You’d think the delicate damsel from Bin Roye could only wither in the face of adversity, but Armeena Rana Khan has signed up for a role that couldn’t be further from that.
Armeena, who will also soon be seen in Jaanan and Yalghaar, has been roped in for a short film in the UK titled Achilles Protocol, in which she will play “a robot that is about to be decommissioned”. How’s that for life-threatening?
In conversation with Images, Armeena shared that she is playing the lead role opposite British actor Christopher Faith in the film.
The film is being directed by Aatif Zafar, who has years of experience in acting, filmmaking and production in England.
“Achilles Protocol is aimed at the film festival market and I know that the audience is ruthless,” Armeena added about her project. “I have to ensure I give a competent performance. Hopefully we can take it to Cannes next year. I’ve previously worked in a British short film called Writhe, which went to Cannes.”
From romantic drama to science fiction?
In a scene from Jaanan – Photo courtesy Armeena Rana Khan
How did Armeena bag the role in the first place, we wonder?
“When I stopped in England briefly on my way to Italy, I had just enough time to do a quick scan of the ongoing pre-productions and Achilles Protocol looked quite interesting to me; the timeline also worked so I decided to audition for it and thankfully, the team liked me enough to pull me on board.”
Landing the role may have been fairly simple, but preparing for it is no easy task.
“It’s a science-fiction movie and naturally, the technical requirements of European cinema are very different from Pakistani projects. I have to completely step out of my Jaanan and Yalghaar state of mind and immerse myself in a different way of acting so I’m studying a lot of independent English films to adjust my methodology and I’m reading a lot of sci-fi literature,” she shares.
A shot from Armeena’s photoshoot for the Jaanan poster. —Photo courtesy: Itani Mohammed
Achilles Protocol is slated for release next year and will be filmed over a ten-day period in December, while rehearsals will kick off this week.
Although this is a great opportunity for her to prove her acting chops, the budding actress also has her eye on a bigger picture.
“No actress in Pakistan has undertaken such a role to date; it is my dream to shout to the whole world that Pakistan has some of the best talent around and I would love to help establish what I see is Pakistan’s rightful place in the global cinema sphere,” Khan says.
She adds, “Imagine international production companies choosing Pakistan as a film destination or Pakistanis winning international awards regularly, what it would mean for our industry, our economy and our youngsters; that’s what I’m most excited about!”