Malala Yousafzai, the world’s youngest Nobel Prize Winner survived a tragic gun attack on her by the Taliban in 2012. This news caught international media’s coverage and the rest they say is history. Now, there’s a biopic of Malala in the offing titled Gul Makai, the trailer of which has been released today on digital platforms. The Bollywood production has been directed by Amjad Khan with an Indian cast and crew. Shooting for the film is said to have taken place in Kashmir and Mumbai. 

A mixed bag

The trailer of Gul Makai is a mixed bag and showcases content packaged in a stereotypical way although its heart seems to be in the right place. More than Malala’s struggle, the terrorist elements (which have been cleared since the last few years) in Swat have been highlighted a lot more. Importantly, the accents and mannerisms of the actors are also distinctly Bollywood and lack authenticity.

The Plusses

The trailer offers a glimpse into not only the turmoil in Malala’s life but also offers a window into the family life of the Nobel laureate prior to the attack. The cinematography is appealing to the eyes — the Swat portions that have been supposedly shot in Jammu Kashmir capture the topography nicely. The background score by Amar Mohile is first-rate as well, with the music serving to make the trailer more gripping and impactful. The detailing given to the costumes of female characters is authentic, even the school uniforms seem to be nicely researched. 

The trailer highlights the need for education for women and also shows Malala’s daring speech in which she emphasizes women’s right to a full education, making it a pro-women empowerment movie. 

Coming to the cast, Reem Shaikh seems to have done a decent job depicting Malala’s nuances, as the actress emotes well on-screen and seems to be well suited for the role of a Pashtun girl. However, her accent and mannerisms in certain places are off. The same can be said for Divya Dutta, who plays Malala’s on-screen mother.

The disappointments

The film revolves around the situation in Swat during the time of the gun attack on Malala. We see terrorists oozing out of every corner of the city along with Bollywood’s usual stereotyped depiction of all residents in religious attires and beards. The sequences of terrorists putting their feet on books and beating women are unpleasant and could have been dealt with more sensitivity. 

Overall, the movie seems to be a rather filmee version of incidents in the Swat valley rather than being a true-to-life account of Malala’s life. Authenticity is going to be an issue, as far as I can tell from the trailer. 

Final Verdict

The film is supposed to be an ode to Malala’s struggle but the trailer strictly restricts itself to the portions of her life in Swat. Malala’s life has witnessed much following her tragic incident and that should have made it to the trailer for a more universal appeal. On the plus side, the performances seem to be decent and the background score works rather well with the film’s theme. The elements focusing on women empowerment also deserve special mention. However, when it comes to authenticity and Bollywood’s stereotypical depiction of Pakistani culture, the trailer is an unsurprising disappointment.