Review of the Movie 'Royal Kill' directed and written by Babar Ahmed

Royal Kill Movie Review
By Eddy Sumar

Will Good Triumph? Or will Evil Continue to Triumph?

Mr. Babar Ahmed, in his movie ‘Royal Kill,’ introduces a novel idea to the Western world. His movie ‘Royal Kill’ breaks with the status quo. In the West, there is a clear division between good and evil, black and white. In the East, the Yin and the Yang allow us to mix the two into a seamless transition. In his movie, he has combined ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ into one. There is no division; no wonder some western viewers get confused. They want to see the clear division between the two. They want good to triumph over evil.

The movie defies our normal notions. It starts with a view of the Himalayas. Here the audience anticipates seeing crystal clear blue skies with pure and pristine snowcapped mountains that glisten and shine among the deep brown color of the exposed part of the mountain. Instead, the Himalayan scene is hazy and the purity of the scene is marred by the violence of war and the smoke of bombs. The scene portrays the injustice that is taking place in the world, where the strong devour the weak; the wealthy manipulate the poor and enslave the disadvantaged. The scene calls on the United Nations and the United States to act. Instead of action there is inaction. There is a deafening silence in the face of imperialism and occupation!

Next, the movie introduces the dying King who entrusts the welfare of his last Heiress to Adam. Adam appears to be the force for good. And Nadia is introduced as the force for evil. The Heiress is in America with her American guardian. She does not know that she is a princess. She lives an unpretentious and simple life.

Adam is trying to locate the princess to protect and preserve her. Nadia is seen pursuing the princess to kill her. The viewer is rooting for Adam—the protector and preserver. Here Mr. Babar Ahmed creates a twist where Adam and Nadia become one. Good and evil unite. And the so-called protector and preserver becomes the destroyer. Yes, Adam the protector becomes the destroyer and kills the princess. Adam the preserver becomes the despoiler and deprives the audience from seeing good triumph over evil.

This twist disappoints the audience that is looking for the moment for Adam to destroy Nadia and rescue the princess. The audience is looking for the knight on the white horse who will lead the princess to a fairytale ending—happy ever after. The ending is anything but happy ever after. It portrays the harsh reality of our world where evil keeps on gaining ground; where the wealthy and powerful keep on manipulating the poor, the weak and the disadvantaged. The ending shows our world without the mask. The movie unmasked our ugliness, hypocrisy and inaction.

The final scene shows Adam directed towards Washington D.C., the seat of the Super Power. It makes us think. Why? Is Adam telling us that the United States of America, by virtue of her world status, power and position ought to be the defender of the weak and downtrodden? The princess was the last heiress. Similarly the United States is the last Super Power. Will the US meet the same end as the princess? Or will good triumph over evil?

Mr. Babar Ahmed brings to the screen a realism that is without hypocrisy and unmasks our inner ugliness in the hopes that we realize that those in positions of power should be the protectors and preservers. Yes, the scene of our personal Himalaya should be pure, pristine and perfect in its beauty.