‘Pakistan’s Toughest Woman’ is awaiting Oscar glory…..
On a hot August noon in 2005 when 200 armed men surrounded their house, Nazo Dharejo along with her sisters prepared for battle as they collected their Kalashnikov and puny stock of ammunition and climbed to the roof.
Nazo Dharejo, earned title for ‘Pakistan’s Toughest Woman’ with what followed the battle. Soon it became a story of interest for a film and right now is competing along Hollywood’s thrillers including Angelina Jolie’s First They Killed My Father and Joachim Trier’s Thelma.
“I will kill them or die here but never retreat,” Dharejo, now in her late 40s, recalled saying as assailants attacked her home.
Dharejo refused to follow the norm and went out to fight for what was right. She and her family educated their daughters and fought off the relatives who were laying claim to her inheritance.
“It kept intensifying. Five, six murders took place and in 1992 my brother was also murdered,” Dharejo said.
A five-year legal battle over the land eventually saw her foes pay half a million PKR ($4,800) in compensation and offer a public apology — an act of utmost disgrace in rural (Sindh) Pakistan.
Dharejo’s story became of interest to British-born Pakistani filmmaker, Sarmad Masud in 2013. Sarmad then made In 2013 Dharejo’s story came to the attention of a British-born Pakistani filmmaker, Sarmad Masud. Sarmad then made 98-minute Urdu-language film version of Dharejo’s story starring Sohai Abro, called My Pure Land.
The film has now entered UK’s official entry in the Oscar’s foreign language category.
“She has become such a huge tree spreading soothing shade to the people around her,” said Zulfiqar Dharejo (Nazo’s husband). People in the locality call Nazo a “Waderi” now (feudal lady).
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