Kashan Admani’s directorial debut Carma is a mystery thriller, primarily inspired by legendary Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino. It is set in modern-day Karachi. A classic tale of vengeance and betrayal, the film is an amalgam of “car” and “karma” as revenge and violence remain a dominant force with multiple twists and turns. However, Advani must realize that violence, and graphic one at that, is not fun – for everyone.
Written by Fawad Hai, the two-hour long film sported an ensemble cast cherry picked from the television mainstays such as Osama Tahir, Navin Waqar, Zhalay Sarhadi, Paras Masroor, Umer Alam, Wajdan Shah, Arjumand Rahim, Khaled Anum, Anum Gauhar, and Emaan Khan. Adnan Siddiqui’s presence could safely be called a cameo appearance. Lili Caseley’s appearance as a debut was a breath of fresh air.
Speaking about the plot, the film opens on the businessman protagonist, Hamza (also Haroon) played by Osama Tahir, who is kidnapped by a gang of three people, who handcuff and torture him. Sasha, played by Zhalay Sarhadi, is the lethal crime boss and leads the viciousness of Jamal, Hashmat and Abdul, played by Umer Alam, Paras Mansoor and Wajdan Shah, respectively. They intend to steal a family heirloom belonging to Maria, played by Navin Waqar.
Slow-paced, the film picks tempo more than 30 minutes into the run. The story oscillates between 2017 and 2020. As the story unfurls, we find that almost all the characters are threaded by history. The scenes alternate many a time between past and present, attempting to connect various dots, especially the ones of kidnapping. Although, an impactful way of presenting flashbacks, featured by vengeful stories, heart-breaking deception, cryptic agendas and tragic betrayals, the film does little to keep one engaged. It brims with too many instances that border on theatrics, as if a collection of scenes loosely strung together.
Pakistani cinema is too young to experiment with ‘multiple plot twists’. They seem to have appeared out of nowhere, with hasty tonal shifts which interrupt the film’s narrative. One wonders about the generous use of alcohol, paedophilia, child labour and adultery in the script. For example, when Zhalay describes a brutal scene of torture, one can tell that she is playing the character well but it riles up the audience unnecessarily. Osama Tahir too appears extremely stoned with his expressions, especially when he has the most screen presence. It would be an understatement to say that he comes across as a bit underwhelming. Having emerged from theatre, with several memorable roles in Ruswai, Mushk and Nehar, his lack of commitment to the character leaves the audiences not quite thrilled. This, combined with Navin Waqar’s aimless presence, does not cement the fact that they had a love marriage on screen. Both completely lacked chemistry.
Having said that, the technical crew did a commendable job. Kashan Admani seems to have brought all his excellence as a music producer as he has been around in the industry for nearly two decades. Zaid Shah, the film’s editor, finally brought something that could be at par with the tight thrillers we are used to watching in the works of Hollywood, considering this was the first time Pakistani cinema enterprised it. It surely breaks away from the run-of-the-mill themes, such as comedy, romance, tragedy, and dramedy that dominate the box office, and helps our industry move towards an unchartered direction. By and large, Carma will not win any awards at festivals, but it’s the adventure/thriller that may keep filling seats.
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