“Daira” is a vicious circle of love, lust, longing and Lahore. The movie is based upon the international bestseller novel ’MOTH SMOKE’ by Mohsin Hamid.For starters let me quote
Mohsin Hamid saying about this movie
“I believe it is important to support new creative talent, especially here in Pakistan. I am proud to be associated with this project”
Mohsin Hamid even has a guest appearance in the film.
The comment of the author himself shows that the Daira team have done justice to the message Mohsin Hamid has tried to get through.Daira team has big names associated with it , Azfar Ali the lead director have continued his upward trend but what really made the difference was Shahzad Nawaz being the producer, art and concept director, adapter for the screen and not to forget the music producer. Daira being Shahzad Nawaz presentation is daringly different and is certainly a fresh breath of air in Pakistan teleworld. Pakistani viewers being used to PTV, PTV World and all the P`s would certainly find this daring attempt to reveal the reality of our society as mind altering.
The scene is set at the Mughal Empire and ShahJehan finds who holds the key to the future of his kingdom from a ‘sai baba’ (known to know future).The Emperor finds out that his youngest son Aurengzeb would be the heir of his kingdom. The film draws inspiration from the war of succession in which Aurangzeb got the better of his elder brother Dara Shikoh to grab the Mughal throne is what the history books say.
It`s Lahore, the city 1998 which have hold ShahJehans sons… Dara shikoh as Daru(Shahzad Nawaz) and Aurangzeb –Ozi (Adnan Siddiqui). Daru wakes up from a nightmare which has haunted him from the time when his mom was killed at their home and that scene haunts him in his dream.On waking up Daru finds from a paper message saying that Aurangzeb –Ozi is back from the US where he and all of Daru `s class fellows went for further studies except Daru himself , he was much better than Ozi in the intellectual level but money is what made all the difference. Anyway he went to meet Ozi where he meet Mumtaz(Ayeshah Alam), Ozi`s wife and he finds out that most of his friends are well settled by now. Daru being a banker , a job which he was given with reference of Khurram Uncle (Ozi`s father)finds himself with an argument with a Big client and was unjustly fired from his job increasing the frustration which sparked ever since he met Ozi.
Now being jobless makes him double frustrated as he started to join the gatherings of his old friends who belong to the elite class of lahore. Ever since Ozi came back Daru felt a little attachment with Mumtaz(Ozi`s wife) and finds out that she writes articles by the name Zulfiqar Minto.
The film takes a very interesting turn with the enterance of another lead character of the film , Murad (Amir Abbas) formally called Murad Badshah is a very interesting character full of life and a kind of person who takes life as it is. Murad Badshah is M.A English but a rikshaw driver was ‘apparently’ a good mate of Daru . Murad often forced Daru to give up with living the life according to the rules and be like everyone else who don’t believe in consequences is but Daru still had that strong person inside him which says if condemning wrong is wrong then be it.
A very important part of the story was when once on the streets of Lahore Daru saw Ozi breaking the red light and killed an innocent kid on his Pajero which Ozi didn’t accept as his fault when Daru asked him.This incident took Daru further away from Ozi and put more hatred for Ozi in his heart but still he did not take Ozi`s name on the police records. He never evened mentioned it to Mumtaz.
Daru being jobless and broke had started to take in drugs (churas) and started to loose his calm as he wasn’t happy taking money from his uncle (Usman Peerzada) and started to deal in drugs too. In the meanwhile Mumtaz being really annoyed with the problems she was having with Ozi found herself in arms of Daru which started the false relationship between Daru and Mumtaz. Daru lived his life with candles in him home as was not able to afford the electricity bills and every time he looked at those candles and moths roaming around he wondered who is the moth and candle in the relationship between him and Mumtaz. Mumtaz usually regretted her times with Daru as she realized that she was a mother and a wife.
On the other hand Daru get some heroin from Murad badshah and not only sell it but also started to take some himself. In the meanwhile Daru was badly beaten up from father of someone he used to sell drugs to, he was admited to the hospital and Mumtaz was with him all the time taking care of Daru but from the inside she doesn’t want the fake relationship to go on further and one day she calls it off , breaking Daru`s heart by saying that “its not love”Daru being already too frustrated with all the happenings and lost it when Mumtaz once said that she wont see him anymore.All of this turned Daru`s attention toward what Murad Badshah said, Daru being the ex-employ of the bank he was fired from was advised by Murad to “rob” it.Daru being convinced from the reason that if you don’t get your right you have to snatch it, also in his mind were the voices of his friends who believe that ‘people no believe in concequences’ so why should he.They rob the bank but Daru paniced in the middle and ranaway leaving Murad as the sole beneficiary of the looted money. Daru was later arrested for killing a kid in the accident which Ozi did and and he was termed guilty and sentenced 7 yrs in prison.
Point of views:
Daru`s POV
Darashikoh Shahzad being the lead character in the film found him self in the vicious circle where he wanted to lead the right life which the society didn’t allowed him to, he holds responsible for this to all those people who have made their life in Pakistan as the life in sweden with air-conditioned atmosphere 24 hrs who are the preachers of the ‘piece of paper which they called money”.
Ozi`s POV
Ozi being borned riched had enjoyed his favour of luck with money fame and women and termed Daru as a product of the system and blamed him for taking away his wife even with his big favours like Khurram Uncle (Ozis dad) giving Daru a job and helping Daru with all respects. Ozi admits he knows about the relationship of Mumtaz and Daru but was quiet because he is a good man.
Mumtaz (Manto`s Sword)`s POV
Mumtaz after leaving Ozi and seing Daru suffering behind bars considered herself a ‘witch’ and Daru as her ‘victim’, she thought that if she had met Daru when she wasn’t married and not with a kid and Daru`s mother being alive things might have been much different. She thinks that it was a bit her fault that Daru fell in love with her.But now she writes about all the stuff people do not like to talk about with Zulfiqar Manto`s name. Zulfiqar being meant sword while Minto came from the famous Pakistani writer ‘Saadat hassan manto’ who was known to write novels on daring and “not talked about” subjects.