KARACHI: As movie lovers headed for the theatres to while away their off day watching some nice release or the other, there were also several distinguished persons waiting for a very special kind of showing at the Neuplex cinema in DHA on Sunday afternoon.

They were all there for Transcendent, a 38-minute short film presented by the Large Taxpayers’ Office, Karachi, also known as the office of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The timing of the film was perfect. The FBR has only recently given an extension for people to file their taxes. The film also would act as a nudge for those still putting off doing the needful before they come after you. And watching the film it sure looks like they will.

Transcendent is the story of honest and hardworking Assistant Commissioner Afaan Ahm­ed, who is made incharge of recovery of some 22 billion rupees. Things are already not going his way, personally, as his wife Sarah is demanding a divorce from him, which he most certainly doesn’t want her to do. He has been missing work due to his personal problems. Still, he is not lazy or corrupt. In fact, he is extremely honest. But honest and hardworking people also need some encouragement sometimes.

Afaan Ahmed’s support came from an old peon in the office he was carrying out a raid at. The old man brought hot tea for his team along with good advice and words of wisdom and inspiration. By the time Malik Dilawar, the powerful businessman and tax evader, had tried every trick in the book to delay things till after the weekend and somehow get a stay order in the matter, including getting the bank and a cream of lawyers to defend himself. He even brought in a female to gently persuade the assistant commissioner to back off but he was not impressed. He also deflected the pressure from his direct supervisors, who called him to let the matter go.

“It is the state’s money that you have put in a bank. And you are even eating the interest from it,” he accused Malik Dilawar, while also turning down his big bribe offers.

It was amusing to watch how the tax evader so confident and insulting in the beginning is brought to his knees by a man of principles.

“Basically, we wanted to make a film for the layman, which would carry our message to pay taxes as well as show our own struggles while doing our job. In doing so we have also criticised ourselves in the story,” the film’s writer and producer Talha Masood told Dawn. He also said that Transcendent is a true story with changed names of course and that it is the first in a series of such films from the Large Taxpayers’ Office.

The film’s director, Duke Isaac Solemon, told Dawn that the subject of the film is extremely relevant. “It is mostly the middle-class that is actually earning and giving back to the government. That needs to be highlighted also along with how the taxation department works and how they get taxations from the big shots,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taqi Ahmed, who played the lead role of Afaan Ahmed in the film, said he has a friend who works in the taxation department through whom he has heard about many tax raids. Asked if, being an actor, he had also experienced such a raid himself, Taqi laughed. “First let my bank balance grow to the level where I can dare to think about tax evading,” he said.

Following the screening, the FBR plans to release the film on social media for maximum viewership.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2023