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Feature Name: Gul Makai
Cast: Reem Shaikh, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Om Puri, Arif Zakaria, Mukesh Rishi, Abhimanyu Singh, Pankaj Tripathi
Director: Amjad Khan
Run Time: 130 minutes
Review By: Manisha Karki
Gul Makai is all about Malala Yousafzai becomes an advocate for female education, a Nobel Prize winner and an inspiration to women around the world.
The film starts showcase the phase of war where people are at a state of terror and no education is been provided to the students. As the Taliban are spreading terror all over the places and trying to shut down all the school, college and also the source of internet.
Then the story moves to the main protaganist Malala Yousafzai, who is shown as girl as the one curious to know different things. Right from her humble upbringing in the Swat Valley to her becoming the champion for free education to all is the struggle story. The film is long and seeems like a longer documentry, however it has less scene of Malala then of the fight and war sequences.
Director Amjad Khan has focused on different characters well, as each character has their importance in the film.
Then writer Bhaswati Chakrabarty, spent the next 4 years researching and writing the script but has not much included about Malala contribution, that are shown at the end of the film.
As per the film, it has been shot in different location like Bhuj (Gujarat), Mumbai and Kashmir. However it does make much of a difference as such because it all look the same with the background score. The film has gone through extensive VFX work to re-create Swat Valley landscape and war scenes between the Taliban and Pakistani Army which you will feel at every min if you see the film.
Some scene of the film are good, the part where her mother tell her about the reason why she is called Malala.
Also the climax scene of the film where she is been shot. Also when her father gives her new name ‘Malala’, and people know her as Gul Makai because she use to right the BBC Urdu coloumn with that name to hide her identity and bring out a change in girls education.
The background score for the film has been composed by Amar Mohile which is loud at moments. Also coming to the dialogue of the film, they might be problems and accent in Malala’s english but with time and phase it has changed in real life. Which we can not see in reel life.
‘One Pen, One Child and One Nation can definalty change the world, and so as the review can change your thoughts.
The music of the film is written and composed by director himself, which is again going with the film but is way to long for the film.
Talking about the perfomances, Reem Shaikh makes her film debut, playing the lead role of Malala. She has been trying to fit in and was struggling with the role. Atul Kulkarni as Ziauddin Yousafzai was the best for his role, he played the father so well in the scene we can actually feel what Malala’s father has gone through. Mukesh Rishi as Maulana Fazlullah was all over in the film, he was best a Taliban right from his presence to dialogue delivery. Divya Dutta as Toor Pekai Yousafzai, was a concer and loving mother on screen. She played her part well.
Pankaj Tripathi as Beitullah Mehsud has a small role in the film. There should have been more use of him but has not been displayed much which was again an dissapoinment to the audience watching. Late Om Puri as General Kayani also has a cameo presence but his dialogue will definately bring a smile on your face.
Apart from this the director of the film, H.E. Amjad Khan also plays an important role in the film and has been hilighted more in the sequence. He plays Peshawar on screen and is a better actor than a director.
All the other charcaters have played their part well in the film and has been remarkable on screen in their outfits and guns! Also, in the end of the film you will discover that Malala has three more names – Jaani, Yeshu and Gul Makai.
However the film took a long delay in the release and so that will affect the film. It might be good attempt but has not concluded the fact what Malala is today.
We with give this film 2.5 stars. For more updates from the world of cinema stay tuned to UrbanAsian.
