Sheroes is an anthology that features 3 short films. All have a solid story at their center. None of the women at the center of those stories are apologetic, pitiful or helpless. They’re all strong characters that forge their own way forward. However, the direction, screenplay, editing, and overall execution, unanimously fail them.
‘Sheroes’ is the second project from Sindh Films, the Sindh government’s initiative, headed by Senior Minister Sherjeel Memon, to promote local cinema, and to counter the anti-Pakistan narrative by films like Dhurandhar. These are lofty ambitions, but ‘Sheroes’ is not the right project for them.
‘Sheroes’ tells the stories of a bomb disposal expert (Gear Up), a painter (Artist), and a boxer (Punch), all of whom have strong motivations. For the duration of all the short films (30-40 minutes each), the characters are well fleshed out, and the stories are focused. However, they suffer from the same malaise that all their film counterparts have fallen to.
The symptoms are all there; the choppy slow motion edits to pad out the runtime, the lingering shots that overstay their welcome, the constant close ups which unmask a drama serial director in the guise of a film director; a clear case of a poorly made film.
I’m certainly not singling out ‘Sheroes’ for this. As I said, nearly all Pakistani films suffer from this ailment. However, it commits the cardinal sin of being boring on top of it all. Each premise, when presented is intriguing, but it loses steam due to the droll execution and idiotic decisions.
Gear Up
Take the first short film starring Zara Noor Abbas as Saira Moin, a bomb disposal expert chasing down an ego-maniacal bomber. Saira is trying to live up to her father’s legacy, who was also a bomb disposal expert, martyred in the line of duty. However, when the climactic sequence arrives, there is hardly any tension.
In its place there is annoyance and frustration; and not only because of the constant screaming of the hostage who has a bomb tied to his chest. His incessant yells had me wishing the bomb would blow already and shut him up.
Saira spends the sequence trying to calm him down and looking for hidden bombs while Rashid Farooqui’s character Mr. Khattak gives orders over a walkie talkie. All he can muster is “You can do it”, or “Get out right now”. It’s all very repetitive and uninteresting. Certainly not the nail biting experience one would expect.
Then there’s the bomber. He actually shows up at the bomb site to taunt Saira, when, by his own admission, the bomb could level an entire neighbourhood. Wouldn’t that kill him too? He spends his time laughing hysterically over the intercom, and makes cliched misogynistic statements like “your brain is half that of a man’s”, and “this is not a woman’s place”. It’s enough to make you facepalm.
The other two short films, though less annoying, fare similarly.
Artist
Kinza Hashmi plays a painter who cons her way into success in the art world. Failing to generate interest in her art, she manages to pass of one of her old paintings as the work of late Mughal Era artist Mazhar Ali Khan. I’d never heard of the artist before, and I can honestly say that I didn’t expect this film to teach me anything.
While Kinza’s character’s unapologetic nature and resourcefulness are a breath of fresh air, the direction falters, and lingering shots are used to pad out the running time. This story also uses the “viral” trope, when Kinza Hashmi’s character posts something online and it gains a gazillion views overnight. This has been used to the point of cliché in so many films now that it’s embarrassing whenever I see it on screen.
Punch
The last short starring Ushna Shah is probably the best of the three. It tells the story of a housewife who used to be a champion boxer in her prime. After giving her career up for marriage, an incident occurs (one that is honestly so stupid that it had me rolling my eyes) which brings her back into the ring.
This is the only short that adds complexity to its character. She’s happy as a wife and mother, but also feels resigned to her fate; having played the role of the domesticated wife. When her husband, played by Gohar Rasheed, pleads with her to enter the ring again, she wastes no time reminding him that he’s probably doing this to unburden himself of his guilt.
However, motivated by her daughter’s unadulterated love, to whom she’s a hero, she begins to train and regain a part of herself she had left behind. That said, this short also suffers from the same problems as its companions and I found myself checking my watch more than once.
Final Verdict
‘Sheroes’ is not a terrible film. However, it’s not a particularly good one either. In choosing good stories, it takes the first step. However, it stumbles and falls right after.
Saqib Khan and Badar Mehmood clearly lack the cinematic knack and have directed their short films like TV serials. The half baked screenplays do not help either.
Sheroes is running in cinemas all over Pakistan.
