'Miracle in Cell No.7' makes an endearing entrance in Pakistani cinemas

KARACHI: I had the pleasure of going to see the Turkish Film, Miracle in Cell No. 7, brought to us by HKC Entertainment. The theatre was packed with guests that were invited, but what was more surprising about the moviegoers was that they were held highly captivated with it right till the very end; a mark of a joyful evening thoroughly enjoyed.

A pleasant surprise was that a seemingly basic plot turned into a full form of entertainment and a great evening. Due to the production quality and the initial cut, I was prepared for a simplified storyline initially, however, there were certainly some surprises and twists in the plot that created moments that kept us enthralled and by the end, the audience was left with a myriad of emotions.

The plot starts with the introduction to Mehmet, a shepherd with a mental disorder who lives in the mountains with his daughter, a highly intelligent little girl. Mehmet is wrongfully accused of murdering his daughter, Ova’s classmate.

In prison, the storyline starts and the movie goes in-depth to the different relationships he forms; his befriending actual criminals who come to understand that he is different than them and, perhaps, in his state, he was unable to prove his innocence.

The story exudes with moments of tears, joy, anger, and even despair felt for a simple, poor family. A family who have only each other, unable to afford little luxuries in life yet trying to struggle through a world of indifferent humans, each with their own anger and frustrations unable to understand Mehmet’s world of being unique and different than them.

The character Ova, played by a child actress, should have a special mention here as her endearing acting embodied innocence and her onscreen inquisitive nature had the audience connect to her from the get-go. You could not help but search her face and listen to her voice as she posed questions and conversed with the adults, the simplicity of her state of being truly enthralled us.

The dynamics of a child’s innocence touching upon huge topics immersed the audience into the storyline and at pivotal moments. The ending was perfect, as it was what the audience felt was justified. Here, I will not give out any spoilers as the movie is based on twists and turns to keep you guessing right till the very end!

The moral of the entire plot seemed to be a want for humanity and compassion that is perhaps needed when faced with the darkest of moments.

The opening was at Atrium cinemas here in Karachi, a place which has been not much coveted for some time now as other complexes have opened up recently. However, I do feel that introducing foreign films of good caliber could certainly be the start of something interesting for the film buffs.

I remember watching some great movies here. It was only a few years ago that Turkish Dramas had become a focus for Pakistani TV and had taken the nation by storm. The obsession with the plots, the actors and even the clothes and jewelry had become successfully inculcated into our culture as a source of entertainment and much excitement.

Perhaps bringing more foreign films with subtitles could add another element to the entertainment industry. All in all, a great start to the weekend with much entertainment.

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