This year’s Lux Style Awards were more than just a ceremony celebrating the best of the entertainment industry. We got two sweet surprises that definitely became the highlights of the event.
Actress Sarwat Gilani showed everyone how to leave a mark even when you’re not nominated, by announcing her pregnancy in a picture with the rest of the ‘Joyland’ cast.
“Couldn’t think of a better picture to announce our new arrival! Celebrating together the biggest joy of now and the future.”
Celebrities were as moved by the announcement as social media users, congratulating the actress on her impending bundle of joy.
Mira Sethi and Frieha Altaf sent their congratulations to the actress.
Sarwat was not the only celebrity to share her pregnancy announcement, however. Actress Urwa Hocane moved social media to tears when she shared a picture of herself and husband Farhan Saeed along with her visible baby bump, announcing that they were set to become parents for the first time.
The final nominations for the prestigious Lux Style Awards 2023 are finally here, celebrating the best of the art and culture of Pakistan. The 22nd award ceremony will be held in Karachi, attended by the creme de la creme of the entertainment industry.
This year marks a cultural shift as Pakistani entertainment is fresh off the high of global praise. Songs from Coke Studio like ‘Pasoori’ by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill received international acclaim, and the later was also the subject of a controversial re-make in the Bollywood film ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.
Pakistani films like Kamli by Sarmad Khoosat were well received , as well as ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ which was sadly not included in the nominations after the producers released a statement saying the ceremony’s limited film categories honoring writers and directors is the reason why they did not submit their film as consideration.
‘Joyland’ by Saim Sadiq which featured the transgender actress Alina Khan, is among the most nominated films in the awards ceremony. The movie received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, and was shortlisted as a nomination for the Academy Awards.
Check out which one of your favorite film, drama or actors made it as the final nomination.
It has been months, but yet the impact that Pakistani writer and director Saim Sadiq managed to create with his debut film ‘Joyland’ is still a joy to witness, especially how Indian audiences are praising the filmmaker and the cast for how they tackled a sensitive topic in a beautiful way.
Indian director Nikkhil Advani attended a screening of the film where there was an interactive session with Sadiq, and along with the rest of the cast. Sharing pictures from the full house event, he praised the film as well as Sadiq for his grip on the story and incredible talent as a director:
“We closed the season of Cinema House at G5A foundation with the incredible Joyland. Saim’s control of the writing and the craft is masterful. What bold choices he has made in every department need to be first applauded and then studied.”
He also praised the acting skills of Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Raasti Farooq:
“Rasti, Alina, and Ali – my god, what performances. We all just sat for a few minutes in stunned silence. Apoorva Charan – more power to you and I know whatever you choose to do in the future is going to be so so special. Thank you.”
The director shared another picture of the completely occupied house, as well as the interactive session held with the cast members
Sadiq, who has been signed with talent agency CAA, had spoken to The Guardian about the inspiration behind his film, when in 2016, he took a semester off from Colombia University where he was completing his Masters, to go back to Lahore and visit theatres. Sadiq recounted how he spent four months visiting exotic theatres, talking to dancers:
“Pakistan has become a bit schizophrenic, it’s a bit bipolar,” revealed Sadiq. “People pray and then they do a lot of things that they’re not supposed to do. There are these weird sort of outlets that people have found to be able to express themselves.”
Speaking on the ban, which was initiated by the Punjab government in 2022, Sadiq said:
“It’s mostly people trying to avoid discomfort that stems from the idea that people have sex. We spend our lives trying to hide our desires and the fact that other people have desires around us.”
British newspaper Guardian released an article on some of the best films of 2023 so far, ranging from horror to thrillers and animated comedy films like ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”.
On the 15th place is Pakistani writer and director Saim Sadiq’s debut film ‘Joyland’ which starred Ali Juenjo and transgender model Alina Khan.
Discussion the significance of the film, the article described it as “a movie about people who find their inner lives and sense of themselves don’t match up to what is expected of them. Their feeling of wrongness is part of what they have to suppress, from day to day.”
