How far will you go to in search of someone who is killing people brutally? What will be your strategy when the killer constantly throws you curveballs at you? Knowing the loopholes of the judicial system in Pakistan, how will you answer the killer’s sarcasm when he belittles your police force and keeps reminding senior officers what their real duties are? What is the motive of the serial killer and why he is after thirteen names on his hit-list? Find this out and a little more in the newly released Pakistani film 13.
In the past few years, audience has gained great interest in films and shows that revolve around psychological thrillers and serial killings. In Pakistan, filmmakers don’t often make films on topics other than comedy, family drama and romance. This time Nabeel Ur Rehman took a bold step and ventured into a zone that no one has explored yet in Pakistan. The film 13 is a thriller based on serial killing. It is written and directed by Nabeel Ur Rehman and features Saleem Mairaj, Adnan Shah Tipu, Ifrah Nabeel and Taqi Ahmed in pivotal roles.
The movie opens on a chilling note with a group of ominous-looking men callously discarding the lifeless body of a young schoolgirl in a desolate area. This stark and unsettling scene implies a horrific act, most likely a gang rape, followed by abandonment to meet a gruesome fate. Several months later, the police discover a series of bodies, gruesomely dismembered and concealed in bags. However, the investigation led by officers Taqi Ahmed and Wahaj Ali Khan unfolds much like the typical narrative within Pakistan's flawed law enforcement system — rushed, unconvincing, and marred by undue pressure, often resulting in cases being closed prematurely. Since the case received massive media hype, the police tried to quickly find the real killer so that they could shine in front of the media, as to how capable they are to solve such a case within no time.
When the killer watches Taqi Ahmed taking the credit of finding the killer, he kills other people and through the same media house receives information that the serial killer is out and he pressurises the police department to perform its duty. That is when Saleem Mairaj, the best officer of the department comes into the picture and he is assigned the serial killer’s case. With Mairaj comes Ifrah Nabeel, who assists him along with Taqi and Wahaj Ali. Audience witnesses a tussle between a senior and junior police officer, Mairaj and Ahmed (respectively), some sort of love-hate relationship between Ahmed and Wahaj, along with no-brainer banter which did not leave much to the imagination and revealed the whole plot i.e. who killed them all, since the antagonist (Adnan Shah Tipu) was already showcased in the trailer. So, technically the movie had no surprise or shocking element, which thrillers usually carry to the end.
In thrillers, this premise plays an integral part but in 13 the premise is very weak. Since Pakistani audiences have been exposed to a variety of thrillers after watching Korean, American and Indian movies and web series, the bar is set quite high for them to be interested in a half-cooked story. This is the reason why 13 looks anything but impressive. From the script to the direction, the film lacks imagination big-time. The investigation scenes are lengthy and ineffective. Forget about finding realism in the movie as where in Pakistan do female police officers cavort on the streets in fitted trousers and body-hugging crisp white shirts? It reminded me of Sushmita Sen walking out of Samay or Rani Mukherji from Mardani, but with poor acting skills.
Saleem Mairaj is one of the most dependable actors of Pakistan’s entertainment industry. Those who have watched him in his full glory in John and appreciated him will be royally disappointed while watching him in this film. The script is so weak and mediocre that the actor does not have any scope and margin to perform. His character has no layers, no background story and zero empathy with which audience can relate to or even understand his moves.
Watching Adnan Shah Tipu in the trailer of 13, reminded me of Chunky Pandey from the web-series Abhay. I thought Tipu would be the surprise package of the film since he is a very good actor if utilised according to his talent, for instance in Maalik. But he is another talented actor wasted. Usually, actors who play comic roles do negative roles well too. This character could have had some great scenes, good dialogues that could have been filmed artistically but the opportunity is wasted by giving him clichéd scenes. There are very few scenes where Tipu shines but those aren’t strong enough.
Actors like Taqi Ahmed, Wahaj Ali Khan and Ifrah Nabeel are super-loud and overboard. Scenes set in the lockup that were, intended to create tension and suspense triggered laughter. Some sequences leave you with nothing but wonder what was the reason for opting to watch this film. Yes, it does get that awful.
Action and chase sequences have a great importance in thrillers. It is funny how both in this film are super-boring, and challenge the rules of human anatomy. You will be amazed to witness people hit with bullets gunshots but not bleeding and many other such flaws.
Courtroom scenes can make a huge impact since they have a setting where actors can express and engage the audience. Similarly, the writer has a canvas to draw a scene that blends emotions, societal wrongdoings and motive. Unfortunately, in the movie the climax which is set in the courtroom is amongst the weakest scenes. It could have been a turning point or at least a bearable scene to watch if the direction, script and performance were any better. It was forced, lousily performed and the script at its mediocre best.
The movie could have been a great success if the casting apart from Mairaj and Tipu was done right. School going kids didn’t look the age they were portraying. The story did not develop well, there were so many characters which just appeared on the screen without appearing earlier in the film. The story has not background, hence no depth which is one of the reasons why the audience remains disconnected with the film. You don’t know why the killer is killing these people. It was a good opportunity that has been badly and sadly wasted.
In the realm of psychological thrillers and crime dramas, 13 struggles to make a lasting impression. The weak script, unrealistic portrayals, and shallow character development leave audiences yearning for the depth and suspense that this genre should offer. While the film dares to explore a genre seldom visited in Pakistani cinema, it falls short in delivering the captivating, suspenseful storytelling viewers have come to expect. The film leaves audiences not in anticipation but in bewilderment at the missed opportunities and underwhelming execution.
Shafiq Ul Hasan Siddiqui is an avid movie buff, and film and drama critic and a digital inbound marketer. He tweets as www.twitter.com/shafiqulhasan81. All information and facts are the responsibility of the writer