Durj is a Gripping, Philosophical Love Story Between Cannibals [Review]

Its a movie for adults, because of the questions it poses.

durj-review

One of the most awaited films of the year Durj finally made it to Pakistani theaters with an ‘A-rating’  – for adults only. The film wasn’t as graphic as the reactions to the film had been. Many things were implied keeping in mind our cultural sensitivity, rather than explicitly said or visualized.

The film really was worth the wait and emotional turmoil. We think it might possibly the best Pakistani film this year.

Why? Let’s find out in this review.

Durj kept our interest intact, right from those initial trailers and teasers to the final theatrical product. But you will still be surprised that the film saved the best bits for itself, not spoiling them for audiences in trailers.

You could never have guessed how the story unfolds.

Plot

The story of Durj is based on real events, yet entirely fictional in this cinematic treatment.

Shamoon Abbasi was right to call it a love story. But don’t expect it to be a fairytale, complete with a ‘happily ever after’ ending. We’re talking about a flawed, twisted human kind of love story, with a pragmatic ending.

Koi hai jo mere liye bhi yun beychain hoti hai (There’s someone who worries about me like that too).”


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Let’s talk about the pacing. Initially, the movie takes its sweet time to set up the plot and characters. But it is only somewhere in the middle that the script picks up the pace. While the ending wasn’t rushed, some details were unnecessary.

The way the story was written was very thoughtful. From making sure all the important developments are there to ensuring the content is culturally sensitive. Minus a few shots, most of the film was focused on character and story development.

Jis jurm mein us shakhs ko saza di gayi, us jurm ka qanoon ki kitaboon mein koi wajood he ni (The crime for which this man was convicted, is not listed a crime in the books of law)

The few gory scenes in there won’t make your stomach squirm. The story mostly brought up uncomfortable discussions, which might explain the opposition from the censor board.

Acting

There were plenty of supporting characters in the Durj cast. However, it is mostly Shamoon Abbasi and Sherry Shah who are the stars here.

Given Shamoon Abbasi was playing the lead Gul Bakhsh, his transitions from being a human soul to a monstrous individual were unpredictably great.

Aurat ki bhook, paise ki bhook, zameen ki bhook, kursi ki bhook, koi nazar ni ati tmhein meri bhook nazar ati hai! (Hunger for women, hunger for money, hunger for land, hunger for power, you can’t see anything, but you see my hunger!)”

 


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There is this ominous dread whenever he’s on-screen. It keeps you guessing his next move. Perhaps that was the point of it all. The character’s psyche isn’t one we can easily get into, maybe we don’t even want to.

That’s where Maira Khan’s Dr. Farah supports us. She digs deeper into the mind of Gul Bakhsh. The answers we get aren’t the one’s we were looking for.

It’s not just the obvious discomfort around cannibalism. This film is based on real instances of cannabalism and consumption of cadavers.

Yet, there are still moments where Shamoon Abbasi manages to evoke empathy out of us for Gul Bakhsh. 

Sherry Shah’s Laali on the other hand, teeters between post traumatic stress disorder and Stockholm syndrome. Particularly her relationship with Gul Bakhsh. Her character is constantly in a tug of war between survival and morality.

The actress put on 10 pounds and shaved her head for the role. Her breakdowns in between calm spells allow the audience to experience anxiety attacks of their own.

In between there were some childlike reactions from Laali, while the character didn’t have much of a childhood.

Direction

Unlike commercial films, Durj made the most of all it had. There was nothing glamorous about the film at all. Even Nouman Javed playing a high profile attorney was dressed in a conservative grey and black getup.

Poverty wasn’t used as a prop in the film, rather it was visualized from Gul Bakhsh and Laali’s clothing to their actions towards others.

There’s also the little details that help sell their circumstances. We see them scavenging what they can from all their prey.

Vast shots of the desert make you wonder how did people survive there.  The locale also serves as a background character in the movie, selling the bleakness of the world inhabited by Laali and Gul.


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The film was shot in interior Sindh. The beauty of the landscape was moving. While the visualization mostly focused on the characters, the depiction of ruins from past civilizations will make it a treat for history buffs.

This scribe feels that the movie helps stir the feeling of running away to the mountains, as a very natural response to primal fear. The way we let these civilizations whither and the architecture fade is similar to how we’d rather just let social problems fade rather than addressing them.

Whether these problems are driven by poverty or mental illness, the bottom line is these problems exist. Durj has a message at its core. Turning a blind eye to unconventional issues doesn’t help and we’re glad Shamoon and co succeed in doing exactly the opposite.

Review Breakdown
  • Plot
  • Acting
  • Direction
4

Watch it if you love thought-provoking movies.

Durj is a love story alright, but no fairytale with a ‘happily-ever-after’. It’s a flawed, twisted human kind of love story, with a pragmatic ending.

While the general subject of cannibalism and morality will make the audience squirm, all the important developments in the film content are culturally sensitive. Yet it was the acting that really evoked empathy for the characters.