Sound Design

Crafting the Atmosphere of Shaam

Sound plays a huge role in setting the mood of Shaam. Since the film is deeply psychological, I knew I needed an audio design that immerses the audience in Ali’s fractured mind, making them feel his paranoia, guilt, and fear. Every heartbeat, every moment of silence, and every lyric had to mean something, not just serve as background noise.

The Role of the Heartbeat: Building Tension

One of the most crucial sound elements I incorporated was the rhythmic heartbeat during Ali’s isolated moments in the farmhouse. It builds psychological tension, making the audience feel like Ali is trapped in a cycle of reliving that moment, his mind refusing to move on. The scene ends on the dupatta swaying on a tree, with the heartbeat still echoing, almost like it belongs to someone who’s no longer there.

This heartbeat effect isn’t just a sound, it’s a representation of Ali’s guilt and unresolved trauma. It’s his own conscience, loud and unrelenting, refusing to let him forget what happened.

The Impact of “Aik Alif” A Song That Speaks to the Soul

As the heartbeat scene fades out, the title SHAAM fades in and that’s when the song “Aik Alif” by Noori & Saieen Zahoor begins playing. This song choice was extremely deliberate, and it adds layers of meaning to the film. The lyrics speak about self-reflection, hypocrisy, and the struggle between inner morality and external pressures, which aligns perfectly with Ali’s journey.

The figure appears at the exact moment when the song reaches the line: “Larna ay roz shaitaan de naal, Te kadi nafs apnay naal larya ee na” (Every day you fight the outer demons, but you never confront your own Ego.) This one line alone encapsulates Ali’s entire struggle.

How Aik Alif Reflects the Themes of Shaam

Morality vs. Hypocrisy

• The film explores how society punishes those who defy outdated traditions, branding them as the villains, even when they do the right thing.
• The song calls out people who chase external battles (fighting “shaitaan”) while ignoring their own inner flaws (never confronting their ego).
• This is exactly what happened to Ali. He stood up for someone, yet society made him the villain.

Cycles of Guilt & Reflection

The repeated references in the song to "reading everything but never reading yourself" mirror Ali’s journey. He is isolated, questioning himself, haunted by what happened. He may have done the right thing but was it enough? Was it worth it?

The Shadowy Figure: A Manifestation of Inner Conflict

The figure appears just as the lyrics speak about confronting one’s own ego. Is it a real person? Is it a hallucination? Or is it the manifestation of Ali’s guilt taking shape. The sudden cut to black leaves the audience with that question, mirroring how society never lets people like Ali find closure.