Every other individual — especially females — in this world is tangled in an enervating union with piled up emotional baggage and no room for catharsis, all in the name of marriage. While women in the West aren’t typically bound in marriages, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any cases, Pakistani film and drama actress Mahira Khan has brought the attention towards women in South Asian diaspora dealing with post marital depression often blantantly ignored and usually labelled as physical exhaustion.
Known for her headstrong female leads, complex and compelling characters, and impressive essaying of her roles, the Humsafar famed star is an epitome of not just an artist but also of how women should be. Accredited with many cult classic television series and films, namely Bol, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, Shehr-e-Zaat to include a few, Khan has segued from rom-coms to impressionable work effortlessly, and her recent short film is no stranger.
The actress who was previously seen in the blockbuster The Legend of Maula Jatt has shown off her versatility with her latest short film based on the recluse marital life of women.
From the clock ticking to the characters’ expression, every minute of the film gives an insight. In simpler terms, the short film revovles around middle class house-wife who caves in under societal pressure. Tied up in stereotypical roles of a wife and almost no knowledge of mental health, Sheherzaad, (played by Mahira Khan) couldn’t cope with the pressures and responsibilities of a marriage.
With only a vintage radio for her entertainment, Sheherzaad’s suppression took a horrible shape as she seemingly developed an imaginary character — in the body of her husband Akbar (played by Zahid Ahmed) — due to the gap between the spouses.
The film takes a jibe at the society when Sheherzaad is mocked by her daughter’s friend’s mother for being “sick in the head.”
When all goes in vain and Sheherzaad’s attempts to communicate with her family cease, the film ends with a verse by the revered poet Ahmed Faraz, “Chalo iss safar per nikal kar dekhtay hain.“
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On the acting front, Khan was recently seen in The Legend of Maula Jatt and will next be seen in Neelofar.
