Dungeon at Manora where the film was shot — File photo

Myths and legends have always fascinated individuals as tales that appear to be true and believable. The dictionary describes a legend (Latin, legenda or 'things to be read') as a narrative that people tell as a true story. Sometimes the details are difficult to confirm, but usually the story names people and identifies locations. The person telling the story usually does not claim to be an eyewitness to the events, but claims to have heard it from someone who knows someone who heard it from someone who was actually there... Legends often contain a moral or a lesson and are told to uphold the values of the community. They also often involve supernatural or religious elements.

Every region has its own myths and Karachi, on the coast of Arabian Sea, carries numerous stories yet undiscovered. Director Khalid Hasan Khan of Outfield Productions (a non-commercial film company set up by a group of young individuals whose mission is to highlight various social issues) set out to unearth the story behind Karachi and its nearby islands inhabited by fisherfolk, narrating the story of Kolachi through a 30-minute documentary film titled Kolachi — The Legend of Morroro.

Khalid and Outfield Productions' first project was An Early Sunset, a 17-minute documentary on the saga of soccer in Karachi's Lyari area which was recently bought by the Dubai-based Ten Sports and has been aired at least half-a-dozen times so far. Their second project of 20-minute duration, The Last Refuge of Afghans, again stems out from the makers being ardent lovers of football, this time setting their sights on football in the underdeveloped Pashtun belt, especially Chaman in Balochistan. This is also where the famous Afghan Football Club (AFC) originates from. The aim of the film-makers was to show the world that there is more to this rugged terrain than usually meets the eye.

The third in the series, Kolachi — The Legend of Morroro tells four stories that are not only believable but carry a hint of mystery. The documentary's opening lines, 'Myths don't lie, legends never die...' makes the viewer eager to know what's to follow. The film starts off with a man who is fed up with life and is aimlessly strolling by the sea when he happens to find a message in a bottle. The paper within is blank but he hears a voice which beckons him to a nearby cave and here begins his journey of self-discovery. The documentary features four stories.

The first story narrated by Haji Yaqoob Mujawar was the story of the four saints Misri Shah, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Ghaban Shah and Yousuf Shah Ghazi who choose these coastal plains as their final resting place and how their power of miracles even from beyond the grave has protected the people who dwell in Karachi from potential harm. The second story coupled with facts narrated by Roland de Souza was about the Island of Manora and its significance in history. Next to follow was Wallan's narration who belongs to the Purna tribe (native fishermen who walk barefoot). His story told of the how presence of mind and bravery helped the tribesmen get rid of a tyrant king many centuries ago. The concluding story was of Mai Kolachi as told by Aligula who belonged to the tribe of Morrna. As the story goes, Kolachi was the sister of seven brothers who was born to a fishermen's community.

One day, despite the warnings of their youngest brother, they travelled far out into the deep sea termed the third limit (which is near Keamari) never to return. It is the story of the bravery of the lone woman Mai Kolachi who travelled alone braving the rough sea and reached the third limit (later named Kolachi jo Kund) to search for her missing brothers. The documentary ends with the following lines, 'In this sand time is buried, I am the lost soul of this sand, I am Kolachi.' In essence these words not only give reason and hope to the man we see in the beginning of the film, but in hindsight it tells us that instead of looking elsewhere we should all look inside our souls to find peace and the true meaning of life, and most importantly find answers in the land we live in and own the land we belong to.

Moving on, the presentation the film was a mix of stills, interviews and dramatisation. Even though there are no hard and fast rules while making a documentary, there are a few points I would like to mention— the voiceover at times became too melodramatic and Roland de Souza who could converse very well in English did not need dubbing. With the voiceover in English I assume that the point must be to reach a wider audience, but in my personal opinion subtitles should also have been incorporated so that one could hear the natural sounds in the background which would have added more realism to the whole picture.

Take for example the last part where Aligula was shown singing a native song. In the few lines I heard, his voice added a touch of realism. Nevertheless, at the end of the day it is the makers' vision and prerogative how he/she wants to present the idea. Overall, Kolachi — The Legend of Morroro is a good effort and enchants the viewer with interesting stories narrated throughout its half-hour running time.