Before I write what I felt about the movie…. I think its fair to tell you about my level of interest in Urdu poetry. In my family… my grandfather, mother & brother are all poets… and I married a guy who is a poet too! .Actually, that’s how I was manipulated(haha!) to say YES!… by a ton load of flattering Urdu poetry for ME ( you girls can go all AWWWWWW about it.. but that was really something to fall for.. and I did.. 🙂 ). I have lived 23 years of my life in Karachi and studied the biographies of all the famous Urdu Poets (Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal, Haali, Zoaq, etc. etc.) for the Sindh Board Intermediate Examinations(and that’s no easy Urdu!).

Now coming back to the movie..  Mah-e-Mir was an ‘Extraordinary’ Pakistani movie…A very well made film about a passionate modern poet and his journey of understanding and relating to Mir Taqi Mir’s body of work. Fahad Mustafa has done good acting, as a passionate, modern ,rebellious and intense poet. Iman Ali, on the other hand, looked gorgeous.. did no acting!

The screen play is very cleverly weaved with some amazing flash backs, but I found it a bit slow.. (If I look at my watch during a movie.. that’s a sign! ).. The movie is not what everyone would enjoy.. It is very much for people who LOVE Urdu poetry. Though I do understand and enjoy Urdu poetry, I found it a bit above my level of Urdu comprehension.. (Although I can sound very intellectual and say I loved it! lol , but I won’t lie…)

And also, though I know Urdu language pretty well, I am guilty of reading the subtitles more than once… and that too for the dialogues!(Some serious Urdu words!). I read somewhere in a review that the Urdu was too difficult and all.. and I thought to myself, what ABCD’s (American Born Confused Desis) our new generation has become.. (haha.. I was being judgmental and I ended up reading the subtitles! Serves me right! ).

So the verdict..

• If you LOVE Urdu poetry or are a poet yourself, then its a MUST for you!
• If you are at a level that I am at, where I enjoy Urdu poetry but not necessarily ‘get’ every shair..unless its explained to me… you can watch it and might enjoy it.. like I did…its an intellectually stimulating movie.
• If you were expecting a movie like a ‘Jawani Phir Nahin Ani’ or ‘Ho Mann Jahan’.. then please DO NOT GO! This is NOT for you! Its comparing Main stream commercial cinema to Parallel Cinema.

If you are one of the first two categories above, and want to know more about the movie.. I really liked this detailed review by Hala Syed…

I must say, Pakistani Cinema has come a long way.. and this movie is the cherry on top!!