The film, which was banned in Punjab last year just 24 hours after it got a certificate of approval from CBFC, had aired in India in March, receiving positive remarks from watchers who described their experience as ‘magical’:
One user wrote:
“Still can’t get over the experience of watching Joyland on big screen. I’ve never seen the crowd get this hyped, laugh and cry together for a movie before, magical experience.”
still can’t get over the experience of watching Joyland on big screen. I’ve never seen the crowd get this hyped, laugh and cry together for a movie before, magical experience pic.twitter.com/rEnltdZca1
“Joyland is fantastic, heartbreaking and beautifully made – the experience of watching it amongst an engaged enthusiastic audience last night at the Habitat center film festival was exhilarating. Also what about this poster by Salman toor!”
Joyland is fantastic, heartbreaking and beautifully made – the experience of watching it amongst an engaged enthusiastic audience last night at the Habitat center film festival was exhilarating. Also what about this poster by Salman toor! pic.twitter.com/l2lCRz7o7L
Last night’s screening of Joyland in Delhi was magical. People waiting in lines for a Pakistani film that so lyrically talks about patriarchy and the loneliness it breeds. People sitting on floors in awe, clapping and crying in unison. Through grief and borders, art finds a way. pic.twitter.com/pLfTuLOHnO
Social activist and film producer Malala sat down with Joyland screenwriter and director Saim Sadiq for an interview on Sky News, where she spoke about the reason that prompted her to become a producer for the film. The Nobel Prize winner revealed that storytelling was an important part of activism: “In my next phase of activism, I have to look at other means of storytelling as well. Activism needs to go beyond just working with an NGO. We need to find other ways in which we challenge the social norms that deny women their basic rights.”
Yosafzai also reflected on why it was important that the main character of the film, Biba, was played by the trans actress Alina Khan, so that the story could accurately reflect the plights of the trans community.
“The screen helps us to connect with people and really helps us to be more tolerant with others. I was so grateful that Saim made sure that the trans role is played by a trans woman. This was critical. Everyone’s story is important and it deserves to be told by them. And a trans person should be given the rights that everyone else is given,” she said.
The Nobel laureate said that it was unfortunate that we don’t want people to talk about issues and don’t want these stories to make it to the screen. “I hope we can challenge that,” she stated.
The ban on ‘Joyland’ came up in the discussion when director Saim Sadiq reflected back on how the film ‘‘turned out to be a big act of resistance.” “I realised when the film was being released, that there are a lot of people who are very uncomfortable with just the existence of this film,” he said.
“Banning the film is perhaps the fastest way to make activism work and to get everybody to talk about the issues we want them to talk about.”
Speaking to Express Tribune, the ‘Joyland’ team confirmed the report that the Oscar-shortlisted film is set to release in India and other countries as well. This news comes on the heels of the cancellation of the Indian release of The Legend of Maula Jatt after the film faced opposition by BJP politicians. Joyland will be the second Pakistani film to release in India, nearly a decade after Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol was released in the country.
Despite the ban in Punjab and backlash from religous clerics, the film is among the shortlisted films for the ‘Best International Film’ category for the Academy Awards. The final list of nominations will be announced on 24th January, with the final ceremony to be held on 12th March.
Speaking to CNN, Sadiq said that films like Joyland were important because they provided a realistic depiction of Pakistan:
“What’s different in Joyland than perhaps all the other Pakistani films is that it is the most realistic depiction of our society without romanticising any aspect of it. It’s not something that people are used to seeing, that is, a reflection of yourself – that can be haunting but also uncomfortable.”
The filmmaker added, “For me, seeing a film set in Pakistan about patriarchy and gender roles and the impact of those on human beings was important.”
Academy and Emmy award winner Riz Ahmed announced on social media yesterday that he had joined the Pakistani film ‘Joyland’ as an Executive Producer. Calling the film ‘ground breaking’, Ahmed praised Saim Sadiq’s writing and direction and also the performances of the actors in the movie.
