Aasma 2015

At the pinnacle of the splendor of the Himalayas sits the Kashmir valley, one of the most stunningly picturesque places on earth. But today, its grandeur has also become ubiquitous with the ravages of terrorism and counter terrorism operations. Under these circumstances, anyone roaming these hills would tell you the shocking truth: that combat soldiers are statistically safer than women. The calm melody of the idyllic villages is disrupted by the abrasive sputter of semi-automatic gunfire. In one such neighborhood, we see Aasma, a delicate young girl. For Aasma, heaven and hell are about to collide. The leader of the local village conceals four armed militants from across the border, in his house. In due course they notice the young girl. Mesmerized by her delicate beauty and overcome by lust, they kidnap Aasma. Their leader reasons that on their way to a suicidal terrorist attack, this is probably their last opportunity to be with a woman before martyrdom. As Aasmaa's night of torment unfolds, one of the militants, Intekhaab, shows signs of regret; he knows that Islam does not permit cruelty on woman. But in the presence of armed hostility he must find clever ways to delay the inevitable. In the tight, cramped quarters, the odds are stacked against Intekhaab: can he find a way to save Assma - and himself? Can a different face of so-called Islamic terrorism emerge from this desperate plight, so that Aasma is not yet another faceless victim of this endless conflict?