His name is Mangu Mangu, Jan Mangu and he is the Donkey King in so far the best animated film offering from Pakistan. The film can easily be termed as Pakistan’s take on George Orville’s Animal Farm because here, animals speak and walk like humans, and also go to restaurants, drive cars and elect their next leader like we did a few months back. What makes this film a must-watch is that it caters to all kinds of viewers from young to old, and makes you smile with its brilliant script, plot and pop culture references.

The film revolves around the character of Mangu (voiced by Jan Rambo) who dreams to rule animals but since he is a donkey, nobody gives his thoughts any importance. One thing leads to another and Mangu becomes the chosen leader of the animals; he has no idea about government and that’s why is criticised, but once he gets the hang of it, Mangu rules them better than his predecessors. Featuring star voice-over cast including Ghulam Mohiuddin, Hina Dilpazir, Jawed Sheikh, Shabbir Jan, Adeel Hashmi, Ahsan Rahim, Mani and Ismail Tara beside Jan Rambo, Donkey King comes out as a political satire for the old and a classic animated film in the mould of Lion King for the young.

The film has near-perfect animation while the story is relatable because it seems more like the modern-day political scenario in the country. Writers Aziz Jindani and Kamran Khimani must be commended for a job well done and congratulations must be in order for the animation team led by Zeeshan Karimi and the music team featuring Shani Arshad (background score) and Shuja Haider and Asrar (soundtrack). Some children might not find the humour interesting, but trust me, this is the work of a team that has ruled over a generation with Commander Safeguard; they know exactly what the audience wants and the success of The Donkey King proves that they are here to stay.