Calling the film ‘ground breaking’ Ahmed praised Saim Sadiq’s writing and direction and also praised the performances done by actors in the movie
“Saim Sadiq’s filmmaking is both understated and gut-wrenching. His writing is consistently unexpected, and every scene is so elegantly composed but still bursting with raw performances. JOYLAND is one of the best films of the year, and against all odds of resources and marketing budgets, it’s been amazing to see festival juries, audiences, and critics shouting that from the rooftops.
The Current reached out to Saim Sadiq for a statement and his response was: “Very grateful yar and very humbled. We are all just trying to do our best by this film of ours.”
On Alina Khan’s birthday, director and writer of ‘Joyland’ Saim Sadiq took to Instagram to appreciate the actor’s talent and creative spirit by sharing how the two had bonded together before shooting a scene in Joyland where the audience meets Biba for the first time.
You can read the full post below:
A day before the shoot for Darling, Alina disappeared for hours. @sanajafri14 and I texted her to bring this particular pair of shoes with her that she had to wear for her first scene. The first scene this magnificently talented girl would ever shoot in her life. But Alina just wouldn’t answer anyone’s call.
No one could trace her until 12 am at night when she finally called me from an unknown number. I could tell that she was trembling when she said she was stuck in “a situation” and just ran away from it and now needs a place to stay the night. I told her to come over.
She finally arrived at 2 am. She had bruises on her neck from the assault that she had managed to run away from. Yet, all she cared about was that she makes it to set on time and not lose this opportunity. And in that escape, she lost her phone and handbag. All she managed to bring with her were the shoes and she kept assuring herself and me that everything was still fine because she had her shoes for her first scene. I gave her an ointment, she slept in my sister’s room and the next morning we started the shoot, cracking jokes and being chill as if nothing had happened.
Years later, we shot for her introductory scene as Biba in Joyland and had the most cathartic experience of our lives. Both of us found a quiet room to discuss what we normally only joke about: the casualness with which we have to process the violence around us. We both cried and got the tears out of our systems because we didn’t want Biba to cry in the scene. She was going to show up with the blood on her shirt and there was going to be no explanation to where it came from. Because the everyday violence around us never ever makes sense. We hugged and cried again after packup because we knew… this was our scene.
It’s hard for me to think of a person who is more unaware of their inspirational status in other people’s lives than Alina! You are a true heroine of our times! Happy Birthday, @onlyalinakhan ! Thank you for your talent, your spirit, and your magical artistry!
Under pressure from conservatives, the federal government banned Saim Sadiq’s Joyland a few days before its countrywide release. After severe backlash on social media and mainstream media, the federal government finally reconsidered its decision and lifted the ban on Joyland. Less than 24 hours after the federal government decided to lift the ban, the Punjab government of issued a notice to the film’s producer, Sarmad Khoosat, saying that they cannot exhibit the film in the jurisdiction of Punjab province. Joyland is the country’s official entry for the Oscars, paving the way for Pakistan to make a name at the Academy Awards, with a bright chance to bring the Oscar home.
So how did a film promising to spread joy, receiving a 10-minute standing ovation from the august audience at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, ended up getting banned in its own country and the very province it was filmed in, Punjab. Set in the eastern city of Lahore, Joyland tackles issues of gender and sexuality – taboo topics in Pakistan – through the story of a married man who falls in love with a transgender dancer, played by transgender actress Alina Khan. From what we understand, the story is about love, acceptance and tackling issues in relevance to gender. So the problem is basically because of the love between a transgender and a man in the movie.
Any marginalised community in a country goes through struggles and challenges of its own. From their right to live to their right to freedom, their existence revolves around many obstacles. Pakistan is no different. The transgender community in Pakistan is a marginalised community that on a daily basis is ridiculed, harassed, abused, and given life threats. And this has been a pattern for many years. So the treatment with “Joyland” has been no different.
