Aik Hai Nigar is a telefilm based on Nigar Johar who’s a two-star general in the Pakistan Army. She’s the third woman to reach the rank of Major General.
Her biopic is an inspirational tale that sheds the light on her journey but it lacks the story. There are some basic facts about her that everyone knows including her personal life. But no one knows the struggle behind reaching the honorary status in the Pak Army especially in a male-dominated society.
The telefilm is written by Umera Ahmed, directed by Adnan Sarwar and produced by Mahira Khan and Nina Kashif. It appears like a breath of fresh air in between the suffocating stories shown on television.
Unlike the Pakistani dramas, this story is a gamechanger that’s quite contrary to the traditional stories. This is why Nigar was able to turn her dreams into reality.
Since, having a story based on women empowerment is an opportunity to turn people’s mind towards a good narrative. But Mahiras Khan’s, Ek Hai Nigar hardly met the expectations.
Capt General Nigar Ahmed has a great journey which is worth telling. From the early age of her life to becoming the General she faced many hardships, especially to prove herself. But instead of her professional journey, the biopic sheds more light on her personal one.
The first scene that irked viewers was watching Mahira Khan as an FSC student. It would have been better handled by any teenage student and later shifted to Mahira Khan in the uniform. But that doesn’t happen!
Secondly, for women it’s hard to join the military as a doctor. The biopic doesn’t reveal this side of Nigar’s journey. The story jumps directly to her college life and then her professional life.
However in the story one thing that all must appreciate is the supportive father who tells Nigar that he will always be there for her regardless of the circumstances. Actor Sohail Sameer played the role of the supportive father and it was well-praised by the audience.
The short film is based on Nigar’s life, but Nigar’s husband also played a major role in her success. But in the biopic, we can only see Johar Khan waiting for his wife to arrive or celebrating her promotions. There wasn’t any other side of him. However, Bilal Ashraf as Johar completely justified the character not only by being a soft, polite husband but also by standing with Nigar in all her difficult times.
Johar Khan is shown as an ideal character ideal character that hardly exists in our society. The director should add some weight to his character by also showing his emotional journey from a retired army officer to becoming a businessman and then towards his last stage of life.
The biopic has some flaws but it’s good to see a different narrative from the Pakistani directors and producers. We can only wish to have similar stories on television, or is that too much to ask for?
I prefer books and diaries more than phones and Facebook. Soulfully connected to Pakistan. And I passionately believe that I can change the world through blogging.
