Ek Duaa review: Chilling climax, sloppy build up!

Ek Duaa (short film)

Director: Ram Kamal Mukherjee

Cast: Esha Deol Takhtani, Rajveer Ankur Singh, Barbie Sharma, Nick Sharma

Streaming on: Voot Select

Ek Duaa is a story of the ones who are never born, commenting on a serious issue of female feticide which is prevalent many parts of India. The film revolves around Abida (Esha Deol Takhtani) and her neglected daughter Duaa. Abida also has a son, Faiz. Her husband Suleiman (Rajveer Ankur Singh) is trying to make the ends meet by driving a taxi which his late father left behind. He takes money on loan so that his family can celebrate Eid. But surprisingly, in spite of struggling to make the ends meet, he can afford to smoke cigarettes. Abida’s mother-in-law nags them to have another child.

Also read: Natkhat review: Leaves you speechless!

The film is about 40 minutes long. It could have easily been a 15-minute spine-chilling film. But the narrative stretches beyond limits – there’s an unnecessary and poorly performed qawwali, the screenplay is sloppy, and the acting is unimpressive. The little Barbie Sharma as Duaa is cast right. Modhura Palit has shot the film really well. Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee has avoided preachy messaging, which is good. But by the time you are finally hooked for those few minutes of climax, it’s too late. The climax of the film is much better than the rest of the film. Ek Duaa could have been far superior film had it avoided the shenanigans in buildup and came to the point quickly.