‘Slackistan’ is an art film written and directed by Hammad khan, way back in 2010. It was at that time really popular and buzzy among the select few rich kids of Pakistan, but I wasn’t aware of it back then. I saw it a few weeks ago, and I liked it.
‘Slackistan’ is the burger equivalent to the drama, ‘Humsafar’, as the entire cast was full of people on their way to fame in either singing or acting. Many of them who I like and are extremely talented and one that I do not like. Hint he only has one scene. Anyway watching the movie almost ten years down the line, I found myself asking – Has it really been that long?
The movie follows several young graduates of Islamabad’s elite, or something along those lines. Our main narrator and character is Hassan. Who is really cute. As the movie goes on Hassan talks about his friends, his life and shares his thoughts on the country and what’s going on around him. There is no main plot and all of the characters are going through something, which made them feel real. This is a very real depiction of our teenagers, and how things were back then, and in a way still our for us.
It was filmed in a manner which is unique and innovative for Pakistani audiences, as our mainstream movies typically deal greatly in male and female driven heroic love stories, which have dance songs and extended shots of riches and well obviously come of as romantic and fantastical. You watch them and are transported into a fantasy place, but with ‘Slackistan’ you are in the place you want to get away with.
I guess because it was very different and verbally bold for our general audience it did not get a lot of attention, and it was actually banned. Many stated that it was not a family picture, as if that was a bad thing. But I am happy that they went against the classic desi block buster formula, and made a movie that has something to say, and keeps the tempo mellow and soft.
The shooting style could have been better, and the music was nice, again, it was very different and refreshing, but there weren’t many Urdu songs – just the one. By the end I did find myself identifying and feeling a connection for the characters, and I wanted to know what would happen to them.
Social commentary
Pakistani films, and the directors seem to be under this great pressure to address every social issue that society. Every movie, is under the pressure to satisfy and appeal to everyone, and it has to have everything or else why even make movies?
I think this pressure is prevalent because people feel like giving morals or something justice based will give the movie more respect or authority, but that is not true. You can’t mix everything into an hour. There is nothing wrong with addressing problems, but not at the cost of the characters or their development. Shoaib Mansoor’s films have that in them, the issue is stronger than the character, so the human connection is bleached. I still like them, but this is how I feel. The same can be said about some dramas.
‘Slackistan’, actually handled this very well, they showcased the issues through the main characters eyes, and for the others things they showed the characters were going through those issues. Their mild reactions to the things they are unable to control is natural and the real thing, it’s not like all of us our heroes. This way they were able to feel through a lot and mold the growth and change in the characters.
Social Decadence
As a people we have been dealing with terrorism for many years, in result of which we have become desensitized to the sight and the extent of the violence around us. This was portrayed very well in the movie, for the most part the boys and girls don’t know what to do, and have internalized a lot, as everything is falling a part.
As a part of dealing with the trauma or shock of everything that is going on around them, they do what all of us do, they ignore it. As a defense mechanism we ignored a lot and maneuvered our way into existence, we live in denial, then some terror attack happens, we get scared for a while, but then we get over it. I don’t any other country in the world has gone through the kind of terrorism that we have.
It was a very honest show of how Pakistani people deal with things falling a part, which Western films and media has always denied us. I feel like anyone to watched that trashy show, ‘Homeland’ should also watch ‘Slackistan’, just so they can see what Islamabad actually looks like. It actually is a good movie for Western audiences, it has tropes that they might like.
Sanctions and Censorship
As mentioned ‘Slackistan’ like most of our movies was banned as soon as it was released on the big screen. This only happens to movies that actually have something to say, and want people to form an opinion, since they never ban any Bollywood movies. On the bright and ironic side, the act of banning them, actually makes the movies more popular. You think they would have learned that.
It was banned for having profane language, and for it not being child friendly.
I would just like to say that there should be public respect for artistic freedom for our own artists and writers. Hollywood, Bollywood and Turkish media gets away with too much, it is an insult that our own are not even allowed to get their foot through the door. Just because they made one person angry.
Pakistani people have a right, weither they like it or not to a variety of media and opinions, they deserve to have information that makes them think and reflect. Not every movie is just there to entertain or become the voice of justice. Some movies are there for the sake of culture,art and to show you how different people exist. And there needs to be a surplus of films, dramas, reports, vlogs and documentaries for the sake of maintenance.
Besides that, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. If we are tired about all the wrong and negative media or representation we get from the Western world, then we have to make our own media and drown out the falseness. We need to speak for ourselves, and this one of the ways that we can, and we must be a part of the conversation.
In conclusion, this is an art film which will become more popular and nostalgic with time, and we will look back at it and say, I can’t believe times used to be that bad.
Maheen's Muse 