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    Film Review Verna: hell hath no fury as a woman scorned

    Written by: Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid
    Posted on: November 19, 2017 |

    Mahira Khan as Sara

    Shoaib Mansoor’s latest offering has come six years after the intense and brilliant Bol. Like in his previous two films Khuda ke Liye (2007) and Bol (2011), the main protagonist is a young woman surrounded by men who are either weak or diabolical.

    Written and directed by Shoaib Mansoor, it’s a story of a young couple living in Islamabad, and how their lives change with a kidnapping that takes place on a sunny and pleasant day in the F9 Park. The central figure of the film is Sara, played by Mahira Khan, who slips into the role like a natural. Her onscreen presence is what gives the film its edge, and she must be, arguably, one of the best leading female actors of South Asia. It is a pity that Pakistanis were deprived of seeing her in a lead role opposite Shahrukh Khan in Raees. The Censor Boards had the temerity to attempt a repeat performance with Verna, only to back down in the face of public outcry.

    Haroon Shahid, Mahira Khan and Naimal Khawar

    (L-R) Naimal Khawar, Mahira Khan and Haroon Shahid

    Like Mary in Khuda Kay Liye, Sara is an innocent caught in the web of adverse circumstances, but like her refuses to passively accept her fate. Through Sara’s Homeric courage, Mansoor unravels the  extreme patriarchy corroding the essence of Pakistani society. One expose follows another as the whole administrative and political system is manipulated to hush up the rape by an influential: the role of police as minions of a corrupt set-up, while their Machiavellian political masters are only interested in preserving their fragile coalition at any cost.

    Mahira Khan as Sara and Haroon Shahid as Aami

    Mahira Khan as Sara and Haroon Shahid as Aami

    Haroon Shahid acquitted himself very well as Aami, the handicapped husband of a beautiful but strong woman. Mansoor develops Aami’s nuanced and complex character with sensitivity, as he is tormented by a difficult situation. Zarrar Khan fits the role of a narcissistic and handsome scion of a feudal perfectly, who regards the rest of the citizenry, and particularly women, as children of a lesser God. The concept of honour is examined from many angles: from that of the Governor, whom the feisty Sara had the audacity to tell off for his VIP cavalcade, to her whimpering husband’s crisis of masculine pride, to the parents, whose only concern is how the society will perceive them.

    Zarrar Khan as Sultan

    Zarrar Khan as Sultan

    Unlike his previous films, there were many more songs and music numbers in Verna, but most of them quite unremarkable. Having built up the film to an exciting crescendo, the end was a little fanciful, as Sara goes into the Count of Monte Cristo mode, because the system fails to provide justice. Irum Rehman is convincing as a lawyer, and the only individual who has the strength of character to support Sara’s quest for justice.  She is emblematic of the new breed of women lawyers who have espoused the cause of women’s rights in Pakistan.

    Verna is a scathing indictment of a society, which has the danger of drowning in its own hypocrisy. It was a masterly stroke in the screenplay when the Governor is shown returning from Umra, and enquiring whether the crime of his son has been successfully covered up. And there lies the greatness of Shoaib Mansoor, for with a razor sharp knife, he reveals the dark and ugly underpinnings of our society.

    Malik Ata Muhammad Khan as the Governor

    Malik Ata Muhammad Khan as the Governor


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021