In the picturesque mountainsides of outer Islamabad, Pakistan, Sania (Hania Amir) finds solace while gazing at PAF jets soaring through the skies. The narrative unfolds with an intense dogfight between PAF JF-17s, piloted by Hamza Haider Ali (Hamza Ali Abbasi) and Nadir Kirmani (Shaz Khan), against enemy Mirage-2000s infiltrating Pakistani airspace. Hamza's daring maneuvers lead to victory, and despite reprimands for the dangerous risk, he draws inspiration from a past hero, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafique.
A group of aspiring PAF Fighter Pilots, including Saad Khan (Ahad Raza Mir), Rashid Minhas Yousufzai (Sikander Vincent Khan Yousafzai), Zaid Ali (Shafaat Ali), Shamir Hamid, and female cadets Sania and Ujala, embark on their journey to the PAF academy. Sania faces skepticism due to her physical attributes, but her unwavering love for Pakistan earns her a spot. The diverse group undergoes rigorous training, marked by humorous encounters and Saad's initial arrogance, particularly towards Sania and the female cadets.
Meanwhile, Hamza, preparing for Nadir's wedding to Fiza, Sania's cousin, meets Sania. Their playful interactions lead to a deepening romance, with motorcycle trips and mountain tea becoming their cherished moments. Hamza's commitment to being a fighter pilot, akin to his father, sparks playful banter about choosing between love and duty. As terrorist attacks surge, Hamza and Nadir are selected for critical bombing missions against Taliban militants.
Back at the academy, Saad's jealousy intensifies, especially as Rashid excels. Zaid leaves the Airforce, emotionally affecting his friends. Sania faces challenges, with Saad offering genuine advice amid occasional mockery. The plot takes a poignant turn when Hamza's marriage plans face parental objections, leading to a life-altering decision.
A Taliban attack near civilians prompts Hamza's heroic low-altitude strike, resulting in critical injuries and martyrdom. Hamza's father, initially dismissive, undergoes a transformation after meeting Sania at the grave. The narrative reveals that Sania's journey, fueled by both patriotism and her relationship with Hamza, was intertwined with fulfilling Hamza's dream.
In the present, Saad confronts his misplaced jealousy and learns about Rashid's fiancée, Sherbatgul. Saad apologizes, realizing his unfounded fears, and a humorous dinner scene unfolds. At the graduation ceremony, Sania, Saad, and Rashid receive honors, with the seniors, including a decorated Nadir, in attendance. The film concludes with Sania finding peace in the mountains, reminiscing about Hamza, and a hopeful scene of Saad and Sania, now flying JF-17s, hinting at a possible romance. The final vision of Hamza's spirit saluting encapsulates the enduring impact of their journey.
According to director of media affairs PAF Syed Mohammad Ali and Momina Duraid, the film is intended to be a tribute to Pakistan Air Force with stories inspired from real life.[11][12] Duraid also announced that all of the major earnings of film will be donated to PAF funds.[13] The casting of Hamza Ali Abbasi and Osman Khalid Butt was announced at the launch event of film, with real life members of Pakistan air force comprising the rest of the cast.[12][13][14] Few days later Osman had to withdraw as the film's shoot schedule clashed with his promotions for Balu Mahi and was replaced by Ahad Raza Mir.[7]Farhat Ishtiaq wrote the film's script.[11] The final cast includes Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahad Raza Mir, Kubra Khan, Hania Aamir, Shaz Khan, Marina Khan and Shamoon Abbasi.[7][15]
Filming
In an Interview to Daily Pakistan, Hamza Ali Abbasi confirmed that much of the filming was done at various places of Pakistan such as cities which included Saidpur, Murree, Sargodha and Lahore, as well as Karachi.[16] The director Haseeb Hassan also revealed that some parts of the film were shot on K2 and the Karakoram Highway.[17]
Release
Two separate teasers of the film was released, first teaser, featuring Hamza Ali Abbasi and Shaz Khan was released on 19 April 2018,[18] while the second teaser featuring Ahad Raza Mir and Hania Amir was released on 23 April 2018.[19]
The trailer of the film was released on 6 July 2018.[20] Initially, the film was set to release on Eid al-Fitr 2018, but due to the limited screens available, it was postponed until Eid al-Adha 2018.[21] After the delay, the film was released on Eid al-Adha worldwide, 22 August 2018.[1][2] It had a premiere event in London on same day,[22] after previous premieres were cancelled due to some issues with Central Board of Film Censors.[23][24] It is the second Pakistani film after Parchi which is screened in Saudi Arabia and the first in China after forty years.[25]
Box office
Parwaaz Hai Junoon opened to a good response on the first day of its release and managed to collect Rs. 1.79 crore despite massive clash at the local box office. The film also collected Rs. 34 lac Internationally, taking its first day total collection to Rs. 2.132 crores.[26] Worldwide figures after two days were around Rs. 5.45 crore after collecting Rs. 2.66 crore and Rs. 66 lac from local box office and from overseas markets respectively on second day.[27] On its third day of release, it grossed around Rs. 2.43 crores from Pakistan and Rs. 86 lac from international markets respectively, bringing the total nett collections to Rs. 8.74 crores.[28] Film grossed Rs. 12.684 crores worldwide, after four days of its release.[29] Film's global nett gross after one week was around Rs. 18.18 crores.[30] Within second week of release, it collected Rs. 21.11 crores at local box office, breaking the record of Teefa in Trouble and Punjab Nahi Jaungi of fastest to Rs. 200 crores locally.[31] After ten days, It collected Rs. 28.12 crores at global box office.[32] It collected Rs. 360.2 crore locally until the end of 2018.[4] After its release in China in November 2020, the film collected US$248,000 there lifetime.[33][5][6]
Critical response
Shahjehan Saleem of Something Haute rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and said, "despite having major problems script-wise, the film is extremely strong in its aesthetics and acting skills".[34] Abdul Waheed Bhutto of Review it rated the film 5 stars out of 5 and said, "The movie is visually appeasing & aesthetically sound with the director also doing complete justice to the beauty of Pakistan".[35]
Omair Alavi rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote to Brandsynario, "It is shot like a TV drama and comes out as one too, despite some very attractive aerial shots where cadets train and pilots unleash their weapons on enemies".[36] Hamza Shafique of Dubai Desi rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Overall a very well made, performed and directed product which suffers only from it's [sic] TV drama serial style screenplay and story telling. The performances by the principle cast [sic] and the infused patriotism through brilliantly shot Pakistan Air force sequences never let you get bored but doesn't excite you either".[citation needed] The editor of Oye yeah gave a somewhat positive review and praised the direction and marked, " as a film PHJ has little novelty to offer. The recipe has been over been oversold. The changing the sides didn’t much of a difference.It’s a story we have heard before, wanting us to shed tears we have shed before!".[37] Asjad Khan of HIP gave a positive review but criticised the script and praised the performances.[38]
Hamna Zubair of Images Dawn gave a mixed review and wrote "PHJ may leave the audience with renewed respect for the air force but as a viewer, you may only truly enjoy its silly bits, and that's troubling for a film that's not a comedy".[39]
