Having heard so much about this new Pakistani film, Durj, I decided to research on it and find out exactly what the hype is about. Here are some interesting facts I found:
- True events
Durj is based on true event. Yes, take a moment to let this sink in because the story revolves around the concept of cannibalism and its growth in Pakistan. Initially banned by the federal censor board, the movie hits the fans really hard. It’s scary but it also makes one think about the deep dark secrets that lie in the heart of Pakistani communities.
- Directed and Written by the brilliant Shamoon Abbassi
Shamoon Abbassi has really out done himself this time. He wrote the story in a very systematic manner with all the events synchronizing to a perfect conclusion. Shamoon also plays the villain, Gul Baksh. The movie revolves around a wife played by Maira Khan as Dr. Farha Danyal who is looking for her reporter husband Danyal. Danyal was looking for Gul Baksh after several dead bodies were reported being taken from the graves. Danyal goes missing with his colleague. Sherry Shah played the character of Laali, who had fallen in love with Gul Baksh. Nouman Javaid (Nouman) was a lawyer in the movie, who had given access to Dr. Farha Danyal to analyze Gul Baksh.
- Critical analysis
Although the movie was good overall, there were some aspects, which could have been highlighted even more. A deeper evaluation of cannibalism would have given the movie a better storyline. The examination of mental illness associated with this problem might have also made the movie more realistic. There were some missed opportunities that might have helped Durj reach a better level in terms of ratings.
