Verna is the first Pakistani movie I have seen in cinema. I made the effort because I respect Shoaib Mansoor directorial style. Bol is one of my all time favourite film and Khuda Ke Liye was great. It takes courage, flair and ingenuity to hold a mirror up to the society and make it entertaining as well.
Verna did not meet my expectations. If Bol is 10 and KKL 8, Verna is only 5. I would still recommend people to watch it, as ShoMan's 5 is a 15 as compared to other directors.
Haroon Shahid is seriously miscast as the husband. The role requires a lot more shades than he is capable of. Pitching an actor in his first role against Mahira Khan does a disservice to both of them. Zarrar Khan is perfect as Sultan. He is charming and scary in turns. Naimal Khawar is given nothing to do. Rasheed Naz and the woman vakil are a bit too over the top in their dramatics.
The main problem with Verna is that it is hard to relate to Sara and her choices. Instead of brave, she comes across as a stubborn and privileged woman, who has complete disregard for the impact her decisions has on everyone around her. The last act of Verna feels more like from a Bond movie than something that can happen in reality.
I guess Pakistan filmmakers are bound by social & political restrictions on what can be shown, but Shoaib Mansoor must be held responsible that Verna is a lot less hard hitting than his previous films.
Final - Despite the flaws, still worth watching. Some TV serials these days are more gripping.
