How 2026 Can Be a Better Year for Pakistani Cinema

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that 2025 was one of the worst years for the Pakistani cinema industry. Most of the films released were not up to international standards, and many cinemas went out of business. However, 2026 might prove to be a better year than its predecessor, as several films are slated for release over the next 12 months.

Some are big-budget action flicks, while others are rom-coms—the genre most loved by Pakistani audiences. It remains to be seen whether these films can do what 2025 couldn’t: bring audiences back to cinemas and save the dying industry. Let’s take a look at the films that might play an important role in shaping Pakistani cinema—for better or for worse—in 2026.

Aag Lagay Basti Main (Eid ul Fitr)

Cast: Fahad Mustafa, Mahira Khan, Javed Sheikh, Tabish Hashmi
Director: Bilal Atif Khan

Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan reunite after Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad in Big Bang Entertainment’s debut feature film, directed by first-time director Bilal Atif Khan. Slated for release on Eid ul Fitr, the film’s teaser went viral on the day of its release. It showcased Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan as a young, poor couple aspiring to become rich, while introducing Tabish Hashmi, making his acting debut. A lot rests on the film’s success, considering it was Fahad Mustafa's Na Maloom Afraad that rescued the cinema industry in 2014—and the same responsibility falls on his shoulders 12 years later.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTC12eMjGoN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Love Di Saun (Eid ul Adha)

Cast: Farhan Saeed, Mamya Shajaffar
Director: Imran Malik

Sons of legendary director Pervez Malik, Irfan and Imran Malik, reunite to bring Love Di Saun to cinemas on Eid ul Adha. The film introduces Mamya Shajaffar as the leading lady and gives Farhan Saeed his second break as a film actor. While the teaser hasn’t been released yet, the rushes suggest that it could be ARY Films’ trump card of the year, especially in the absence of a Humayun Saeed film.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTkgX30iMCq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Khan Tumhara (Eid ul Adha)

Cast: Bilal Ashraf, Maya Ali
Director: Ehteshamuddin

Veteran director Ehteshamuddin and actor-producer Bilal Ashraf combine their creative energies to bring the action flick Khan Tumhara later this year. Also starring Maya Ali, the film’s teaser looks stunning, as does its cast. Neither Bilal nor Maya has looked this fresh on film or television, and their new action avatars are sure to surprise fans. The film’s action and stunts are rumored to have been designed by international fight and stunt coordinators, and, if true, could significantly raise the standard of Pakistani cinema.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ84M0cCKQt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Untitled Nabeel Qureshi Film (Eid ul Adha)

Cast: Fahad Mustafa, Mehwish Hayat
Director: Nabeel Qureshi

Not much is known about Nabeel Qureshi and Mehwish Hayat’s upcoming film, except that it reunites the dynamic duo with the director-producer team of Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza—the minds behind Na Maloom Afraad, Actor in Law, and Load Wedding. Whether the same magic will work again after eight years remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: audiences are likely to love the end result.

Mera Lyari

Cast: Ayesha Omer, Dananeer Mobeen
Director: Abu Aleeha

Formerly titled Behnaz, this Abu Aleeha film is set in Lyari and revolves around a female football team from the area. Backed by the Sindh government, the film promises to show the world the real face of Lyari—far removed from the distorted image popularized by the Bollywood film Dhurandhar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSRCgF_iJMj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Bullah (Eid ul Adha)

Cast: Shaan Shahid, Sara Loren, Saleem Sheikh, Adnan Butt
Director: Shoaib Khan

Shaan Shahid returns to Punjabi cinema with Bullah, penned by Nasir Adeeb and featuring a star-studded cast. Directed by Shoaib Khan, the film is on track for an Eid ul Adha release. While audiences have little idea what the film is about, the producers are confident that the trailer will surprise both fans and detractors of Shaan Shahid, who is said to have outdone himself.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRbmMqJjATy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Delhi Gate (Eid ul Fitr)

Cast: Yasser Khan, Shamoon Abbasi, Roma Michael, Javed Sheikh, Shafqat Cheema
Director: Nadeem Cheema

Delhi Gate is an old-school Pakistani film about a young boy and girl who fall in love but must fight societal evils—in this case, powerful figures and gangsters. The trailer promises action from the very start, much of which takes place near the famous gate of the Walled City, giving the film its title.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DS0Zb1ODK3Y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Laddu

Cast: Farhan Saeed, Kinza Hashmi, Raza Samo, Areej Chaudhry
Director: Abu Aleeha

The much-anticipated romantic comedy was late director Furqan T. Siddiqui’s brainchild and is now being completed by Abu Aleeha. The film stars Farhan Saeed and Kinza Hashmi in the lead roles and also features Nayyer Ijaz, Adnan Shah Tipu, Noor ul Hassan, Irfan Motiwala, Raza Samo, and Areej Chaudhry in supporting roles.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DN5odI2jFOn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Her Pher

Cast: Umer Aalam, Ehsal Fayyaz, Sakhawat Naaz, Iftikhar Thakur, Sardar Kamal, Shahid Khawaja
Director: Abu Aleeha

Writer-director Abu Aleeha prefers to keep his films close to his heart, which is why little is known about them before release. Tragically, comedian Sardar Kamal, a member of the cast, passed away during filming, halting the film’s progress. However, the comedy is expected to be completed later this year, and audiences are excited to see some of the best comedians from Karachi and Lahore together on the big screen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-EA5bWgA3p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Mango Jatt (Punjabi)

Cast: Faysal Qureshi, Hareem Farooq, Shamoon Abbasi
Director: Abu Aleeha

If you thought Faysal Qureshi was brilliant in Deemak, think again. He returns in a completely different avatar in Mango Jatt. Produced by Hareem Farooq—who also plays the leading lady—the film is being touted as one of the most expensive productions in Pakistani cinema. Its biggest strength lies in its promise to take audiences back to the era of carefree romantic comedies that never took themselves seriously, yet entertained from start to finish.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6WxLR6MH6O/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Seylum (Punjabi)

Cast: Muneeb Butt, Amna Ilyas, Shehryar Cheema, Adnan Butt
Director: Abu Aleeha

Writer-director Abu Aleeha likes to keep his films close to his heart, which is one reason little is known about this project ahead of its release. However, watching Amna Ilyas and Muneeb Butt together in a Punjabi-language action comedy is a temptation not many can resist.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCY_jRfIYqv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Aasman Boley Ga

Cast: Emmad Irfani, Maya Ali
Director: Shoaib Mansoor

When Shoaib Mansoor decided to move forward with Aasman Boley Ga, the situation at the Indo-Pak border was relatively stable. Over the past few years, however, tensions have escalated, making a feature film about a Pakistani Air Force officer and an Indian reporter almost unthinkable—even with the director of Bol and Khuda Ke Liye at the helm. One hopes the film is released this year—perhaps on Defence Day or Air Force Day in September—so audiences can finally witness what may be the culmination of Mansoor’s brilliance as a filmmaker.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrOC8pIurX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Untitled Shaan Shahid Project

Cast: Shaan Shahid, Meera, Sonya Hussyn
Director: Shaan Shahid

Very little is known about Shaan Shahid’s upcoming directorial venture, except that it is expected to shock even his most loyal fans. Featuring two of the most prominent actresses of this generation—Meera and Sonya Hussyn—the film is likely to hit cinemas by the end of the year, especially since Shaan Shahid is currently busy as an actor in Bullah.