Starring: Saba Qamar, Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Umair Rana, Hamza Khawaja
So, what is it that makes Kamli a striking piece of cinematic success? The cinematography, the content, the acting? There are several aspects of a film to take into consideration when reviewing cinema, however, I would like to focus on just a few.
What I find the most winning factor of this film is its universal appeal. Please note viewers that a film could be made on an island in the South Atlantic Ocean or in a remote Himalayan village, but if it appeals to the human heart, wherever you are in the world, than that film immediately has global resonance. The trick is to deliver a simple, clear message to your audience.
What is that message in the film Kamli? It’s simple. Love. Sarmad Khoosat’s characters cannot live without love. Be it the love of a beloved, or a companion and friend, a mother and child, best friends, the film Kamli explores the ways people live with and without love. Therefore, it’s simple. Love is a universal emotion; everyone relates to stories of love. If those stories are true to life; are true to the tribulations and tests that every human being has to endure; if those stories at their very essence are relatable, and the filmmaker and actors can successfully make you feel the strongest human emotions via the big screen – then those stories will find universal appeal. The characters in Kamli, who are situated in a small village in the Soon Valley of the Potohar plateau, take you to the highs and lows of human emotion, the filmmaker makes you empathise and sympathise to the point that your body actually releases those endorphins that make you happy or sad, no doubt then, Kamli is a success. You have to see it to feel it.
Khoosat’s next win is the honesty of the locale and the setting of Kamli. It’s beautiful, authentic and truly stunning. I think the only jarring aspect was Nimra Bucha’s slightly overdressed character as the local ‘Malik’s’ wife. The rest of it was on point. Successful how? Films that show a slice of life that we never could have seen unless that film took us there, is what makes it unique. How real that place is and how imagined – Sarmad Khoosat does a fabulous mix of both, all the while, as an element of the supernatural emerges at several points during the film. At the cost of giving you no spoilers at all, I will stop here, and just praise the gorgeous location in Pakistan’s beautiful Potohar Plateau that Khoosat chooses for his film set.
What remained with me after watching the film are the images of those intense turquoise pools dotted amidst the Potohar topography, the scenes filmed next to gigantic Banyan trees and the importance of the ‘Amaltas ‘motif in the film, a tree indigenous to this area of the Potohar Plateau and a tree which in the holistic science of Ayurveda has innumerable health benefits. Once can be at liberty to assume that the filmmaker chose this motif for the very same reasons – its ancient presence and its healing nature. When you see the film you will discover why. Right now, in June, you see this bright yellow-gold tree in full bloom all across Islamabad. Sarmad Khoosat has really created a cinematic treat to watch, the art direction is stunning.
I do have one issue with the film, the first half was really too long. If Sarmad Khoosat could have condensed some of the film, it would be even more poignant. I would suggest everyone must watch Kamli for a very moving experience in a dramatic and beautiful setting. Kudos to all the actors for playing their part perfectly: Saba Qamar and Sania Saeed are exceptional. This is another reminder that Pakistani talent is Oscar-worthy; take note programmers at international film festivals and award juries. The time for Pakistani cinema to get global accolades is here!
