Channel 4’s South Asian Film Season 2024 is bringing Pakistani film ‘Kamli’ to screens this September. The film is directed by the seasoned director Sarmad Khoosat, while the screenplay is written by Fatimah Sattar. Kamli will air in the early hours of Tuesday, 10 Septmber at 1:45 am on Channel 4.
When it was released on June 3, 2022, Kamli received widespread praise for its gripping storyline and stunning cinematography. The film is an emotional drama that explores the complexities of love, loss, and longing in rural Pakistan. At the Lux Style Awards 2023, Kamli won Film of the Year in the Viewer’s Choice category, and Sarmad Khoosat received the Best Film Director Critic’s Choice award for his exceptional work on the film.
This season’s lineup also features an incredible range of films from across South Asia, including Joram, Bhagwan Bharose, Barir Naam Shahana (A House Named Shahana), The World is Family, Something Like an Autobiography, Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl), and Paradise.
Director Sarmat Khoosat’s beleaguered film ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ is making history as the first full-length film to partner with TikTok. The film will be divided into 12 to 15 parts, each part lasting more than a minute and will be available on Tik Tok.
‘Zindagi Tamasha’ (Circus of Life) tells the story of a religious man who faces criticism for dancing, highlighting Pakistan’s strict gender roles. Despite controversy, the film won international awards, including the Kim Ji-Seok Award and Snow Leopard Award for Best Film. It was also Pakistan’s official entry for the 93rd Academy Awards.
Tik Tok press team quoted Sarmad Khoosat as saying, “Our film inspires kindness, promotes tolerance, and encourages peace. I’m thrilled it will be the first Pakistani film officially released on TikTok, and we cannot wait for the platform’s vibrant global community to enjoy the movie.”
Two Pakistani films are winning prestigious awards at international platforms. ‘In Flames’, directed and written by Zarrar Kahn, has won local and international praise since its release. The film has now won the prestigious ‘International Newcomer Award’ at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg. Taking to his Instagram account, Zarrar quoted a statement from the festival’s jury along with a picture where he posed with the award:
“Our award goes to a filmmaker who manages to shift and play with genre while maintaining a connection both to his audience as well as his protagonist throughout the film. The main character is a young woman who is allowed to be both brave and fragile, and she is brought to life through a wonderful debut performance that complements the mise-en-scene. The winner is In Flames.”
The Instagram account for the movie shared another clip from the event, adding in the caption that this was the first time in 70 years a Pakistani director had the honour to take home such a prestigious award.
While Sarmad Khoosat’s film ‘Kamli’ continues to win accolades even a year after its release. In Belarus, the Saba Qamar starrer bagged three awards at the prestigious Minsk International Film Festival. Qamar received the Best Actor Award, director Sarmad received Best Director and the Viewer’s Choice award.
The Lux Style Awards really lived up to its name last night with how the creme de la creme of Pakistan’s entertainment industry came out, dressed to the nines. Some of the biggest stars of Pakistan were present to celebrate the night’s occasion like Saba Qamar, Saim Sadiq, Yumna Zaidi, and even Maya Ali. Most importantly, who were the best looks of the night? This time we can safely say that celebrities served a whole three course dinner with the way they slayed on the red carpet, and we’re sharing some of the looks that had us going oh la la!
Haseena Yumna Zaidi was the belle of the ball last night, walking away with two of the biggest awards and looking like she stepped out of a fairy tale. The actress wore a shimmering ensemble by Noor H Gul, paired with a simple makeup look and her hair in an elegant bun.
Alina Khan may have only stepped into the main screen last year with her standout performance as Biba in ‘Joyland’ but she isn’t ready to fade away yet. The actress left everyone spellbound by how serene she looked at the awards last night with a decorated peplum she paired with a black silk skirt, and silver earrings, to make her outfit shine.
Saba Qamar was a vision of elegance in the silk gown she had donned for the red carpet, and then the glittering ivory saari she wore during the performances. The actress walked away with the Best Actress award because of her stellar performance in ‘Kamli’.
Shae Gill won us over last year with her gorgeous singing but she is also ready to win more hearts with her sense of style. The ‘Sukoon’ singer looked gorgeous posing in a shimmery white gown with her hair pulled back in a bun, and was the recipient of the Most Streamed Song Of The Year award for ‘Pasoori’.
The headliner of the awards, and the one with whom we close this piece with a bang was definitely Ayesha Omar. She didn’t just come to serve, she came to break all expectations and leave us absolutely flabbergasted, even though the actress was not nominated for any awards. The ‘Bulbulay’ actress looked as if she stepped out of a Gatsby party with her glittering, dark blue ensemble along with her hair set in a 50’s style hairdo. We feel a separate category should be set up by Lux just to award the stylish person of the night: so that Ayesha wins every time!
Director Sarmad Khoosat’s latest film Kamli headlined by superstar Saba Qamar and newcomer Hamza Khawaja has been garnering positive word-of-mouth by cinemagoers which has translated into a steady second week at the box office.
The Khoosat Films venture has received a vast array of glowing reviews. Now, the film that has been touted by many to be one of the standout films that the country has produced, is pacing forward as more and more people flock to cinemas to see what the hype is about.
The weekend numbers for Kamli are:
Day 1 (Friday): 32 lacs
Day 2 (Saturday): 44 lacs
Day 3 (Sunday) : 42 lacs
Day 4 – Monday: 23 lacs
Day 5 – Tuesday: 21 lacs
Day 6 – Wednesday: 22 lacs
Day 7 – Thursday: 21 lacs
Week 1: 2.05 crore
Week 2: 1.47 crore
Total: 3.52 crore
The second week collection confirms financial recovery of the project through theatrical avenue.
