Film Review: Dukhtar (Daughter)
By : Dr Dushka H Saiyid (YOULIN MAGAZINE)
From a country that is being swept by floods,
and pushed towards anarchy, comes an indie film called Dukhtar, showcased at
the International Toronto Film Festival. Making her debut with this creative
offering, Afia Nathaniel has written, directed and produced Dukhtar. Like some
of its recent predecessors, Khuda Kay Liya, Bol and Zinda Bhaag, it deals with
a social issue. The underlying theme of this film is swara, a custom practiced
in Pakistan’s northern areas, where a girl child is given away in marriage to
settle a blood feud between families or tribes.
In order to protect her ten-year old daughter
from her impending fate of swara, Allah Rakhi, played with some intensity by
Samiya Mumtaz, escapes with her daughter, Zainab. Saleha Aref’s performance as
an unsuspecting and disarmingly innocent child is exceptional. The primeval and
protective instinct of the mother, and the close relationship between the two,
is touching and sensitively handled. Zainab is portrayed as a confident,
outgoing child, with a sharp mind and a desire to learn, who tries to teach her
mother English alphabets; in other words, she has a great potential to grow and
be a useful and an educated member of the society. But it is the beautiful Allah Rakhi, who
smolders in an unfulfilled marriage and a deadening culture that she has accepted
with resignation. However, she does the unthinkable, by escaping with Zainab,
when swara becomes imminent for her daughter.
As they try to escape the stranglehold of a
suffocating and repressive patriarchal set up, they appear small and vulnerable
against a harsh but beautiful landscape. The wonderful cinematography captures
the stunning but changing landscape. Set in the tribal areas, the future of the
mother and daughter seems doomed as gun-toting tribals pursue them. Adnan Shah,
who leads the search, is brilliant as the villain and evil incarnate, as he
enforces his writ with ruthless violence.
When the wonderful soundtrack by Sahir Ali Bagga
is played against the captivating landscape, the mixture is heady, especially
when Rahat Fateh Ali Khan belts out Ya Rahem, Maula, Maula. However, for some
strange reason all of the musical numbers are cut short half way. It’s a fast
paced movie, with never a dull moment; social issues are wonderfully interwoven
with action, suspense and a thrilling chase.
Afia Nathanial, who was educated in Lahore and
studied filmmaking at Columbia University, has only whet our appetite for more
such well-produced movies.
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