Murdered by My Father (2016 TV Movie) User Reviews

very moving and thought provoking

[kaidabi · 7/10 · 10 November 2016]

Honour killing is a very controversial and contemporary issue in society as of today and this drama explores that theme by focusing on a Muslim household, in which the father, Shahzad wants his daughter, Salma to be in an arranged marriage.

Murdered by my father (written by Vinay Patel & shown by BBC3), was a really good film; the starting scenes consisted of what happened at the end, which immediately hooked me in as I was curious as to how and why it happened. Salma's voice over added to the somber beginning, and again adds to the mystery of the plot. I think the representation of Salma reflects teenagers now to some extent – the whole thing about hiding things from your parents, rebelling against parents, etc. The director tried show the audience the Islam tradition, for example, the Muslim wedding at the beginning and personally I think it was captured really well.

Most of the film's mood was dark and miserable, which is understandable because honour killing is a very depressing topic and there is no way that it can be romanticized or be presented in a lighthearted way. Overall, Murdered By My Father is a very moving movie, it really had an effect on me and makes me think that people in the 21st Century still go through this.

No honour

[Prismark10 · 7/10 · 1 April 2016]

Murdered by My Father written by Vinay Patel is a heartbreaking tale of Salma torn between choosing family tradition or her own individual freedom. You hope that they will be some kind of happy resolution but the title kind of gives the game away.

Salma's father Shahzad (Adeel Akhtar) is a hard working widower raising two children. His teenage daughter Salma (Kiran Sonia Sawar) has been promised to Haroon, once she finishes her education which would be good business sense for the family but Salma had fallen in love with Imi who she spends a lot of time with even skipping college.

Of course once Haroon discovers that Salma has a boyfriend he and his father humiliate Shazad, who feels dishonoured and takes it out on his daughter. He locks her up but she escapes but when she returns the next day it ends in tragedy.

Not only that but as we see in the beginning of the drama the bloodied body of Shazad, who after killing Salma stabs himself and throws himself off the apartment block leaving his young son alone as an orphan. It is a double tragedy.

Kiran Sonia Sawar gives a fine performance as a young teenage girl entering into womanhood, in love with a teenage boy and trying to keep her father happy.

Shazad is really not written as a monster, he is a hard working family man who feels he is doing his best for his daughter. His actions are of someone who has just snapped and later realised the consequences of his actions.

The true monsters are Haroon and his father. They are the outsiders, who pressurise Shazad for his young daughter and then point the finger of judgment.

Once these hypocritical behavioural witch hunters are outed, shamed and shunned can the matter of honour killings be tackled.

Shows great insight into another culture's belief.

[alice_herbst · 8/10 · 3 November 2016]

Murdered by My Father is an eye opener for people who don't know about the Muslim's belief about honour killings/shame killing for people who have "brought" disgrace to the family and that these kind of things really happen around the world. It was heart-breaking to see Salma go through so much, having to choose between her cultures/family's beliefs and her own freedom to live a happy life.

The film shows the Muslim culture having big affects on youth as their beliefs aren't as strong as their parents and want to live their own lives. Salma character portrayed this throughout the film especially when she has to choose between the love of her life (Imi) or her family, who are forcing her to marry someone she doesn't like (Haroon) just because her mom promised her to the other family before she died. Salma is 16 when she is going through this, which is something no one should go through especially at her age.

It gave insight that even though Salam's father Shahzad promised he would let her finish school he broke that promise just so that Haroon's family was happy and didn't insult them. This showed that even if the older generation don't believe that strongly about certain things (i.e. the arranged marriage) that they will still go through with it just so that they don't put "shame" on their family or disgrace them.

I think the movie gave a lot of insight on the beliefs (Muslim) about forced marriages, honour/shame killings, and how for us its might seem shocking but in their culture its normal.

