Three big names from the entertainment industry — Sheheryar Munawar, Zahid Ahmed and Mahira Khan — got together for See Prime’s latest short film, Prince Charming. With its premiere today, the short film marks Sheheryar’s directorial debut and introduced a new on-screen pairing.
The 11-minute short set new precedents for locally made short films as it tackles a very sensitive subject with reason. The film shows Sheherzad (Mahira) as a dutiful wife to Akbar (Zahid), who is a workaholic, and a doting mother to her daughter, ironically named Wafa. Sheherzad was promised a ‘Prince Charming’, but she is still longing for the love that she was promised and trying to fill her need for compassion.
Read: Sheheryar Munawar shares first poster of Prince Charming featuring Mahira Khan and Zahid Ahmed
The short film depicts her life, starting from early morning, as she divides her time between her husband, her daughter, and her mysterious lover. The short film is not dialogue heavy and Mahira relies solely on her hauntingly beautiful expressions and empty gazes to deliver her feelings. This is perhaps one of the finest performances of the actress till date, in my humble opinion, because she speaks through her eyes.
Sheheryar Munawar should be lauded for this brave and unique attempt at storytelling which is quite fresh. His attention to details in shots adds more depth to the cryptic storyline. The narrative is strongly supported by Ahmad Faraz’s poem ‘Suna Hai Log Usay’ in Mahira and Zahid’s powerful voice.
The beauty and disturbing nature of the story is that one would get hints that why and how Sheherzad is suffering, but till the very end won’t realize the extent of the damage despite it being in front of your eyes. The short leaves viewers with a strong social message about mental health.
Watch the film here to find out yourselves:
