High after the success of his film Zindagi Tamasha, which won a standing ovation at the Busan International Film Festival, ace filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat is all set to start shooting his next film Kamli at various locations in Pakistan. The film starres Saba Qamar in the lead.
Speaking to Variety, Sarmad revealed: “A tragic love story at heart, the film is going to be a fresh mix of a rustic setting captured in a contemporary, universal sensibility.”
“Unlike other films of the genre, Kamli is not only going to depict the vibrancy and humour of rural Punjab but also its poetic lyricism and love-lore in an international film aesthetic,” he added.
The film which is expected to release in Summer 2020 will feature Sania Saeed and Hamza Khwaja along with Saba.
Meanwhile, Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival and was received positively. It will release in Pakistan in January 2020.
Speaking about Zindagi Tamasha, Khoosat said, ”What was most important to me was exploring the idea of tolerance. Tolerance not just to others (to allow people to exist the way they are) but also tolerance to self – and this is where the concept of shame, need for approval, etc. come in to play,” said Khoosat. “I have been in situations where I have felt I should have been more tolerant of others and more accepting of my own self.”
Sharing his thoughts on the evolving Pakistani film industry, Khoosat said, “The mainstream is governed by commerce, but very interesting parallel cinema has also made its space – films like Moor (which was also screened at Busan), Cake, Laal Kabootar, and even my first film Manto. The challenge remains financial support for genres beyond comedy or romance.”
On the ban on Bollywood in Pakistan, Sarmad remarked, “The absence of Indian films has highlighted just how promising the Pakistani industry still is.”
