Pinky Memsaab

Being an Indian, I really loved this pakisatni movie. This story is about a Maid, Elite housewife, and all the supporting characters who made this movie awesome to watch. The music in the movie "Dil Jogiya" is my favorite. When ever I go for drive its in my Spotify playlist. One must watch this good movie, movie has good story and tell about how life changes for everyone in the city of Dubai (UAE).

Very realistic yet lovely film. Truly reflects the varying lifestyles of expat culture in Dubai. Probably the first major contribution by director and writer Shazia Ali Khan. Impressive work from Pakistan.

We the urban lot make our lives extremely complicated by assigning high expectations of our family and friends. We also see events and analyse actions in a more complex manner than they need to be. In the process, we hurt ourselves and others around us. Pinky (Hajira Yamin) comes to work as a housemaid in Dubai at a household that is going through a domestic crisis, that need not have been so. Her rural background and scant education become a theme for her employer Mehr (Kiran Malik), a socialite to experiment on her to make her more presentable. Situations become complex when Mehr starts suspecting her of having an affair with her husband Hasan (Adnan Jaffar), leading to a separation. There's a particular scene where Mehr's father advises her of continuing to write, more as a hobby than keeping expectations of publishing them, which I thought was simple, yet thought provoking.

It's a bittersweet tale of relationships, class differences and human bonding. The story is simple and the director Shazia Ali Khan narrates it with warmth, sincerity and convincingly. Do watch Pinky Memsaab to get a feel of the Dubai high life and the perils of a housemaid.

Shazia Ali Khan's spectacularly assured directorial debut comes in the wake of other equally cutting edge independent films in Pakistan like "Mor", "Manto" and "Cake", all of which have dared to experiment far away from commercial fare exercising instead a much needed creative voice in the revival of this country's cinema. The perceptive screenplay, co-written by the director and Babar Ali, is a series of vignettes about life viewed through the eyes of a few characters. It is also a scathing indictment of Dubai as a city that holds much promise in its glow yet deep down is extremely hollow. From posh Jumeirah to the seedy dance bars of Deira it is a city that sucks you into its rat race which can have amazing highs but can also suddenly fling you down with life becoming a lonely struggle for survival.

The plot revolves around a group of expatriates from the subcontinent from different social strata who work, reside and socialize together. Pinky (Hajira Yamin), a poor divorced woman from the village of Shah Allah Ditta in Pakistan, goes to work as a maid for an affluent Pakistani couple in Dubai. Hasan (Adnan Jaffar) is an investment banker who spends long working hours followed by socializing at night in order to make business contacts. His wife, Mehr (Kiran Malik), simmering with repressed anger at a failed career in writing, feels neglected by her husband, is estranged from her father back home and spends most of her time socializing with catty friends who are career and status conscious. The couple have one son who is neglected by both parents. Into their lives comes Pinky, eager to learn and please in order to earn money to send to her poor family back home. She soon fits into the household as a cook, friend to Santosh (Sunny Hinduja), the driver from Bihar, nanny to the child and as a companion for Mehr who, in her loneliness, responds by teaching Pinky how to read and speak in english and transforms her into a "memsaab" through her attire. During a party at their house a misunderstanding results in the couple's separation with Hasan taking custody of their son and Mehr moving back to Islamabad and reconnecting with her father (Khalid Ahmad) and stepmother (Shamim Hilaly). Pinky moves out of the house and finds another job. Life moves on changing them all forever. The film's last iconic image is of the skyline of nightime Dubai with its deceptive golden lights which not only signify that "all that glitters is not gold", a reflection of what has happened to the characters in the story, but it also signals the birth of a new beginning with ever-changing life taking on new directions for all.

This sensitive and extremely moving film is superbly acted and beautifully shot with great attention to detail in its production design and in its contemporary costumes and accessories designed and chosen by Maryam Ali Khan, who helps to visually balance the scenes in the film through texture and colour using different motifs for each character. Abbas Ali Khan provides an excellent background score. For something different at the cinema which allows you to think about life this is just the film to watch and also feel proud as a Pakistani that we have talent like Shazia Ali Khan to help our cinema reach new heights.

Movies like Pinky Memsaab that captivates the viewer's attention are pretty rare. The movie rides on a simple storyline of a young woman's journey as a maid in the posh neighbourhood of Jumeirah, Dubai from her humble beginnings from rural Pakistan. Writer and Director Shazia Ali Khan's presentation is top class and mature in many ways. The amount of pain a person goes through, while following a materialistic life is beautifully highlighted and presented in Pinky Memsaab. The movie may look simple on the outline but has many deeper layers of human emotions, in the quest in search of a better life.

Cinematography is equally gentle and subtle and inline with the story telling, some close ups looked fantastic. Music and songs were of top class quality, the song Dil was excellent. Screenplay was captivating throughout the movie but I felt it faltered towards the end, somewhat rushed. The movie has a lengthy runtime of 124 minutes, but the editing does have some good moments that aids the storytelling. Production design, costumes and makeup were great. Hajira Yasim's performance as Pinky, deserves a special mention, she is ably supported by Kiran Malik as Meher and a host of other wonderful performances by the supporting actors.

Overall, Pinky Memsaab is an experience itself, it's a bouquet of some unique characters and their emotions along their personal journeys.

Pinky Memsaab is highly recommend for people who want to learn more about life and relationships, if you enjoy interesting characters flourishing in relatable surroundings then this movie is for you. Can be watched along with the family. 7.1 stars out of 10 for some quality treatment, good acting and some thought provoking writing.