Moammar Rana Film, Tv Actor
Moammer Rana aka Momi is an actor from Pakistan’s Lahore based film industry called “Lollywood”.
He also worked in block buster TV dramas Mere Pass Pass and Dil, Diya, Dehleez.
Film Career
Mommar rana started his Film career in 1996-7 with a film called “kurriyun ko dalay Dana” but in that film he was a second lead .The movie was an average hit But Mommar Rana’s big break came in the November of 1997 with the Syed Noor Film “Deewanay Teray piyaar kay”.The film was an Evernew Pictures release and was a Smashing hit all over Pakistan.Mommar Rana went on a signing spree after that film but in the coming 8-9 months none of his Releases Like “ZOR” and some other movies could match up to the success of “Deewanay teray piyaar kay”.The first half of 1998 was a very low phase for the Pakistan Film industry as none of the releases managed to click at the box office until July 1998 when Sangeeta’s “NIKAH” (Shan-reema) became the first Hit of the year and 3 months later it was Followed up by Syed Noor’s Punjabi film “Choorian” starring Mommar Rana,Saima and Shafqat cheema.The film released in October 98 and went on to become the Biggest ever hit of Pakistani Cinema.Reportedly made with a budget of 5 to 6 million the film went on to make 140 to 180 million rupees at the box office (reportedly).The film not only created History at the box office but also became the trend setter in reviving Punjabi cinema which had died out after Sultan Rahi’s Murder in 1996.
He has worked in Bollywood film Dobara (2004) with actress Mahima Chaudhry in a special appearance and is now all set to make his full fledged bollywood debut in Ek Second… Jo Zindagi Badal De? opposite Manisha Koirala and former Miss India Nikita Anand.
Interview
There are only a few who work with their heart and soul, others only consider the monetary profits. The so-called producers try to move the mountains with toothpicks. They do not even know the rudiments of filmmaking”
Lollywood does not hold the reputation of being a very hot and happening place. A few faces reign supreme and are present in almost all the commercial flicks churned out by the industry.
Moammer Rana happens to be one of them, appearing on the scene a few years ago. With his lover-boy-next-door looks, her has been able to carve a niche for himself in the big, bad realm of our silver screen.
His debut performance in Deewane Tere Pyar Kay shot him to fame with a mega box office hit. He just couldn’t look back after that. Now, five years down the lane, he feels it’s high time he put his foot down.
‘I am very of the stereotyped roles. I don’t want to run around trees any more. There is a lot more to film making then just that. A lot of trash is being made to mint money.
Politics prevails and it’s beyond me to deal with the shenanigans of the high and mighty of Lollywood. I have a different mindset and now I do not sign every other film that comes my way.”
Most of his flicks were hits but he is unhappy that he has never received any significant award.
“I guess I ‘m not the only one, many artists have gone through the same phase. My problem is that I was never on good terms with the jury. Receiving an award definitely depends on this very fact.
How can it be possible that every category of Choorian received an award except for the best actor. The film industry never gave me what I truly deserved because nobody’s a professional here. When I mend my relationship with the jury, I’ll get an award as well.”
“There are only a few who work with their heart and soul, others only consider the monetary profits. The so-called producers try to move the mountains with toothpicks. They do not even know the rudiments of filmmaking. They cannot think beyond the fact that if they invest six million in a project, they can earn two million as profit.
They dread in vesting more than that, lest they lose their precious bucks.” He refused to name such producers but continued lashing them. “During the era when Urdu films were doing good business, Syed Noor made Choorian which was popular with the masses.
Other producers followed suit and started making Punjabi films. They thought that the choli lachcha era was back. None of the other were hits. They didn’t see what kind of a Punjabi film Choorian was. They simply don’t realize the only good films do good business.”
Moammer’s definition of a good film is the necessary ingredients required for maximum entertainment.
“Rukhsati didn’t do well at the box before we started working on it,” he emphasizes, “It had many flaws. Firstly it was not properly publicized. Secondly, it was quite boring.
There was a lot of drama but no comedy or action. Who would go to see a film full of tense moments. When a movie flops, its lead pair is blamed for it. The same happened with Meera and myself. I think it’s the director who’s responsible for such a result. If it had been my fault then my other movies should have flopped as well. Why did Deewane Tere Pyar Key and Choorian do well?”
Moammer has always been defiant as he puts it. Utterly inspired by Aamir Khan he believes that one day he would turn out to be like the latter. For this very reason he has even started working on a script that he claims to be different than what is usually made in Lollywood.
Quite cliched as it may sound, like every other performer who hops onto the bandwagon of production, he expects he would definitely prove his mettle. He is still not sure, whether to produce it for television or the silver screen. Thus it seems, like all big screen performers he finds television to be his last resort, a fact that he vehemently denies:
“I have no qualms abut working on the mini screen. I even did a play Hawa Pay Raqs with Abid Ali. But it certainly does not mean that my demand has lessened. I love to see myself on the silver screen. It’s my passion.”
His own forthcoming venture, the name of which he hasn’t decided yet, is a family drama. “Its story has many colours in it. I have focused on youngsters and the kind of life they lead. It has comedy, romance, suspense, tragedy and all the components that are required to make a project successful.
Lollywood has nothing new to offer. Only a few good films are made and it depends on one’s lucky stars whether one gets them or not. Those who do not get such a role see their career and popularity graph falling soon after. Cinegoers reject them on the pretext of being boring. Secondly many Punjabi films are being made and I am certainly not ‘Jat’ material.
Then, the blue-eyed boys have a monopoly in the industry and I do not get along with them. They think I am arrogant because I don’t indulge in idle gossip. I guess we both don’t deserve each other anymore so I decided to part ways and start working on my own.”
This statement gave the impression that he is all set to bid adieu to the industry but it is certainly not so. Moammer is still open to good offers that come his way and he plans to work with renowned producers only.
The list confirmed that he has no intentions of leaving the silver screen, but it raised another query as to what he considers his criteria of a good role. It should be weighty with a margin of performance.
“While selecting a role I don’t bother about how many songs I have in the film or who is my heroine. I just focus on the role, which is quite contrary to what the others do. At the beginning of my career I made the terrible mistake of signing every other film that came my way without asking about the role. That really marred my image. I will not tread on the same path again. As far as the list is concerned, I am only doing good films.”
With the amount of flicks Lollywood churns out, it seems he is the only one bagging meaty roles in big projects in spite of being fed up of the industry. On the personal front, marriage has certainly groomed Moammar Rana. He is no more the unbridled eligible bachelor, many had eyes for. His marriage certainly disappointed his colleagues who tried their best to dissuade him:
“I was advised that I will lose my fan following after tying the knot but I guess I got more fame after that. Choorian was a major hit but I got married two weeks after it was released. After I took the major step, Shaan followed suit and married as well. It’s been three years now. I am very happy with my wife and my two year old daughter.”
Moammer feels he wasn’t much of a family man in the beginning. His hectic schedule permitted him no time for his family, especially his daughter who didn’t know who he was a year ago. “I was the worst father one could ever imagine.
I didn’t have time for my little bundle of joy. She used to meet me at breakfast without any flicker of recognition in realized that I had to change course and give more time to my family. Now, I take her everywhere, especially if we are shooting abroad or in some other city. All she wants is her papa.”
Already an established performer, a thorough professional and a family man, ten years down the lane, he sees himself in the director’s seat. Well of course, as the saying goes, ‘There is no business like showbusiness!’
