She has been causing a buzz in Pakistan for years with a successful singing and television career but with Ayesha Omar making her big screen debut in the comedy ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ it is obvious that western audiences are going to become very familiar with this rising star. The movie premiered simultaneously in Hollywood and across more than 60 Pakistani screens on the 31st of July and the reception has been favorable for the film and Omar alike.
“Yes I am very excited but a bit nervous as well,” Ayesha said while speaking to The Express Tribune. “All day I am busy giving interviews and promoting the film in the best way we can. There’s too much happening so it’s a bit nerve-wrecking as well.”
By taking just one look at Ayesha it’s easy to pigeonhole her into the ‘beautiful people’s club’ but the road to the big screen has been anything but short for this triple threat. Omar trained in classical singing until the age of 14 before she graduated to high school and began honing her skills across several artistic disciplines including classical dance, musical theatre, debate, and the school choir. Following her graduation she attended the prestigious National College of Arts in Lahore – Pakistan, where she majored in painting and further explored her passion for singing and music. In time her interests lead her back to the theatre and from there she began acting professionally and getting regular work both on stage and on Pakistani sit coms.
Adding to her resume is extensive experience as a television host on such Pakistani programs as The Daily Show and The Morning Show and MTV as well as a laundry list of front page glamour magazine shoots that aspiring models the world over would die for. Ayesha’s broad base of artistic talents is bound to provide a solid foundation for what is expected to be a rising and prosperous acting career on the world stage.
The opening weekend saw Karachi Se Lahore bring in a respectable 16 million Rupee at the box office (or a little over $250 000 U.S.)
Speaking to The Express Tribune Nadeem Mandviwalla, managing director of Mandviwalla Entertainment, told that the film has done exceptionally well in multiplexes. “The business of the movie in Atrium Cinemas (Karachi) and Centaurus (Islamabad) has been exceptional up till now,” Mandviwalla told The Express Tribune.
The performance at the box office has served as a kind of validation for Omar and the rest of the cast as it would appear that their hard work is going to pay off not only in ticket sales but in garnering a strong viewership.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ7Uzs6qIXs
When talking about her role in the film Omar told The Media Spring,
“My character in the film has a lot of shades which will definitely strike people. The film carries important messages which really make it a meaningful one, I’m really looking forward to lots of love and appreciation from my fans and I really appreciate the efforts of Garden City and AlphaPro for the premier.”
With impressive reviews and the strong box office performance expected to continue Karachi Se Lahore appears to have been the perfect project for Omar’s debut outing on the big screen. It will be interesting to see what opportunities will stem from the success of the Pakistani Rom-Com but one thing seems likely – The world will be seeing a lot more of Ayesha Omar.