Naghma

All since the Soviet invasion in 1979 musicians have lived under restrictions in Afghanistan, before Mujahedin and Taliban tightened the reins even more. This documentary explores the position of music through more than twenty years of the country’s history. We meet musicians in Afghanistan and in exile, in addition to both believers who reject music and those having it as a central part of their religion.

City boy Bakhtu, (Moammar Rana) goes to live with uncle back in the village. Here he sees Billo (Saima), his uncle's older daughter and falls in love. Terrorised by her stepmother (Bahar) and stepsisters, Billo is forced to serve as a servant in her own home. Bakhtu declares his love for her, which is not going down well with Bahar, who having seen Bakhtu, wants her own daughter Nargis married to him. On the other hand Nargis is not going to wait for dear mummy, and attempts to win him over with a sizzling dance number in the rain, but fails miserably. Things come to a boiling point when the couple are confronted by Bahar, the situation is ill-handled by Bakhtu who insults his aunt, calling her a churail (a witch) and is thrown out of the house. Bahar who want be insulted in her own home quickly makes arrangements for Billo to marry a local Chaudry.

Phool Aur Kantay