The question is: what are we scared of? Does the representation of a marginlised community make us weak as a nation or does it make us stronger? How is upholding the ban in the wake of no real logic correct? How is Joyland a threat to the country’s cultural and social fabric? Pakistani cinema was in need of a moment like Joyland, until the bans which took away the joy from the land where transgenders are only laughed at, mocked, abused and not to forget, killed. It is acceptable to show transgenders being made fun of, but once they are shown as normal persons, living normal lives, it somehow becomes problematic and against social values. Isn’t it hypocritical of us? Joyland was one way people could understand and learn the pain and troubles the trans community goes through. But systems in Pakistan work and behave differently for the ones who are ‘different’. So here we are banning a film on a transgender and barring them an existence in fiction. Now imagine their existence in the real world. What is peculiarly interesting about the public outcry for the ban on “Joyland” is from people who are up in arms against a movie they haven’t seen.
We as a nation want to see the cinema and film industry thrive — but look at what we do to people who are the reason that art, film and Pakistan can flourish. We are habitual haters of a thriving society. We just hope that Punjab, which has significantly become a “joyless land” learns from the provinces next to it, remembers to laugh, be okay to experiment and above all, becomes a joyland.
The government of Pakistan banned Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender “Joyland” for containing “highly objectionable” material, earlier this month.
An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.
“Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi publicly requested the current federal minister of Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb to review the ban and meet the film’s team.
PM @CMShehbaz has constituted a high level committee to assess #Joyland and review its ban.
The committee will assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan.
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) November 14, 2022
Sufi later revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to assess Joyland and review its ban.
Latest Update (Ban Reversed)
The globally acclaimed and multiple award-winning Pakistani film Joyland has been given green signal by the censor board of Pakistan after reviewing it on the Prime Minister’s directions.
The full board has allowed the local screening of Joyland after deleting some parts. The film was initially set to have a commercial release in Pakistan on November 18.
PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a cabinet committee to look into the matter after some schools of thought had objected to the movie.
Release Stopped By Punjab Government
Following yesterday’s clearance by the censor board, Joyland’s theatrical release has once again been halted, this time by the government of Punjab.
The Government of Punjab has retracted its No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the movie Joyland. The notification issued by Information and Culture Department reads that Punjab government, in the wake of complaints, has decided to ‘recall’ the movie by “exercising powers conferred under Section-9 (1 and 2) Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979.” “You are therefore directed not to exhibit above titled film in the jurisdiction of Punjab province till further orders of the Govt,” reads the notification.
Reactions On The Ban
Saim and his team members raised their voices against the ban imposed by the government. Terming the ban a “grave injustice,” Sadiq, in an Instagram post, says that the ban is “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal” and has urged the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review the decision.
Apart from the film’s team, A-list celebrities and media personalities also reacted to the news and expressed their support for the film.
#ReleaseJoyland ! There is no reason not to. Be proud of the work that our artists create not afraid! Give your own people the respect they get in foreign lands. Support us, stand by us and we as Pakistani artists will make this country proud! https://t.co/6jQizg0Xbx
Set in Lahore, the film revolves around Haider, the youngest son of the middle-class, patriarchal Rana family. As the Ranas yearn for the birth of a baby boy, Haider secretly joins an erotic dance theater and finds himself falling for a fiercely ambitious trans starlet. Their love story illuminates the secrets and desires of the entire Rana family.
The film debuted at the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes earlier this year, where it won the jury prize. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai later joined the project as an executive producer. It is Pakistan’s entry in the Oscars’ international feature category.
Recently it also won the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ young cinema award, given in partnership with critics’ association NETPAC and the Griffith Film School.
After hearing of the ban, APSA said in a written statement: “ ‘Joyland’ represents a significant new cinematic talent in Saim Sadiq from Pakistan, who has crafted a moving and entertaining drama about family in his debut feature film. The Young Cinema Award Jury commends Saim Sadiq for his brave and joyous celebration of community diversity and the universality of love.”