Hard-hitting, emotional and very thought-provoking

[lavanyabarnett · 7/10 · 10 November 2016]

Murdered by my father much like its predecessor, Murdered by my boyfriend follows a narrative based on true events, only this time Murdered by my father is more a collection of stories that influence the one story that we as the audience witness. The story follows 16 year old Salma, a British Muslim girl who is has been promised marriage to the less than stellar young man from a different family. Salma as a character is a very relatable and in my opinion very realistic, she attends college, helps out around the home and argues with her younger brother. These factors for me made the story even more tragic and somewhat disturbing due to how normal she was as a person as she really isn't that different from me and other teenagers I know today. The beginning starts very similarly to Murdered by my boyfriend with the ending being shown before the narrative shifts back to the beginning to see how the ending events eventually transpired. Just like MBMB, this beginning is powerful and tragic as the audience already knows how everything is going to end. In regard to the how the subject matter was handled i.e. Honour killing/Asian community. I think they handled it carefully and with great respect which was what the director (Vinay Patel) was going for. The story in turn becomes much more than a daughter dying at the hands of her father but more a story of how the family dynamic can break down due to tradition, personal opinion and love. Overall I can't really say that enjoyed Murdered by my father due to how emotional it was, I can more say I found it very moving, respectful and reflective.

Accurate reflection

[Noortygirl · 9/10 · 4 April 2016]

I just finished watching 'Murdered by My Father' on iPlayer. My heart is in my stomach. It really struck a nerve. It puts up a mirror against (British) Asian culture and touches upon so many important issues. Respectability politics, forced marriages, and societal pressure, which come together to show us the very serious, yet very taboo subject of honour killings. It shows us the danger of treating daughters like possessions, and I cannot emphasise enough how toxic yet unfortunately common that way of thinking is. Girls are often seen as a burden, property that must be passed on from the father to the husband. All the characters fall victim to this deplorable belief.

I sympathise with the main character, Salma, because she's driven by peer pressure and cultural obligations. At times I even feel sorry for the father, who is consumed by pride and "honour". There are so many clever subtleties added in to emphasise how fear tactics are used to force control over young girls like Salma, and how the subject is brushed under the carpet by everyone in the "community". One person literally drew their curtains to everything that was happening. It was ironic. The father tried so hard to seek approval from his community, yet those same people turned their backs on him. It's exactly that sort of mentality that needs to be abolished. The idea that society is everything, and what they think matters. That culture comes above mental health, and personal choice. That pride is more important than life. It's a powerful contemporary drama and I urge everyone to watch it.

ALSO, an outstanding performance by the entire cast, Mawaan Rizwaan (Imi) definitely stood out!

Highlighting the danger of Honour Killings to the public.

[daismorse · 7/10 · 14 December 2016]

'Murdered By My Father' accurately highlights the sinister facts about honour killings in traditional Asian families. Being a 'promised' young girl, Salma finds it difficult to talk to her father about what she really wants. I like how the film has enlightened people about honour killings and was shown on TV instead of just online. Before this film, I didn't realise how common these types of killings were and I believe this film has brightened people's awareness to the subject. Murdered By My Father has shown viewers that reputation means everything, 'embarrassing' your family is technically forbidden, we see in the film that Haroon (her promised husband) takes things out of proportion and labels Salma as something she's not, it angers me how her father didn't stand up for her more, but this is just a true representation of how little dominance some families have. I also wanted Imi to take more control into protecting her, he claims he'd do anything for them two to run away together - but sadly his plan fails and it all concludes with a devastating, but realistic, ending.

A tragic and harrowing drama

[catherine-83217 · 9/10 · 8 November 2016]

Every year, 1,000 woman are reported to die from honour killings in Pakistan but perhaps what is more disturbing is that many more go unreported. Murdered by my father follows the agonizing plight of a young British Asian woman Salma (Kiran Sonia Sawar)who is caught between the stark parallels of modern Western and traditional Eastern beliefs.The circular narrative in which this Channel four drama adopts adds to the painful and heart wrenching sting of Salma's story, and her voice of god narrative over the scene of her dead father makes this a poignant opening for what is an incredibly powerful narrative for the many silent victims of honour based violence internationally.

The tension built up throughout this drama is paramount to sustaining the audience's interest, we know that tragedy will inevitably strike and we are teased as to when. With Salma's dad Shahzad (Adeel Akhtar) growing ever suspicious of Salma's unusually detached and distanced behaviour, we are left on the edge of our seats in fear that Shahzad will discover Salma's secret boyfriend Imi (Mawaan Rizwan. As the plot thickens, we watch Shahzad arrange a marriage for Salma against their agreement, we slowly and agonizingly watch as Salma's relationship with Shahzad deteriorates and Shahzad starts piecing the puzzle together. The ending of this drama is so distressing and disturbing, it is definitely hard to watch. What perhaps makes it worse is how we are teased with hope when Salma rings Imi and Imi rushes to her aid, only to find he was too late.

