Ahmed Ali Akbar, who played the role of journalist Shahbaz Bhatti in Gunjal, has stressed the need for showing the stories of national heroes and locals on the big screen.

“In order to boost and stable our cinema we will need to showcase the stories of our heroes,” he told Aaj News in an interview as the film was released on Friday. “We have stopped showing stories of our people. Like Parizaad, there is a character of Shahbaz Bhatti in the film. They are our heroes.”

Gunjal, a film based on true events of a child labour activist Iqbal Masih, shows Akbar as a crime reporter looking out for a cue in a story. He found loopholes in the verdict that freed the prime suspect in a murder case.

Iqbal, who led a movement against child labour, was killed on April 16, 1995. The two-minute trailer shows Akbar chasing facts and clues for the murder of the child activist.

The film also stars Resham, Amna Ilyas, Syed Muhammad Ali, and Ahmad Ali Butt.

When asked about his experience working with Resham, he said that the senior actor would be seen in a different avatar in the movie and added that she has brought a lot of change in herself.

The three-hour movie directed by Shoaib Sultan also puts light on the issues faced by the journalists and harsh realities of society.

Akbar went on to add that Pakistani audience was well aware and the popularity of many films and projects proved that the people wanted to see something different. He supported his statement by giving example of the hit drama Parizaad, saying that the story was new to many people.

“Anything which is challenging is fun as it helps you to know yourself. I try to immerse myself in whatever character I do as I try to become a new person,” he said and highlighted the role of audience which connects with the characters presented on the big screen.

He was of the view that a journalist fights for the truth and that’s he has huge respect for the people working in the field. “But when their [journalists] voice is suppressed, there is nothing more sad than that,” Akbar said.

Akbar, who grew a moustache and changed his attire to look like a journalist in 90s era, shared that he did some journalism for a project in the past. “When I interviewed people, I came to know that journalism like acting is also difficult and every time you get an opportunity to see and learn something new.”