With the highly-anticipated Shoaib Mansoor directorial Verna set to release in November, the filmmaker has decided to break his silence about why he chose to make the film. Focusing on issues of sexual assault, Shoaib’s upcoming venture compelled him to pen an open letter on the issue.
Writing the letter for Instep Today, the director spoke about the dark underbelly of the Pakistani society, where rape and sexual abuse are on a harrowing scale.
“Rape is one of the most prevalent and ugly forms of crimes against women in Pakistan,†the filmmaker wrote. “Although the women’s movement has tried to grapple with this scourge and worked with the lawmakers as well as the law enforcing agencies, the mindset of the society remains the biggest challenge that needs to be tackled.
According to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, one woman is raped in Pakistan every two hours. Globally Pakistan has been ranked third from the bottom as the most dangerous country for women in the world. A substantive push is needed to show clearly how rape is used as a tool by powerful in the society to humiliate and invoke fear among the vulnerable. All this happens in the context of patriarchy where the bodies of women have become the battleground for men to fight their battles of honour, power and revenge.â€
Shoaib Mansoor, the mastermind behind ‘Khuda k Liye’, ‘Bol and ‘Verna’
In the letter, Shoaib also talked about why he felt that a feature film on such issues was important.
“With the thought that a feature film on this sensitive issue can make more impact than years of struggle through smaller interventions on TV or by NGOs, I have made this effort and named it Verna. I have chained all my three films together since all deal with women empowerment… ‘Khuda Kay Liye Bol Verna’. I sincerely hope it will not only spark off the process of shifting people’s patriarchal mindsets but will rejuvenate the movement against this crime. Most of all I hope that it will at least make women reflect that rape does not rob them of ‘honour’, it is something they earn and no one can snatch it away from them,†the director wrote.
The filmmaker also wrote at length about why he chooses to make films about certain topics but, still doesn’t criticise other filmmakers who make films for ‘pure entertainment’.
“My films reflect the anger that I feel on social injustice of all forms. So every time I am about to embark on a film it is my anger that drives my movement of thoughts not the hunger for success and money. It doesn’t mean that I have a thing against films based on pure entertainment. Not at all. By all means they should be made and succeed and I have all the due respect for their makers. I am happy at the recent success of Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Na Maloom Afraad 2 and wish success to all other that are in line to hit the screen. We need these films to rejuvenate the industry in our country. But we also need some to say something thought provoking. I hope I am provoking some thought.â€
You can read the open letter in its entirety here.
