Script development

From Conformity to Honour Killings:

Filmmaking is a journey, and sometimes, the story you start with isn’t the one you end up telling. My initial script, The Missing, was a psychological thriller that explored the pressure of conformity in modern society. It was eerie, symbolic, and heavily focused on the loss of individuality in a world that forces people into molds.

The First Concept: The Missing

The opening scene was meant to be unsettling. A teenager runs into an empty diner, out of breath and desperate. Everything feels off. The walls are lined with photos of identical people, all smiling in the same uniform. Beneath each one, the words “One of Us” are printed. The teenager picks up a rotary phone, only to hear a distorted voice whisper, “You can’t run from who you’re supposed to be.” The real horror comes when they turn around and see their own face in one of the framed pictures, already assimilated into whatever eerie system is at play.

This script was my way of critiquing society’s relentless push for conformity and how we’re constantly pressured to fit in, suppress individuality, and follow expectations we never signed up for. The story was meant to be mysterious, psychological, and unsettling, leaving the audience with questions about the cost of losing oneself in order to "belong."

Why I Changed It

As much as I loved The Missing, I realized that I wanted to tell a more grounded and urgent story one that carried real world weight. That’s when I decided to shift my focus to honour killings.

Honour killings are a harsh, heartbreaking reality that still exists in many parts of the world especially in Pakistan. It’s a topic that isn’t talked about enough, and I felt a responsibility to shed light on it in a way that was both gripping and meaningful. While The Missing was more abstract and metaphorical, my new concept had a direct social impact, making it something I felt was worth telling on screen.

When I first came up with the concept for The Missing, it felt perfect. The kind of story I was excited to bring to life. I was so sure of it that I immediately started making the props I needed, ready to move forward with production.

But then, one night, as I was scrolling through my phone, I came across the Qandeel Baloch case again. Something about it stuck with me more than it ever had before. Suddenly, my mind was racing with new ideas, bigger ideas, ideas that felt more urgent. That’s when Shaahm was born.

The new script carries emotional depth, real-world urgency, and a powerful message, one that I hope will leave a lasting impact.

While The Missing was an important idea, my final script is one that truly needs to be told.

I was so committed to The Missing that I even went ahead and made all the props for it. I spent hours gathering pictures online, then went out to buy supplies, carefully cutting each individual piece from a styrofoam sheet, and spray-painting the frames to get the perfect look. It was a lot of work, probably more than I realized at the time but I was determined to bring my vision to life.

Looking back, I’m glad I went through all that effort, even if I didn’t end up using it. Because in the end, changing my script was the best decision I could have made. Shaahm feels more powerful, more meaningful, and more like the story I was meant to tell.