Haute Review: Kamli is one of Pakistan’s most important films of the last few decades

Thanks to Sarmad Khoosat, we can finally consider replacing the word ‘revived’ to ‘arrived’ for the Pakistani film industry. And this isn’t because of his wealthy body of already screened films like Manto, or his award-winning production Joyland, (directed by Saim Sadiq) that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year and won the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” competition, a segment focusing on young, innovative cinema talent. Let’s not even mention Zindagi Tamasha because it hasn’t even screened yet. We’re attributing this success to Khoosat because of Kamli, his latest cinematic offering, starring Saba Qamar, Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Hamza Khawaja and Omair Rana.

Not to say that this is all only one man’s undertaking. Several powerful elements and performances come together to make Kamli the kind of success that will make any Pakistani hold their head up high, and God knows we need that kind of pride right now.

The thing is, Kamli will leave anyone breathless. Visually and thematically enchanting, the film is about love and abandonment, about being controlled by your desires. Based in a rural setting within a village in Northern Punjab, Kamli is the story about Hina (played by Saba Qamar), whose husband has been missing for 8 years and she’s torn between the loyalty with which she waits for him to return and her carnal desires that urge her to move on. What happens in the rest of the film is the story of three women, of different ages and social class, with unique problems that trap them in the lives they live, unable to break free.

It seems criminal to share any other detail of the plot because everything in the film is so precise and deliberate, we wouldn’t want to take the mystery away. In fact, the film reads like a map. There are clues scattered all over the screen, and Khoosat doesn’t handhold his viewer or over-explain what’s happening. Instead, he makes you guess, think, conclude, wonder. How did the characters end up in each other’s lives, how do they really feel about each other, how will the film end – these are just some of the questions that arise when you watch Kamli.

And this is done with the way he sets up a scene. For instance, early on in the film, you’ll always find natural partitions between Hina (Qamar) and Sakina (Saeed); they appear through two adjacent windows even though they’re physically in the same space. In one scene, they are placed in background and foreground as they both pour water (perhaps indicating that while their actions are similar, their intentions are not). These visual separations make you wonder about the true nature of their relationship before we get to the climactic second half of the film.

 

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There is also a lot of silence in the movie: the characters don’t have to spell out their fears, feelings, or motivations. Saba and Hamza rarely share any words but their chemistry is so captivating, you can feel your limbs tense up while watching because there is just so much tension on the screen. Nimra Bucha throws one sarcastic glance across the screen and we immediately laugh because we know what she’s feeling.

And this is the brilliance of the director, but also of the film’s performers, who understood the opportunity they were given with this magnificent screenplay and ran with it. This is a beautiful, new look for Saba – delicate, but strong. Silent, resilient but rebellious. Her portrayal of Hina is done with so much honesty and sensitivity that you want to hold Saba’s hand, stop to ask her if she’s okay. Cheer for her when she fights back, sob unapologetically when her heart is broken. While Saba has long been considered a brilliant performer, Kamli has given her a chance to show what she’s truly capable of doing on screen.

We get to feel all kinds of complicated feelings for all characters, not just Saba. Especially for Sania Saeed because despite her antagonistic presence in the film, you don’t actually hate her. You simply feel sorry for her. Nimra Bucha is constantly swimming against the tide in terms of the accepted norms of the film’s world, and she poses threat and challenges to the established order. Hamza Khawaja is such a great discovery. He makes the audience nervous and excited every time he enters the frame.

There’s just so much to say about each and every element of Kamli. The haunting background score, the OST which features Atif Aslam, Zeb Bangash and an unreleased Reshma jee song, the stunning landscapes, the supporting cast, the screenplay itself – they all come together to break your heart, and they do it so beautifully that you thank them for the experience.

Kamli is an important achievement, for everyone. We’re happy for Saba, but devastated for Hina, and that says something.