Review: Kan Nagar is an effort to highlight stories of exploitation and resilience

Kan Nagar, TMA Productions’ first feature film, is based on a true story about Pakistan’s shadow economy. Written and directed by Talha Masood, co-directed by Saleem Dad, and starring Taqi Ahmed as Affan, Hina Chaudary as Mahzaib, and Faraz Mari as Watanyar, this 1.5-hour film dives deep into the socio-economic challenges surrounding a coal mine in the fictional town of Kan (mine) Nagar (place).

Kan Nagar is home to a massive coal mine that sustains the livelihoods of everyone in the surrounding areas. Affan, a district tax officer, is sent there as a punishment. His crime — tackling the monumental task of recovering Rs120 million in unpaid taxes from a businessman, which was transferred to a bank that refused to release the funds. After successfully addressing this issue, Affan is hit with a harassment case by the businessman’s wife, forcing him to either fight a legal battle or accept a transfer to the remote town of Kan Nagar.

Once there, Affan quickly uncovers a much larger issue. He realises that the miners are being exploited and paid a mere Rs50 per day, while truck companies profit by transporting coal, and corporate giants evade taxes and make billions of dollars. Determined to change the situation, Affan teams up with a few locals to set up checkpoints to monitor the coal trucks and implement a system of checks and balances. The area generates only Rs1.4 million in taxes — a paltry sum compared to its potential. Affan aims to use this tax revenue to fund the development and growth of Kan Nagar.

However, the obstacles are enormous. The entrenched system of corruption involving government officials, banks, and corporate profiteers has created a shadow economy, where the wealthy continue to amass fortunes while the poor remain trapped in cycles of poverty and social inequality. Through his attempts to bring fairness to the coal industry, Affan battles corruption and exploitation.

Despite the challenges, his efforts to bring transparency to Kan Nagar shine a light on the exploitation of the poor.

More than just a film

In the current political landscape, Kan Nagar is more than just a film — it mirrors the real-life struggles of the common people, particularly in resource-rich areas like Balochistan. With political unrest and economic disparity dominating headlines, the film shines a light on how deeply rooted corruption and exploitation are within Pakistan’s economy.

The depiction of Affan’s battle against corporate giants and local profiteers resonates with issues we’ve seen ourselves, where the rich grow richer at the expense of the working class. As Balochistan continues to grapple with poverty despite being home to valuable natural resources, Kan Nagar is an important portrayal of these stark realities.

The shadow economy depicted in the film also echoes the urgent need for systemic reform, making it a must-watch to make amends in exploitation in terms of development, empowerment of local people and implementation of the writ of the state. “Positive discrimination in terms of earning revenues from the land’s rich resources and utilising it for the area’s development must be a priority,” said co-director Masood.

“The idea was to show some direction to the government that like coal, many other taxable sectors can be brought into the net to release burden on the [people who are] already taxpayers on the roll,” said Masood. He has been serving as a deputy commissioner in the FBR. Hailing from Balochistan and having served for around 10 years in the province, he said, “We have criticised ourselves and tried to match the public’s pulse.”

Verdict

Visually, Kan Nagar impresses with its raw portrayal of the barren, rugged landscapes of Balochistan. The film’s cinematography effectively captures the harsh environment, adding authenticity to the narrative. However, while the non-actors perform admirably, the dialogue delivery falls flat at times, with a monotone approach that misses opportunities to inject more emotion into the characters. The pacing is generally well done, keeping the audience engaged throughout its 90-minute runtime.

Nevertheless, certain parts of the film feel overly preachy, where a subtler touch might have been more impactful. Despite these minor drawbacks, Kan Nagar excels in highlighting the systemic issues plaguing Pakistan’s economy, offering a thought-provoking glimpse into the lives of those most affected. As Masood said, the idea is to open up the debate of how the country can bounce back from some of the worst economic crises and realise its own domestic potential.

It is important to note the vague concepts presented in the film of how right decisions and the will of the government can bail our economy out. “If it can be done in Balochistan’s unruly terrain, it can be done anywhere else in Pakistan,” said the co-director.