“LALI” PREMIERES AT BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL WITH SARMAD KHOOSAT & CAST IN ATTENDANCE
Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat joined actors Mamya Shajaffar, Channan Hanif and Farazeh Syed for the UK premiere of Lali at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.
Held at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) on 7 October, the screening marked another milestone in the film’s international festival journey, following its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year.
The Punjabi-language feature blends pitch-black comedy with supernatural elements, exploring love, superstition and the complexities of marriage through a distinctive story rooted in Punjabi culture.
Directed and co-written by Khoosat alongside Sundus Hashmi, Lali centres on Zeba, played by Shajaffar, a young woman considered cursed after the unexpected deaths of her previous fiancés. Her life takes another unexpected turn when she is married to Sajawal, portrayed by Hanif, a man carrying his own insecurities and emotional wounds.
As the couple navigate their arranged marriage, desire, fear and paranoia begin to surface, blurring the boundaries between the living and the dead. Set in Sahiwal, Punjab, the film draws on Punjabi culture, folklore and spiritual beliefs to create a world that moves between domestic drama, dark comedy and the supernatural.
Alongside Shajaffar and Hanif, the ensemble cast includes Rasti Farooq, Farazeh Syed and Mehar Bano. The film also reunites Khoosat with filmmaker Saim Sadiq, who serves as editor and casting director, following their work together on the internationally acclaimed Joyland.
The London premiere follows a significant moment for Pakistani cinema earlier this year, when Lali made its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February. The film was recognised as the first fully Pakistani-produced feature to premiere at the Berlinale, marking an important milestone for the country’s film industry on the international stage.
Known for his distinctive approach to storytelling, Khoosat has built a body of work exploring the tensions between personal desire and societal expectations. His previous projects include Zindagi Tamasha and Kamli, while his work as producer on Joyland helped bring another Pakistani story to international audiences. With Lali, he continues to explore complex relationships and cultural traditions through an unconventional cinematic lens.
The film’s selection for the BFI London Film Festival offers UK audiences an opportunity to experience a contemporary Punjabi-language story that combines familiar social realities with unexpected twists. By examining the pressures surrounding marriage, family and tradition, Lali brings a distinctive perspective on relationships and the expectations that shape them.
The 70th BFI London Film Festival ran from 7th to 18th October 2026, celebrating international filmmaking and bringing stories from around the world to UK audiences.
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