Written by: Syed Hashir Ali
Posted on: April 23, 2018 | 
| 中文
Zenith (Sohai Ali Abro) is taught how to ride a bike by her brother
Motorcycle Girl is a Pakistani biopic film, based on the true story of Zenith Irfan, produced under the banner of LOGOS Films. After Shah, Motorcycle Girl is Adnan Sarwar’s second attempt at introducing a fresh and independent story that cherishes a local hero.
Adnan Sarwar is a trained doctor who started his career as a guitarist for various local musicians. His debut film, Shah, was about the Pakistani boxing champion, Syed Hussain Shah. Released in 2015, the critically acclaimed film was directed and written by Adnan Sarwar, who also played the protagonist’s role. Motorcycle Girl is the second film in what has been called the ‘Heroes Trilogy.’
For those who somehow missed the headlines when Zenith Irfan made news, Zenith is Pakistan’s first female motorcyclist to have completed a solo trip to the northern areas of the country. Her father, who passed away at the age of 34, used to dream about traveling the world on a motorbike. Zenith started learning how to ride a motorbike at the age of 18, after the urge of reconnecting with her father through living his dream overcame her. In 2015, she traveled from Lahore, across KPK, into Gilgit Baltistan and finally arrived at Khunjerab Pass, breaking stereotypes all along the way.
The story mainly revolves around the protagonist, Zenith, who is considered a symbol of national pride today. Zenith is shown as an average Pakistani girl, who has to face the hardships and routine hindrances that most women face in our conventional and tradition bound set up. Zenith’s role in the film has been played by the talented Sohai Ali Abro, who learnt how to ride a motorbike in a difficult terrain especially for the film. Her dedication as an actor is evident in how she fits into the role of Zenith Irfan.
When Zenith faces extreme difficulties in using public transport, she decides to hop onto a two wheeler for commuting to work. However, she soon faces serious backlash from society, especially her misogynistic boss played by Sarmad Khoosat. He does justice to his character, demonstrating the typical narrow mindedness of a Pakistani boss. He completely disapproves of the idea of a woman traveling to work on a motorbike. The viewer is bound to hate his negative role but love the performance.
Amid such social pressure and domestic responsibilities, Zenith decides to fulfill her father’s dream and ride solo on a motorbike to the northern areas of Pakistan. With support from her brother and mother (Samina Peerzada), Zenith finally sets off on the journey that her late father had dreamt about. The versatile Samina Peerzada’s performance was unexceptional, because she was given poor dialogues to deliver.
The most valuable asset of the movie is its concept. The film is about the social constraints faced by women in Pakistani society, and an ode to a young woman who breaks out of the glass ceiling placed on our women.
The film is full of spectacular acting, with Sarmad Khoosat and Sohai Ali Abro delivering stand-out performances. The direction and production of the storyline is only marred by some minor glitches, which can be ignored after watching the complete film. The cinematography deserves praise as well. The majestic barren mountains, the Karakoram Highway, the Attabad Lake and the tunnels have been captured beautifully. The soundtracks prove to be melodious enough to transfix the viewer to the mesmerizing view on the big screen.
Despite all these praises, Motorcycle Girl is not a mass entertainer. It is not the typical mindless action or romance-comedy film that will entertain you for a couple of hours. Instead, it forces you to reflect upon social dynamics. It’s a little too long, and is not quite an adventure film. However, if you like “coming-of-age” films, or movies with a simple yet thought provoking message, then the film is meant for you. You will definitely appreciate the intelligent filmmaking, and the story will have a profound impact on you.
Read the review of Shah (2015)
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