Murdered by my father serves as a powerful message which punctuates the pain and plight of the many oppressed victims of honour based violence.

Tense and heartbreaking story line

[KatieSMcDonnell · 10 November 2016]

Murdered by My Father, was a drama produced by the BBC based on a true-life honour killing of a British Asian girl. This BBC Drama touches upon many important issues that British Asian cultures' face within society. The writer, Vinay Patel, explores in depth the decisions many Asian families face in order to maintain respect and honour.

The tense and heartbreaking story line reveals the struggles Salma, the main character, has to go through whilst deciding whether to keep the family tradition of an arranged marriage- or prioritise her own individual happiness. Salma's father Shazad reflects the issues within 'respect' and 'honour' in the community. In the beginning Shazad appears to be pressurised by Haroon (Salma's promised husband) and his father, through the consistent rush of Salma's marriage to Haroon. Shazad emphasises this pressure further through the one to one talks he has with Salma and the lines "You carry all of us with you", "When you fail, I fail".

The key themes of family values and social status are reflected throughout this BBC drama. "When you get married I can die happy", Shazad refers to the Asian community accepting their family, as well as no longer needing to seek approval from the community. Throughout the drama the reflection of the whole family was presented through: the belief that society is everything and what they think matters. Within one of the scenes a neighbour in the community drew their curtains- hiding everything that was about to happen, as Salma within the programme "Someone's always watching, trust me".

This powerful, moving drama explores how a young woman falling in love ends with tragic consequences for everyone. Murdered by My Father emphasised in depth the tragic truth within honour killings; through the ending scene the programme stated how many 'honour-based' violence cases were reported since 2010: "12,000".

Honour killings

[dadabarakat · 6/10 · 14 December 2016]

There are approximately 2000 record cases of Honour killings in the UK and 'Murdered By My Father' attempts to shed some light on this subject.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Murdered By My Father is a 2016 drama initially shown online on BBC3 and later shown on BBC1. It tells a compelling story of the dangers of having a closed mind set and the extent to which a person would go to in order to fulfil a promise and keep their 'honour.'

Promised to the dull and sometimes aggressive Haroon, teenager Salma falls in love with Imi. Torn between her supposed duty of marrying Haroon and her feelings for Imi, she embarks on a secret romance with Imi which eventually ends with her demise.

Murdered By My Father depicts culture in a relatively positive and non stereotypical way although it is evident that the main topic of the film is the eventual Honour killing that ends up occurring.

Using a circular narrative in which it is a man that we see dead first, the film attempts to intrigue the audience and keep them guessing as to what is going to happen; although this is overwhelmed by the title of the film.

Murdered By My Father is very blunt in the way that it presents Honour killing which shocks the audience and shows them the reality of what a lot of young women have to go through due to faults not of their own.

Interesting

[joyhussein · 8/10 · 3 November 2016]

This was a thrilling drama. It contained very dramatic scenes that gave viewers an insight of what happens when you bring shame on your family especially in western cultures. This is known as honour killings. It was very disturbing and upsetting to view this as I believe it is wrong and its disappointing to know that even now this is still going on. The drama is a very good film for surveillance as the statistics at the end of the film where true it showed how many deaths have happened due to honour killings. The daughter Salma is the main character she is forced by her father into an arrange marriage as within their culture this is a norm. However she is in love with another man(Imi), he is a good boyfriend and is very respectful towards her. Even when she runs away to his house she is asleep in the bed however he is on the floor which suggest that he is maybe genuinely in love with her as they may not yet be intimate. The daughter suggests that she doesn't mind an arrange marriage if its to Imi however her dad wants her to be with a wealthier man. This film expressed the struggles of women. It was very interesting.

circular narrative for a circular problem

[connor-lynch · 6/10 · 1 November 2016]

in all, i did enjoy it. the father named Shahzad was a great portrayal of those within many religions whom live in old times and have old school beliefs of their religion which do not coincide with 21st century life. Salma has the sympathetic support of the viewer,yet at the same time also infuriates the viewer as she does stupid things that would not end well for her, and does not take the precautions to keep her happiness. which i found rather annoying, because if i was in that situation i would do things differently to prevent unhappiness and murder.

technically, Imi is an antagonist in this as he is upsetting the equilibrium, however he has the sympathetic support of the viewer, as his desires are well met and pure loving, but the way he shows them towards the end are not good as he is.

overall, this is a good piece, however stupid decisions from characters distant it further away from reality.

