You think you’re going to get a run of the mill, typical Pakistani film with little to no subtlety. The first 15-20 minutes are also quite disposable, as I mentioned earlier. However, for a debut feature, they put in enough subtlety, nuance and effort in to their performances to pull them off. Fariya Hassan is a bit melodramatic in some scenes and Noaman Sami is a little too subdued in others. So it’s not that surprising that they’re a bit unpolished. The stars of the film, Noaman Sami (playing Khurram), Fariya Hassan (playing Tania) and Ahmad Zeb (playing Saleem) are all making their debut here. As I said, this is so rare in Pakistani films that it is a pleasant surprise when it actually occurs. Zeeshan Khan has managed to use his camera for actual visual storytelling in some instances. There are a couple of fade-in shots that work incredibly well too. Galloping livestock, rolling fields, and beautiful landmarks are all shown in sweeping shots. The beauty of Sindh’s village life is shown perhaps like never before in “Talash”. Whatever awards are given out next year for Best Screenplay, they should be given to “Talash”. I won’t ruin it of course, but the entire movie was made all the better for it. There’s a bit towards the end of the film involving a police station that had the entire audience in stitches.įinally, the climax is something that is completely unexpected, in the best way. Again, this is all because we have been left to expect so little with the average Pakistani film that the slightest semblance of clever writing is surprising.Īlso, as I mentioned earlier, the film is very funny. The conflict within that romance is handled so well that you are actually left with your mouth agape. “Talash”, being a social comedy at its surface, treats its audience like reasoning, thinking adults.įor those who have seen the trailer, there is a central romance that drives the entire story forward. There is subtle foreshadowing, things aren’t force fed to the audience, and everyone’s trusted to figure things out on their own. “Talash” stands out as a shining beacon among all these messy scripts. Almost every film lacks a pivotal plot element, or tries to gloss over important events without justification. The New Wave of Pakistani Cinema has unfortunately produced very few great scripts. It shows how the villagers and farmers are either too beholden by their traditions or by prior promises to go against the grain. What caught us by surprise again and again was how Talash acknowledged that these issues aren’t going away any time soon because the burden of traditions is too heavy. Film depicts how deep seated these issues are and how only small, incremental change will bring solutions. However, the film doesn’t present its heroes as messiahs (saviors) who will solve everything on their own. There is acknowledgment, first and foremost, that these issues exist. While the present Pakistani film industry seems ill-equipped to deal with so many issues today, “Talash” surprisingly deals with all of it with nuance. “Talash” talks about malnutrition, social taboos, child marriage, arcane traditions, and even a pivotal romance. “Talash” has many Strong Social Messages at its Core Children and parents all were laughing at the one-liners and appreciating the social satire. The theater we were at was packed with families and they were all enjoying the movie. While the film runs just shy of 2 ½ hours, it managed to fit in so many important issues that we couldn’t help but be surprised multiple times.Īlso, the film is very funny. They’re part of a government program trying to address the problem of malnutrition in the region. The film is centered on a team of young doctors from Karachi who are going to set up camp in Interior Sindh. It’s a social comedy-drama that actually works, and has actual depth to its storyline. However, “Talash” turns out to be probably the biggest surprise of the year. During the first 15-20 minutes of “Talash”, I thought I was in for another disposable film with a few fun sequences, but no real plot.
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