Item Review: A Film Full of Intentions but Low on Impact
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| An emotional moment unfolds between two characters standing on a wooden veranda. |
Pakistan’s new film Item enters cinemas with bold themes and heavy inspiration, but the final result reveals a noticeable gap between ambition and delivery. Although the film tries to explore media, fame, and female vulnerability, the execution feels unfinished and uneven.
🎶 Music Relies Too Heavily on Nostalgia
One of the most prominent elements of Item is its soundtrack, which leans strongly toward 90s-style music production. The emotional repetition, retro arrangement and familiar vocal tones suggest an attempt to trigger nostalgia. However, without contemporary adaptation or creative layering, the music struggles to complement the story.
A remake of Bijli Bhari Hai — a beloved Pakistani classic — is included, but instead of modernizing the track with fresh choreography, updated vocals or cinematic presentation, the film delivers a simplified version that doesn’t add new artistic value. Critics note that older remakes and independent music platforms have produced more modern-feeling interpretations than the film itself.
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| A stylized dance performance unfolds on a brightly lit stage with a butterfly backdrop. |
🎥 The Scam Film Label Explained
Some reviewers have described Item as a scam film, not because it deceives audiences, but because it raises uncomfortable academic questions:
- How did the project secure financial backing?
- Why were warning signs ignored during pre-production?
- Why release the film beside big-budget international titles?
- Were market conditions or audience expectations studied at all?
The director Huma Shaikh clearly wanted to examine the entertainment industry through a darker lens, similar to how Bollywood films like Fashion or Heroine handled the subject. But those films had major studios, strong writing rooms, and a decade of supporting infrastructure. Pakistan’s filmmaking ecosystem is still developing, and jumping straight into a heavy critique narrative without those supporting structures naturally exposes cracks.
A lighter genre — like romantic comedy or a compact character drama — might have served as a more manageable debut, helping the director understand audiences before tackling a complex, multi-layered narrative.
🧍 The Unused Potential of Bashir Noman
One surprising character in the trailer is a media personality inspired by Pakistan’s prime-time anchors. He first appears as a fashion photographer interacting with the film’s lead character Miss Mahi, and later resurfaces as a news host shaping public opinion.
This character transition could have been the film’s strongest storyline. It carries satire, commentary and humor — and reflects the fluid nature of modern media careers. Unfortunately, this transformation is barely explored, leaving the audience with unanswered questions and fragmented narrative pieces.
Film critics believe a standalone movie on his rise within the media industry would have been not only timely but commercially appealing, particularly in Pakistan’s current media environment.
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| Two characters share a quiet conversation surrounded by lush green hills. |
🥋 The Final Message Lacks Broader Perspective
The ending advocates martial arts training as a solution for women navigating unsafe or male-dominated spaces. While self-defense is valuable, presenting it as the central or only actionable lesson oversimplifies deeper systemic issues.
Gender safety involves:
- education access
- legal protections
- workplace policies
- community support systems
- social attitudes
Reducing it to a single physical skill limits the conversation and unintentionally reinforces the idea that women must adapt rather than society changing around them.
🎞 Why Item Still Matters for Cinema Growth
Despite its flaws, Item contributes to Pakistan’s film landscape in an important way. It exposes the gaps that need attention if the country wants to build a competitive cinematic ecosystem. These include:
| Industry Weakness | How Item Exposes It |
|---|---|
| Lack of script development | Characters introduced but never explored |
| Weak music modernization | Remakes without creative direction |
| Misjudged release timing | Poor market strategy |
| Missing audience research | Overestimation of commercial appeal |
| Limited production infrastructure | Big themes without supporting tools |
Films like these become case studies that help future filmmakers avoid the same pitfalls. They push uncomfortable but necessary conversations about distribution, financing, creative training, and realistic planning.
Conclusion
Item may not succeed critically, but it reflects a filmmaking culture in transition — one that wants to explore bold ideas but must first develop the systems to support them. Instead of dismissing the film outright, it’s more valuable to understand it as a snapshot of where Pakistani cinema currently stands, and how much potential still exists for growth.