Needs another episode.

[crimeandpancakes · 8/10 · 28 February 2024]

This was a harrowing watch and you hope for a happy ending. Boy loves girl, girl loves boy. Girl is torn by her heart and tradition and very much tries to follow the path set for her and to honour the promise, but her heart just can't. It's 70 minutes long and ends abruptly, leaving you shell shocked and full of questions. Perhaps that is the intention but I could easily have watched another hour. So much tragedy happens in the final 10 minutes, there were moments where the father asked her to leave and you hoped that she would and then chaos ensues, it's prolonged and difficult to watch. You're left with questions and wondering whah happens next. It's a good drama, well cast but be prepared for the rawness.

wow, just wow!

[avexofoverkill · 6/10 · 3 November 2016]

OMG! to be honest Murdered By My Father was awesome as well as captivating dear I say its almost addictive, it also makes you want to find out what happens next.

I think it explores the very sensitive issues with both arranged marriage and honour killings in Asian communities and families and it does it so well. It represents it in such a way that the viewer feels involved with the programme, the acting was amazing which really helped involve the viewers.

From the very start of the show when we are shown subsequently what happens at the end which allows the rest of the programme to go into depth and chuck us from side to side like a ship on stormy waters.

but not to drone on... it is a fantastic show and I really recommend everyone watches this as in reality this is a real issue and the programme explores it so so so so well. hats off to the director

A tutorial in how to get murdered

[oliviamicroblading · 5/10 · 8 August 2019]

The acting is good and you hate the religious idiot that is her father, unfortunately you soon feel very unsympathetic for the protagonist, Salma, as she seems to beg to be murdered despite having ample opportunity to help herself. Ultimately a very frustrating watch and not very enjoyable because she is that stupid.

heartbreaking....

[fghiasi · 18 April 2016]

just finished watching it felt sick to my stomach and surprised that this happens in London. ...kinda going through the same situation makes me wonder how my own father will react its true a dilemma and a hard choice to make for us middle eastern girls whether to make our parents happy or take our freedom by force. ALTHOUGH this movie is a bit too harsh real parents aren't like that at least not to the extend of murdering their own children then again I don't know until I go through this myself... I don't believe what she did was right but neither wrong. after all what is a girl or any person suppose to do when their own parents don't listen to them i really recommend showing this to your parents and try to show them how wrong forced marriage is PS I agree the title gave it all away they should have made it more mysterious especially the beginning (which is the ending)

review

[jamelsaunders · 10 November 2016]

In this particular documentary it gives us an insight of something called honour killings which is also know as shame killing. In addition to this honour killings is where a family member commits homicide on one of their family members for bringing shame or dishonour on to the family. Murdered by my father gave us a narrative prospective of honour killings it was broadcasted by bbc 3 the director of the documentary was a man called Bruce goodison. The documentary touches on topics such as arranged marriage which is a huge controversy in the Asian community this is evident by when her dad says "she's promised" this implies that she's already been promised to another man. However Selma(daughter) is in love in with another man called (imi)and has a secret relationship with him. The type of documentary is fly on wall. It also has elements of misogyny this is evident by Selma being treated as a house wife since her mother has unfortunately passed away. Moreover, her dad finds out that she has been running away and truanting. School is very important in the Asian community you can see this by Selma dad saying "she needs to study first". This makes the father feel dishonoured and betrayed and that she has brought shame on the family ("when they look at you they see me")meaning the only right thing to do is kill her. Then violence lets loose when Selma gets murdered by her father and her couldn't live himself so he decided to kill himself.

Interesting and action packed.

[peterpearce-58025 · 3 November 2016]

Murdered by my father touches upon a very miserable yet profound and interesting subject of forced marriage and honour killings. In the show the dad Shazad forces this daughter Salma into marriage which is a stereotype of the Asian community however the daughter falls in love with another boy Imi and has a secret relationship with him. this ends up with the dad finding out and the daughter having to run away however in the fathers eyes she had brought shame on the family therefore he would have to shame kill her. This is due to the ideology of honour killings and killing anyone in the family who has brought shame upon the family. The ideology of honour killings is brought to the father by his soon to be brother in law and out o the need for the family to still have respect the father believed he had to kill his daughter but ultimately could not live with him self and committed suicide.