Essential viewing

Just occasionally there comes to the cinema a film that catches the zeitgeist. Rarely there comes a film from Pakistan that engages with a global trend and surfs a wave of popular sentiment, having relevance to the global mood. The fast emerging climate of disclosure that has its roots in the Harvey Weinstein affair that sprouted the #MeToo phenomenon and is now a rolling peal of thunder that places sexual harassment and misconduct at the forefront of many a mind. Women and some men are coming from the shadows, people who have in some cases alleged historical rape, a violation that goes back possibly decades and is only now revealed. Rape in our culture is a taboo like no other. Rarely reported and with successful prosecutions a handful every year — but today there is a clarion call in our cinemas and it should be required viewing for every adult.

The film in question is Verna, and it has created something of a kerfuffle. As these words are written it will be screened in Karachi but has yet to receive an NOC for release in Punjab — which may change in 24 hours if a meeting of the censor board can be swiftly convened. The problem for Verna is that it is about rape. Every kind of hurdle has been placed in the way of its release. Some scenes or songs are thought by some to be improper or indecent. Well you cannot make a film about rape without mentioning — rape. Neither can a mention of the perpetrator and the victim be avoided. In this instance the perpetrator is portrayed as an ‘influential’, one generally benefitting from the culture of impunity that allows sexual violence to be swept under the mat.

Verna shines a light rather than gets busy with the dustpan and brush. One of the stars, Mahira Khan, took to Twitter defending her work and giving a sharp riposte to those that would see it banned. Over 100 grassroots women’s organisations expressed their disgust at the Islamabad Film Censor Board. We now add our voice to the many — release Verna, and heed the lessons it serves all of us.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2017.

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