Da Khwar Lasme Spogmay (1997)
Cast: Shehnaz, Asif Khan, Kamran, Liaqat, Umar Daraz
Director: Shehnaz Begum
Nutshell: Chilling blend of Batman & I Spit on Your Grave with astounding special effects!

Having survived such Pushto delicacies as Shock Maar (the infamous menstruation scene), Gringo (male organs hacked off with garden shears), Adam Khor (lesbianism, beheadings and cannibalism), Kacha Ghotay (giant thrusting dildos), Atom Bomb (yet another I Spit on Your Grave variant), Balaa (grave robbing and child murder) and Goorkund (necrophilia), I was under the impression that I had seen it all. How wrong I was.

Da Khwar Lasme Spogmay, produced and directed by Shahnaz Begum, provided yet more seismic shocks to an already shell-shocked system with its heady blend of chills, thrills, mind-altering special effects and outrageous transformation scenes. Featuring the gargantuan bombshell Shahnaz as a crime-busting Pussycat, the film also boasts a plethora of song sequences featuring an impressive roster of well-muscled, "healthy" hermaphrodites.

Shahnaz had previously shared directing duties with Imran Khan on the fabulously abysmal Goorkund. This time she decided to place her considerable talents fully on the line by producing and directing independently, a task she had already undertaken successfully with Zakhmi Zara (1996) and Ruswai.

Da Khwar Lasme Spogmay opens with a terrific, hair-raising sequence in the woods, where a cherubic little chubby is about to be molested by a nasty, unshaven hood. As the creep closes in on the helpless blob to "satisfy his animal lust", an eerie wind suddenly picks up and strange, inhuman sounds begin echoing through the forest, growing ever closer. The would-be rapist hesitates and starts to panic as the hideous meowing of some unearthly feline entity draws almost upon him.

The dreadful beast announces its arrival by casting a dramatic cat-shaped shadow upon the parched earth—a sort of Bat-Signal in reverse. Moments later, as claws fly and talons rip, the would-be rapist is left dangling from a tree trunk, pleading in vain for mercy. In a brutal display of murderous power, the Cat-Beast impales the unfortunate goon upon the jagged remains of a tree stump, leaving him hanging there like a clump of rotting meat.

Bah! Would-be rapist.

Meanwhile, the handsome, dashing local police chief is confounded by the gruesome remains discovered the following morning. Yet another victim has been ripped and shredded by this mysterious animal-like marauder, but there is not a single clue to be found. The chief launches his investigation in earnest, although Asif Khan, the local village bumpkin, remains unconvinced by the police effort and decides to investigate independently.

The plot is then slowed to a crawl by a seemingly endless succession of dreadful song-and-dance numbers that add the better part of an hour to the running time. Thankfully, in the finest Pashto tradition, one or two dances are deliciously lewd and earthy enough to satisfy even the most demanding sleazehound. Even so, Shahnaz Begum never quite reaches the master class of smut perfected by King Saeed Ali Khan. Nevertheless, the customary bevy of robust maidens, each sporting magnificently toned girths and bulbous backsides, is explored by means of some truly fascinating camera angles.

The film is another variation on the familiar rape-and-revenge theme—firmly in I Spit on Your Grave territory. This time we discover that the vengeful, vice-busting Cat-Beast is the product of a ghastly gang rape, culminating in her birth just five minutes later inside a gloomy cave during one stormy, cursed night.

Her mother dies in childbirth, and the abandoned infant is discovered by a stealthy black cat roaming the forest, which promptly decides to adopt a human baby as its own. Thus the child grows into the fabulous Cat Creature—a cheerful, overworked domestic servant by day and a crime-fighting feline avenger by night, blessed with superhuman powers that would make Spider-Man turn green with envy.

One by one she tracks down her mother's rapists, reducing them to grisly pulp with those razor-sharp talons.

Alas, aside from the Cat-Beast attack scenes, the film is disappointingly flat and ultimately fails to deliver on its remarkable premise. The interminable song sequences and painfully juvenile comedy are enough to test the patience of even the most demented—indeed dedicated—viewer.

Yet whenever the Cat Monster appears, the film suddenly springs to life and becomes nothing short of electrifying.

One particularly fantastic sequence finally reveals the creature's true identity. In a dazzling display of special effects, we watch Shahnaz transform before our very eyes into the bloodthirsty, maniacally purring feline she-beast.

The special effects are breathtaking and quite clearly on a par with the very best Hollywood has to offer.

Although Shahnaz Begum spent much of her career living in the shadow of Pukhtoon superwoman Mussarat Shaheen, it is obvious that this bonny lass possesses a fair share of talent, along with some truly killer bulbous curves. We had already seen glimpses of her potential in the earlier home production Shock Maar (complete with its tasteful menstruation sex-education scene), but she really began coming into her own with the twisted Goorkund and now this masterly slice of the macabre.

This loose adaptation of the Batman theme is considerably darker—and certainly more adult-oriented—than Hollywood's juvenile Caped Crusader outings. This Batman variant is strictly for discerning adults.

Spogmay also demonstrates that Lollywood is second to none when it comes to creating extraordinary special-effects sequences—at only a fraction of the cost.

It's well worth a watch.