Written by: Hala Syed
Posted on: March 26, 2019 | 
| 中文
Mikaal Zulfiqar as Haris
Azfar Jafri’s film ''Sher Dil” is difficult to classify. Is this a movie about the bravery of the air force, a drama focused on father/son relationships, a comedy featuring cadet life hijinks, a romance centered on sacrifice and acceptance, or a serious look at the causes and aftermath of war? Since Sher Dil tries to be five movies packed into one, it unfortunately doesn’t do justice to any of its storylines.
Sher Dil starts off promisingly, set in the 1965 war where fighter jets soar, swoop and somersault at fantastic speed. As one plane gets caught in the enemy's radar, pilot Sikander Khan crashes his own aircraft to save his friend while sacrificing his own life. We skip to the present day, where Sikander’s grandson Haris (Mikaal Zulfiqar) wants to follow in his footsteps, much to the dismay of his parents (Imran Uppal and Laila Zuberi).
Mikaal brings little but a bland earnestness to the role of Haris. His acting is outshined by everyone he shares a screen with, except his love interest Sabrina (Armeena Khan), whose presence is even more uninteresting then Haris’ cookie cutter role as a hero. Moreover, the writer Nomaan Khan’s grand statements about the armed forces sound good, but are actually generic hollow platitudes, which offer no specificity or perspective.
For Haris, Sikander’s sacrifice is an inspiring, abstract story of heroism about someone he has never met. Since his father and grandmother (Samina Ahmed) lost someone they loved, they are hesitant to let history repeat itself. This idea is hinted at, but never fully explored, and the only objection Imran Uppal reiterates is that his son will not be able to handle military life. As if the only competing factors are a life of luxury vs duty to the country, pitting the father automatically on the wrong side of the argument. Context about the effects of the 1965 war and the loss of his father would have been valuable insight. When he begins wholeheartedly supporting Haris, this is without a gradual change in his opinions.
At the PAF Academy, Haris and his friend Fawad (Ibrahim Alavi) join ranks with Harijeet (Malik Aqueel) and Irfan (Belal Shahid), to form an unlikely but lifelong bond. Their light hearted antics are enjoyable but don’t affect Haris in a substantial way. When one of his friends cannot cope with the pressure, and purposely gets kicked out, it could have been contrasted with Haris’ steadfast determination. Unfortunately, the subplot was not given room to breathe and became a throw away joke never mentioned again.
The forced romance is easily the worst part of Sher Dil. Long stares and accidental touches are not enough to root for a couple, and evidently Sabrina and Haris have nothing in common. Yet, he decides he is in love with her as soon as he sees her. A contrived love triangle ends in a ridiculous song on the beach, featuring shoddily stitched ball gowns. The music isn’t memorable, and all the songs feel like an afterthought, their presence jarring in an already disjointed film.
The highlight of the movie was Haris’ evolving relationship with rival Arun Veerani (Hassan Niazi), an Indian pilot whom he meets at an international flight school. Hassan’s performance was layered and considered. His conflict is palpable, as he slowly befriends Haris, knowing that at some point they will be pitted against each other. Introducing this character in the last third of the movie is an odd structural choice, considering Hassan is second billed and appears on all the posters. This cramps the emotional range of this storyline, while rendering the first 2 hours of the film as no longer relevant.
Sher Dil handles its admittedly fascinating subjects in such a juvenile and superficial way, that it's clear the producers were more interested in cashing in on patriotism than in creating a single coherent film.
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