Filmmaker Abu Aleeha’s crime movie, titled “Kukri,” continues to make waves. The film revolves around the life of Javed Iqbal, Pakistan’s infamous serial killer. Exciting news came through the director’s Twitter account as he announced that “Kukri” had been chosen to be screened at the Indian Film Festival in Melbourne, scheduled from August 11 to August 20, 2023. Aleeha expressed his delight and revealed that the film would be competing alongside notable Bollywood and South Asian regional films.
Despite facing several obstacles and delays, the highly anticipated Pakistani movie finally premiered on June 2. Aleeha made significant alterations to the film, including changing its title to “Kukri,” and had previously announced plans to resubmit it to the censor board for approval.
In a recent interview, the director clarified that the decision to alter the film’s name stemmed from concerns that the original title, “Javed Iqbal,” might be misunderstood as glorifying the character. Aleeha stressed that the film’s objective was never to glorify Iqbal or his atrocious crimes but rather to raise awareness and encourage people to recognize child abusers and safeguard their children.
However, since the movie has been released, fans have faced disappointment from the movie. Fans considered it boring and too fast paced. One user commented, “Rabiya Kulsoom and Yasir Hussain nailed it. I just wish the movie was more detailed and not censored. Alot of important aspects were missing which could have been covered. Another one commented, “Wanted to see the original version”. It seems fans were not happy about the censorship of the movie.
“Kukri” is based on the true story of Javed Iqbal, who confessed to the murder of 100 young boys in Lahore in 1999. The film stars Yasir Hussain and Ayesha Omer as the lead characters. The film has already gained international acclaim, having premiered at a film festival in the United Kingdom and being selected for the esteemed Berlin International Art Film Festival.
