How We’re Reacting to Zoya Nasir & Aijaz Aslam’s ‘Chambeli’
See Prime’s latest short film, Chambeli, has caused quite the stir since its release on Friday, the 13th of November. The scary feature film stars Zoya Nasir and Aijaz Aslam in leading roles, as they tackle the obstacles of an unwelcome visit together.
When Harris and Sobia take a little vacation to a guesthouse allocated to the couple by Harris’s old employee ‘Kareem Chacha’, they are completely unaware of the events they’re about to find themselves submerged in. With Zohreh Amir’s appearance as the angered ‘Chambeli’ bride, things are about to take a turn for the worst. The fear factor arose when we heard stomping payal sounds along with a doll, which altered our senses. But after Sobia (Zoya Nasir) directly communicated with the witch by accident, the couple’s fate seemed sealed...or orchestrated?
Zoya’s performance as Sobia was vivacious, keeping us hooked in the story with her quick reactions and common sense approach, which is usually lacking in most horror films. Her performances have ranged from comical to serious in dramas such as Zebaish and Deewangi, and now, starring in a thriller has shown us yet more of her diversity as an actor, with her character in panic mode and justifiably so since a ‘witch’ is quite literally hell-bent on getting Nikkahfied to her husband!
Harris, the skeptical man, initially made fun of the story told by ‘Karmo Chacha’, as he calls him. Putting off Sobia and Kareem Chacha’s seriousness about the situation did not seem to have a very positive effect, with Chambeli only getting more and more triggered by his dismissals. And what’s worse is, his very own Karmo Chacha did not even warn him about the malignant entity’s requests...but did he really?
The biggest betrayal of the movie is evident towards the end, when the facade is dropped and the Chambeli story proves to be a farce, a tricking of Sobia, who is ridiculed by Harris’s mistress, ‘Zuneira’, in a plan devised by Karmo Chacha and Harris himself. Poor Sobia is cast aside while Harris and his secret partner in crime laugh about the whole ordeal. But yet again, Awais Sulaiman has managed to keep us on the edge with a twist!
Karmo Chacha and Sobia prove to be allied, with Zoya’s convincing performance as the ‘innocent’ Sobia leaving Harris with a note detailing her knowledge of his petty drama and deceit. She continues to inform him that ‘Chambeli’ was in fact a true story, the one truth Karmo Chacha was not lying about. We are left with a rather satisfying ending as we see Sobia’s brilliant planning pan out, with Harris and Zuneira suffering a karmic fate, with the actual Chambeli returning to her home.
Zoya Nasir, Aijaz Aslam, Zohreh Amir and Tanveer Abbas truly provide entertainment with conviction in this horror-thriller, giving the audience the chills and a moment of relief which turns out to be temporary as well. With brilliant performances and an enticing plotline, Chambeli is truly a film to enjoy!
Check out the trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjLKlPZsqk4&t=4s
- Tags: Aijaz Aslam, Awais Sulaiman, Chambeli, Zoya Nasir