With Pakistani cinema picking up pace, more and more filmmakers are experimenting with diverse themes and genres....
movies
With Pakistani cinema picking up pace, more and more filmmakers are experimenting with diverse themes and genres. This not only allows for a change of pace, but also adds variety to films that have been coming out of local cinema, helping the industry expand and stir new ideas. Also, the subject of women empowerment, which has been one of the most heated topics, is being noticed taking shape in different ways - be it in dramas or local cinema. This is what Adnan Sarwar’s recently released ‘Motorcycle Girl’, prove to be as a beacon of hope which offers substantial, quality content for women and young girls to take inspiration from.
The film stars Sohai Ali Abro as the protagonist Zenith whose life the film is based on. It takes inspiration from the life of Pakistan’s first female motorcyclist Zenith Irfan, who travelled solo across Pakistan on a motorbike in a desire to fulfill her dead father’s dream. In a society that believes in putting women in a certain frame and is unable to accept anything outside of it, ‘Motorcycle Girl’ dares to present a young woman in a rather unconventional role.
Though she faces disapproval from her grandmother on multiple occasions, she has a supportive mother (essayed by Samina Peerzada) and a younger brother who trains her on how to ride a bike and guides her through her way to Khunjerab. She rises above her circumstances and proves that if you are determined, you can achieve just about any and everything, no matter which gender you belong to.
Recently, the movie was premiered in Karachi with a star-studded event that was attended by the entire cast and crew along with many celebrities and socialites who came to show their support. Spotted at the premiere were Ayesha Omer, Nadia Hussain, Syed Jibran and wife Afifa Jibran, Nida and Yasir Nawaz, Hina Bayat, Adnan Siddiqui, Naveen Waqar, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ali Kazmi, Mehar Bano, Mohammad Ehteshamuddin and Wajahat Rauf among the few big names in the industry.
At the premiere, the director spoke a few words about his drive to make this film, “I have always tried to make films that are relatable to the audiences and give a lesson at the end. Motorcycle Girl is made to break the barriers prevailing in our society and to develop a norm that a girl can achieve whatever she wants on her own.”
With real life examples set by people like Zenith, there is a dire need to highlight such strong, inspirational content for women through films.
- Buraq Shabbir
