Kamli: A Kaleidoscope of Emotions

So, lets get straight to the point and begin with how Sarmad Khoosat never ceases to amaze us. With Kamli, he strikes again with a powerful tale that dissecting the film is like going down the rabbit hole of intense subject matters. The rawness of the film is accentuated by the location it is shot at; Soon Valley. The hauntingly mesmerising ariel shots of the forest and the lake sets the mood for the film from the very beginning. 

The male lead, a mysterious phantom; Amaltas (Hamza Khwaja) captures your interest from his first dive (quite literally) in the movie. The lead character Hina (Saba Qamar) has a lot of emotions bottled up inside her. The frustration that comes with waiting for her husband to return, the longing for love, the yearning for kindness, and the helplessness of the predicament she’s in. Her only escape is Amaltas, to whom she is drawn to. Their chemistry and palpable attraction can be seen in the song Mukhra, crooned by Atif Aslam. The silent push and pull of two lions are sure to give butterflies in your stomach. The picturisation of each song in the movie is a stand-alone theatre performance, an intense and loud yet wordless mime.

“Picturisation of each song in the movie is a stand-alone theatre performance, an intense and loud yet wordless mime”

Kudos to the choreographer Gillian Rhodes. Another big surprise you’re in for is the powerhouse vocals of the late Reshma. The Lambi Judaai singer’s old recordings were discovered and revived. Mainu Tu gels in with the film so effortlessly that it seems that it was made for it.

The strong cast has done a laudable job in doing justice to the film’s screenplay. Sania Saeed, an actress who needs no introduction, plays the character of Sakina, Hina’s sister-in-law, whois blind yet vigilant. At one point, Sakina can make you adore her and on the other, she gives you chills down your spine. One might make her to be the villain of the story towards the end. 

“At one point, Sakina (Sania Saeed) can make you adore her and on the other, she gives you chills down your spine”

The film also touches on our society’s common and controversial subject of absentee husbands and the helplessness of a woman in that situation. The film also schools the audience about the solution to such a situation according to the IslamicLaw. Khoosat points at different mental disorders and vices of the human mind in his characters, a subject that was considered a myth in Pakistan up until recently. Sania Saeed’s character exudes bipolarity, and Hina turns out to be schizophrenic whereas, Nimra Bucha’s character depicts an artist who suffers from alcoholism. Khoosat also sheds some light on the dying flame of a married couple, played by Nimra Bucha and Omair Rana, and the toxicity that it leaves in its wake. 

Khoosat has done a remarkable job at directing this film. His attention to detail in every shot builds up to tell a compelling tale. The single pair of handprints at the end stole the show. You’ll know what I’m hinting at when you watch the film. 

This film will have you sitting at the edge of your seat throughout its runtime. The film is a bit predictable but you’ll be struggling to keep your tears at bay, you’ll be giddy with joy and frustrated with anger. So, without giving too much away, I’d say go and watch it in cinemas. It’ll be worth your time and for the naysayers of Pakistani cinema (yes, you know who you are), this movie is set to revive your faith in the Pakistan film industry.