A period movie is a daunting undertaking, even for experienced and accomplished directors and financially profitable production houses. In Laaj, former civil servant Rauf Khalid has ambitiously selected a true story from British India (1936) for his debut as a producer, writer and director. That made the production a multiple challenge. The film starts with love blossoming between a rich Hindu girl and a poor Muslim boy, which culminates in an armed clash between the British colonial rulers and the Pathans. How has he fared?

It is an offbeat movie, but nothing should detract from the fact that it is an important effort that tries to break fresh and extremely difficult ground. In our times of absurd local cinema, distinct from cinema of the absurd, Laaj should be welcomed as a breath of fresh air.