawad Khan and Kiran Malik describe their upcoming film Money Back Guarantee, which is releasing this Eid. Besides Fawad and Kiran, the ensemble cast includes Ayesha Omar, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Shayan Khan, Hina Dilpazeer and cricket legend Wasim Akram who is debuting with this film.


The art of Kiran Malik

Being Kiran Malik is an art in itself. The Dubai based actor and model is no less than a fashion icon. Though she has some credible films to her credit including Pinky Memsaab, but somehow it’s her fashion and style that is praised and discussed in a manner akin to religious fervor.


Kiran’s profile becomes all the more interesting because besides being an actor and a model, she also works as a consultant for a Dubai based multinational tech company and jets in and out of Dubai for work assignments. Having garnered unanimous praise for her role in her last film Zarrar, Kiran will now be seen playing a robber in the film Money Back Guarantee. Excerpts from the interview:

What made you say yes to a role in a multi starrer where the screentime is obviously limited compared to your previous films where you played the lead?

I am playing a strong-headed Balochi girl named Sanam Baloch in the film, and I am one of the robbers in the ensemble cast. The screentime may be limited because we have about 17 actors in the film but her role is full of resilience and passion. She’s the only female amongst the band of robbers and knows how to get a job done. I am just happy that I got to do a role that touched upon my comic side as well. You know when you have not attempted comedy before, then it is hard to envision yourself cracking jokes on screen and generating laughter from the audiences. But the script is so intelligently written and is full of satire that it made the job easy. It is something Pakistanis and Asians will relate to and I think in today’s dismal times, all we need is a wholesome entertainer.

Do you think that TV actors make good film actors?

Pakistani entertainment industry is primarily known for its dramas and only a few good films release during the year. Which is why, if you map the journey of the current film superstars, they all began with TV. I am also debuting on television with a Six Sigma project. It is a drama with Mikaal Zulfiqar, Javed Sheikh and Dur-e-Fishan. I am playing Mikaal’s sister who is independent and calls the shots and is the driving force of the household. It’s a very good script and we just finished shooting both the spells in Karachi.

Faisal Qureshi is a well-known name in the ad world. How was it working with him on a film set?

I have been a fan of Faisal since the day I saw his famous series of telecom ads. When I got a call from him, it took me a while to register that its him because there are a few Faisal Qureshis in the industry. He had given me no clue on who the other cast members were when I signed the dotted line. His USP is his humour which is witty, he knows how to get the job done and his brand of comedy is not crass which is very important. Today you cannot say a lot of things in the name of comedy and Faisal is aware of those sensitivities.

You have worked with the best of both the worlds, superstar Shan and Fawad Khan. Whom do you think has more pull between the two?

I have met and worked with many big stars but the kind of attention that Shan gets and the fan following he enjoys, is unimaginable. I went to attend an event at a friend’s place in Lahore and everyone from the driver to the guard to the waiters to young students and elderly people came to meet him and conveyed how big a fan they all are of Shan and his films. A lot has to do with his limited supply because he works on one project and gives his all to it. He is eloquent and technically very sharp. He is the man of the masses and his sense of humous is amazing. That’s one side to him the world is yet to see.

Does distance play a negative role in your career since work opportunities are based in Pakistan and you are based out of Dubai?

Honestly its not the distance, it’s the mindset that needs to change. Directors and production houses have pre-conceived notions about overseas artists that they are unapproachable, high maintenance or unavailable. Which is why there are a lot of projects that you miss out without even being consulted. For my day shoots I take the earliest flight and return home taking the last flight, so I save the production money which they would have had to spend on my accommodation. Post Covid, there is a lot of work which can happen virtually, and I take my laptop to work and that’s how I finish my long shooting spells. The bottom line is, that one should be given equal opportunity and I am ready to work things around.

Money Back Guarantee is out in UAE cinemas on April 21


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