Daily Times

Gardaab (Whirlpool)’ by writer and director Harune Massey and producer Mazhar Zaidi is a grey and gritty though exciting film about two lovers entrapped amongst troubles in present day Karachi, Pakistan.

The two central characters Shahbaz and Parveen are star crossed lovers akin to Romeo and Juliet and belong to warring families who fight violently for turf in the back alleys of Karachi.

The story begins with Shahbaz being unwillingly dragged by his gang friends to gatecrash the birthday party of Kabir the son of Abdullah Jaan the head of a rival family.

Meanwhile Firdous Ali Khan, the Godfather of Shahbaz’s gang has returned after an absence.

Firdous chides the young men for trespassing on the turf of their enemies and exhorts that peace is difficult to create and maintain but easily shattered by foolish shenanigans.

The story continues in a fast paced manner and doesn’t drag on anywhere as some desi films tend to do due to sheer length. This film is tightly edited and not too lengthy, 93 minutes long.

The director deserves kudos for illuminating the acting skills of the relatively fresh cast although it does include stalwarts such as Khalid Ahmed and Nimra Bucha. The cast also includes Gohar Rasheed, Muhammad Javed and Adnan Shah Tipu.

The protagonist Shahbaz is a character of depth and nuance and it is appreciated that the inner consciousness of a young male character caught up in the whirlpool of crime and violence exacerbated by poverty in Karachi is examined so artfully.

Two of my favourite dialogues of Shahbaz are that “death is the only exit out of this world of crime” and another conversation he has where he suggests that life is a perpetual cycle of escape from one cage back into another. Unlike many typically male machismo characters this one has the crucial ability to introspect.

Amna Ilyas sparkles as Parveen. Apart from being very beautiful visually, in a culture where the female role is often just to “complement” the central male role it is safe to say that Parveen is also the protagonist of this story.

It is refreshing to see a strong female character standing up to challenges of a misogynist society with some aplomb and chutzpah. It reminds me of the TV plays of yesteryears in Pakistan where script and dialogue were key and not a mish mash of clichés divorced from how people actually speak in real life.

There are definitely some sparks and onscreen chemistry between the two lovers and you find yourself rooting for them to overcome the many obstacles that they face. The script was developed after interviews with real people on the streets of Karachi hence the struggle depicted is and feels very authentic.

Harune Massey is also the co-writer of the script along with Saleemullah Nasir. They have teamed up to deliver us a story that is realistic and credible which seems to be a challenge with some mainstream Pakistani cinema at times.

In the background of the love story we hear that there has been another blast in Saddar a marketplace of Karachi by “those whose Islam is always in danger” a character comments ie the terrorists who declare all actions to be those of infidels. The uneasy background of terrorist strife throughout is subtly hinted at although not the primary focus of the film.

The soundtrack of ‘Gardaab’ is notably eclectic and the electronic score includes international instruments such as West African harp and drums. Unlike many Pakistani films the music does not dominate but glides along with the action almost imperceptibly.

Two of the tracks were written composed and sung by Musadiq Sanwal a close friend of producer Mazhar Zaidi. Sadly Musadiq Sanwal has passed away now though not without leaving his signature and imprint on this poetic film.

After the film screening at the Stratford Picture House the director Harune Massey and Producer Mazhar Zaidi were both present for a question and answer session with Momtaz Begum – Hossain.

Notably ‘Gardaab (Whirlpool)’ was filmed in just 17 days after a scriptwriting period of just three months. The budget was just $100,000 and the film duration is one and a half hour long.

The interviewer Mumtaz Begum – Hossain suggested the film had a dark Gotham like feel throughout. Writer/director Harune Massey wanted to show how child soldiers fuel gang culture. Honour killing was also a theme the film touched on as Parveen’s brother tells the family she needs to be killed for shaming them by her affair.

Harune Massey pointed out the strong female characters in this film especially Parveen and also performances by Nimra Bucha as Paris and Shama Askari as Ms Christina.

Published in Daily Times, July 1^st, 2017.