WIDOW OF SILENCE – A Review by John Strange
There are two ways to tell the world about a problem. One is by making a documentary. The other is a dramatization based on facts. Widow of Silence is the second of these styles, based on many true stories of Half-Widows of Kashmir.
The story of these women whose husbands have been taken away and never returned is heartbreaking. In Widow of Silence, we see Aasia (Shilpi Marwaha) as she strives to get her husband, taken seven years previously, declared dead so she and her daughter can inherit the family home and land in his name.
She is a nurse-trainee raising an eleven-year-old daughter (Noorjahan Mohmmad Younus) who is constantly in trouble in school as the other children taunt her about her missing father.
Aasia travels more and more frequently to the government office where the Registrar (Ajay Chourey) is a corrupt lecherous government worker who misuses his power over these women. Unless they “play ball” with him, they will never see the paperwork they need to get on with their lives.
This is not a friendly, pretty film. It is an honest look at an amalgamation of stories from the women who have been forced to endure these conditions for years. It is well made and worth your time to watch. But please do not watch if you are already depressed. It will make you sob.
Widow of Silence from writer-director Praveen Morchhale is a strong 5-star film.
Directed by: Praveen Morchhale
Cast: Shilpi Marwaha, Ajay Chourey, Noorjahan Mohmmad Younus, Bilal Ahmad, Zaba Banoo, Habibulla
MPAA Rating: NR
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 86 Min.
Movie Site: https://www.facebook.com/WidowofSilence/
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m_hVVduXPU
Language Urdu with English Subtitles
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
