La Mauvaise Réputation

... burst a blood vessel, up the heart rate, wind the moral compass spring to its limit; to blow-a-fuse, to frustrate and anger and despair and to hope, to hope, that the story makes a difference to anyone/someone having their basic human rights removed - no matter who or what or where they are and regardless of who's controlling them, to have hope that it can and will change and get better and to know that they are not alone.

The claustrophobia one feels during this film is almost unparalleled. You feel what this Pakistani girl in Norway feels. The filmmaker is in complete control of the craft and knows each frame she wants to use. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is over the top. From sub characters to main characters everyone has done a pitch perfect job. Adil Hussain's last look at us is haunting. And the young girl who's the protagonist is absolutely lovely. What a film. A feminist masterpiece. Kudos to the team.

Tragic, heartbreaking & a tad too relatable, What Will People Say packs a premise that will strike a much deeper chord with desi audience, for the depicted culture & way of life in this story mirrors that of our own, especially the part where women are expected to prioritise family image over own choices and live as per societal expectations.

The story follows a young Pakistani teenager in Norway who tries to balance the cultures of both countries as best as she could. Her life turns upside down when her father catches her with a boy in her room and, in order to set an example & escape the judgment of their peers, send her to a small Pakistani town to live with their extended relatives.

Written & directed by Iram Haq, the story handles its provocative subject matter with honesty as Haq leaves no stone unturned to illustrate the age-old beliefs & customs that families in these demographics still adhere to but Haq shows these absurd social restraints as they are instead of condemning them outright due to which the plot as a whole doesn't pack a strong enough punch.

However, the real highlight of this picture is Maria Mozhdah whose emotionally resonant performance makes her a sublime discovery. Her rendition is so genuine, her character arc is so lifelike and her expressions are so spot-on that we are on board with her from the start and could relate to what she's feeling at any given time. The rest chip in with good support but it is Mozhdah who steals the show.

On an overall scale, What Will People Say is a tense, absorbing & moving story about women's rights, cultural clashes & familial duties that presents Iram Haq taking a leaflet out of her own life to deliver a semi-autobiographical account that's sensibly directed, finely scripted & brilliantly acted. Led by an astounding debut performance, this Norwegian drama with desi roots is one of the better films of the year and comes strongly recommended.

Just watched this very interesting and well produced movie but still it disappointed me to a certain extent. Here's a short comment on the movie. I started watching this movie very late at night and regretted my decision of watching it because I knew I had to leave it in the middle and watch the rest of it the next day. I couldn't wait to finish it as the story around the subject, film making and acting, everything is superb. The subject is great and has been tackled skilfully. The only problem with the movie is it's research about Pakistani culture.

• We don't have vegetable markets like it was shown in the movie. The markets here are very different.
• Word "videsh" is a Hindi word and it's not used in Urdu.
• In Punjab, pani puri is called gol gappay. Nobody serves gol gappas in a cup wrapped in aluminium foil. It's served in a clay pot.
• We don't use "thaali" made of steel for our food. People use ceramic or plastic plates and bowls.
• The bus that they were traveling in Pakistan, I've only seen that bus in this movie.

Plus there are many such things which, honestly, can be easily ignored but again honestly, such things do make a difference. There's a difference between good job and extraordinary job... when the whole team is working so hard to present something great to the audience, then these apparently small issues do bother. You can produce an extraordinary movie when you have not overlooked such stuff. Anyway, overall I loved the movie hence my disappointment that it lacked proper research. I would like to mention that the ending was great!

Some Pakistanis would vociferously scream that the portrayal of Pakistani culture and norms is blatantly exaggerated here. Well, let me tell you. It isnt. Pakistani parents, including those who live abroad are willing to sacrifice and kill their daughters if there need be for the sake of their honour. The typical middle class man's obsession with his daughters chastity is certainly not exaggerated. The film beautifully captures the diaspora, the claustrophobia and the contradictory nature of Nisha's life. The last scene in which her fathers reflection stares at us is brilliant. But some things are sure exaggerated. I donot know if those stem out of ignorance or a desire to appease the "white audience" with their saviour complex. I do not know if they tried to portray Islamabad or Quetta in the movie-if it was Islamabad then it was obviously very wrongly portrayed. It is a fully developed urban city with internet connection. Same with Quetta. One does not need to run to far off stores in search of internet! Also who in their right minds would make out in a street in Pakistan unless you live in Defence or something? I mean maybe the police can react the way they did in the movie but thats rare and pertaining to the special circumstance that both the people are very young and from a familiar area. I can understand this because I am a Pakistani but one might make a lot of assumptions if they arent. Moreover, everything that Nisha went through was very very traumatic. Her grief and sanity still seems pretty intact for someone who went through a lifetime of trauma. Still very willing to please her parents. Or maybe thats my peronal opinion. All that aside, donot sit without grabbing a tissue paper because this is a highly unsettling movie.