[1][2] The film stars Samiya Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Ajab Gul and Samina Ahmad.

It is the story of a mother and her ten-year-old daughter,[3] who leave their home to save the girl from an arranged marriage to a tribal leader.

Tormented at the prospect that her daughter's life might be a repetition of her own, Allah Rakhi flees with the oblivious young girl in tow.

Pursued by Daulat Khan and Tor Gul's henchmen, and knowing that she is highly conspicuous as an unaccompanied woman on a mountain road, Allah Rakhi sneaks on board a truck.

When Sohail learns of the real reason for Allah Rakhi's flight, he is forced to decide whether he will endanger his own life to deliver mother and daughter to safety in Lahore.

Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the film glowingly, "The story has all the makings of a great against-all-odds adventure tale, abetted by spectacular location shooting and an outcome that is never a foregone conclusion...Afia Nathaniel's feature directing debut generates enough tension to fuel a harrowing real-life story while adding another unforgettable heroine to cinema from the region with Samiya Mumtaz's measured portrayal of a Muslim woman taking charge of her life.

"[26] Film producer Iram Parveen Bilal said, "Dukhtar is a story told with visually striking images, sensitive characters and most importantly, with a heart.

A strong plot, coupled with fabulous music, some very good actors and watertight direction – Dukhtar has no allusions towards Bollywood or Hollywood and it doesn't need to.

"[27] Nicholas Bell of Ion Cinema reviewed the film, "Samiya Mumtaz manages to be rather mesmerizing as a soft-spoken wife that surprises herself with her own survival skills.

The underlying theme of this film is swara, a custom practiced in Pakistan's northern areas, where a girl child is given away in marriage to settle a blood feud between families or tribes.

"[29] Salman Junejo reviewed the film for his The Express Tribune blog, "Rarely do movies of such calibre come along that transcend generations and provoke our greater thought process, not because of impressive visuals, A-list actors, extravagant set pieces and locales but because of its strong story-driven narrative – narrative that is deeply entrenched into the harsh realities of life, as opposed to a work of fiction.