Cin-E-Rama

A short fantasy comedy drama from Pakistan, written and directed by Misrah Fatima Nizami and starring Syed Saad Farrukh, Maria Jawed, Maria Ahmed, Haris Asif and RJ Imran Khan.

Sabeel (Farrukh), a Pakistani film critic is assigned to write a review about Cin-E-Rama, a film theatre that is about to close its doors permanently and also write about the final film to be shown there. He reluctantly agrees and arrives at the location on the business's last day of operations. After meeting the projectionist (Hassan Malik), Sabeel enters the auditorium and he is soon joined by a man named Ifthikar (Khan), who claims to be the owner of the theatre. Following a brief conversation, Ifthikar offers to show the critic some aspects of what cinema has to offer. What follows is a journey involving the beauty and influence of motion pictures.

With a screenplay that includes English and Urdu, this half-an-hour short tells an amusing, emotional and thoughtful story. To begin with, it starts interestingly and pleasantly, with Farrukh introducing himself by breaking the forth wall. Then, approximately halfway through, the narrative ascapes from normality and enters a world about the history of cinema and the positive effects it has on the world. This is primarily explored through a young woman and a young man (Ahmed and Asif), who meet in an auditorium while watching a film and Maujza (Jawed), a famous actress. Special mention goes to the creativity during this sequence, especially the part where two characters travel through film history, as it contains splendid cinematography by Shahzaib Ali.

There is a part where the film turns into a music video where two characters suddenly proceed to dance while the song Girlfriend is Better by Talking Heads is played. Although it is an enjoyable scene and it demonstrates how joyful cinema can be, having it appear almost out of nowhere feels awkward.

Back in 2020, the writer of this review had the pleasure of reviewing Elo, another short film starring Farrukh and once again, he proves his strong acting abilities. This time, he portrays an experienced film critic who appears to have lost his passion following the effects COVID-19 had on the industry. Regarding the supporting characters, Jawed stands out the most as a well-known and acclaimed performer who has also had negative experiences through her profession. As for Ahmed and Asif, they do well as two youths with a passion for cinema who build a rapport between them and Khan is a knowlegeable theatre owner with a unique perspective on the significance of films.

This story provides an insight into what it is like working as a film critic and the challenges that COVID-19 created for the film industry. Moreover, it works as a commentary about self-discovery and having a passion. And, quite evidenlty, it explores the joy that motion pictures bring.

It is obvious that an intention of this project was to pay homage to the film world, embracing its history, the people who contributed to it and those who continue to contribute. It will most likely appeal not just to film fans but to those who appreciate an intriguing and thoughtful story.