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Pakistan's digital media entertainment industry is quickly growing and bringing us new content, faster than traditional movie makers can manage. Twisted Sapnay is the newest addition to the lineup of short films that have made lockdown more bearable.

Karachi-based production house Elements Media’s latest release is the 16-minute-long comedy film Twisted Sapnay, starring Faizan Khawaja, who previously starred in Hum TV's drama Ki Jana Main Kaun, Zubab Rana, the star of 7th Sky Entertainment's serial Fitrat, Sonia Nazir of Mor Mahal and Maryam Fatima, the star of ARY's Kab Mere Kehlaoge. Written by Zeeshan Hasan and with Dr Akbar Yezdani serving as the executive producer, the film is also Khawaja's directorial debut.

This is also Elements Media's sixth short film this year.

As the name suggests, the film is about dreams — dreams within dreams within dreams, without going full Nolan with it. The film starts with a shot of Khawaja and Nazir, who are shown as husband and wife, sleeping in their bedroom. Khawaja wakes up to a suspicious call, picking up his phone from his bedside table — which is interestingly kept alongside a copy of Sigmund Frued’s 1899 ‘The Interpretation of Dreams — and after replying to a text with a cunning smile, he sneaks out of the room and rushes to attend a guest waiting outside.

When he opens the gate, he finds his ‘girlfriend’ standing suggestively against the door, donning a stunning red dress with glamorous mink around her neck. This is Fatima’s character, and the two are shown to be having an affair. Khawaja's wife wakes up and walks in on them, and so starts a cycle of waking up and endless dreams.

The film employs strong symbolism throughout its runtime. When the couple's maid wakes up from her dream, we are shown posters of Amir Khan and Juhi Chawala’s Qayamat se Qayamat Tak and Meena Kumari and Guru Dutt’s Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam. Both are stories of forbidden love, of lovers in a world that just won’t allow them to be together.

Visually, the film looks great visually. Irfan Mirza, serving as the director of photography for the project, has created an up-with-the-times look for the film. The frames are cool, and coloured well. The set is all about glamour, with an exquisite mansion decorated in dark and low contrast colours, giving everything a luxurious feel.

The movie is a good attempt at suspense-comedy; it’s not the most profound thing created out of a Freudian narrative, and neither is it the freshest take, but it’s a fun watch and something different for Pakistani audiences.