Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s dark comedy brought its Punjabi story to a London audience on the festival’s opening day.
Pakistani cinema had a moment on one of the world’s biggest film stages this week. Lali, the dark comedy by filmmaker Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, had its UK premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on the festival’s opening day.
Khoosat walked the red carpet alongside lead actors Mamya Shajaffar and Channan Hanif, as well as Farazeh Syed. The festival runs from October 7 to 18 and is the UK’s largest film event, with Lali selected for its Laugh strand, The Express Tribune reported.
The London screening adds to a long festival run for the film, which made history in February as the first fully Pakistani-produced feature to premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Lali Film Story and Cast
Set in Sahiwal, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, and rooted in Punjabi culture, Lali blends dark comedy with supernatural elements. The film is in Punjabi.
Mamya Shajaffar plays Zeba, a young woman branded a cursed bride after the deaths of her previous fiancés. She is pushed into an arranged marriage with Sajawal, played by Channan Hanif, a man with a troubled past and a facial birthmark.
The story explores superstition, grief, relationships and social expectations. The cast also includes Rasti Farooq, Mehar Bano and Juggan Kazim.
Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and the Team Behind Lali
Khoosat directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Sundus Hashmi. Filmmaker Saim Sadiq served as editor and casting director. Lali was produced by Khoosat Films with Dubai-based Enso Studios.
Khoosat is known for Zindagi Tamasha, which was Pakistan’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. He also produced Joyland, directed by Sadiq, which won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2022.
Lali has also screened at festivals in Istanbul, Buenos Aires and across North America, and won Khoosat the Best Director award at the DC South Asian Film Festival in September.
