NUST Sounds Off About Verna
- Kanza Zafar
- Dec 2, 2017
- 3 min read
Islamabad:Verna hit cinemas on 17th November after the short-lived controversy and fortunately the movie was released without any cuts by the Censor Board. It was released to mixed to negative criticism, with disapproval about the subject matter and the themes portrayed.
With such mixed opinions abounding, what did the people of NUST think about it?
Shafaq Mukhtar, a student of Engineering at NUST said, “The worst movie I have ever seen. There was no logic, a bad picture of the country is presented and it ended with a bad message that murder is only way for revenge in Pakistan.”
“Honestly I don't want to pay and go to the cinema to get depressed. Pakistani dramas and news channels are doing a great job at that. We (don’t) need these types of movies because dramas like Udaari are addressing this issue with great success. We need movies that can earn money so other people can invest more and more,” said Ahsan Babar.
A student of SNS, Noor Kamal, said, “I was quite excited and I wanted to see the first show of the movie. But it was a disappointment. I wasted my money and time.”
“The plot of the movie was good but executed in the worst way. Both hero and villain acted poorly. Mahira's acting was just okay. Shoaib Mansoor needs to learn a lot from this failure,” Ms. Kamal added.
“I watched the movie and I felt that (it) was torturous. Bol was much more captivating. Over all, I am disappointed. Maybe I expected too much, especially (from) the ending,” Sania Azhar said.
Furthermore, she added,“There were too many loop holes and blunders in the movie. I think Shoaib Mansoor tried to add too many twists and that didn’t really work for me.”
Another student, Mona Ahsan, said, “I strongly believe rape is a serious and sensitive topic that needs to be addressed in our country. But movies like Verna will not do it any favor. Our industry has made so many dramas on rape and some are commendable.”
Samavia Mumtaz, a lecturer of S3H said, “One striking theme that I do not understand or may be am unable to relate to is that the female protagonist's willingness to face her abuser in the situation that the movie shows. I suppose I am quite confident in saying that no woman will ever want to go through the physical, mental and emotional ordeal in search of evidence to prove that she has been a victim of sexual assault. This plot line also undermines (at least in my opinion) the turmoil rape victims experience and while the writer or the director's intentions may be of heroing the victim here, it does not leave the intended message.”
She added that “The thing I liked about the movie is depiction of how law, procedure and authority can be misused for advantage of high-ups in Pakistan.”
However, not all held a negative view of the disparaged film. Some students were of the view that Verna is indeed a worthwhile movie, and that Pakistani films should be promoted.
Nida Rauf said, “I watched Verna and I am absolutely in love with (it). Although I never liked serials based on this issue but this film is a master piece. Hats off to the actors (and crew) of the movie. Instead of criticizing we should start appreciating our movies but I respect (that) opinions can differ.”
Student Atika Ali said, “Despite the flaws, I loved it. Verna is still recommended as Shoaib Mansoor’s movies are thought provoking and are always better than Pakistan’s other stereotypical directors. I think this is Mahira’s best work till date.”
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