SARMAD KHOOSAT’S “LALI” COMES TO THE 70th BFI London Film Festival 2026

From acclaimed Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Sultan Khoosat comes Lali, a bold and genre-defying Punjabi-language drama that explores love, desire, superstition and the complexities of marriage through a darkly comic and deeply unsettling lens.

The film made cinematic history with its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026, becoming the first all-Pakistani production to premiere at the Berlinale. Since then, Lali has travelled across the international festival circuit, with screenings in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Austin, Da Nang, Washington DC and beyond, bringing its distinctive vision of contemporary Pakistani storytelling to audiences around the world.

Set in Sahiwal, Punjab, Lali centres on Zeba, played by Mamya Shajaffar, a young woman regarded as a “cursed bride” after three of her previous fiancés die before their weddings. Her life takes another unexpected turn when she is married to Sajawal, played by Channan Hanif, a man carrying his own insecurities, fears and emotional wounds.

What begins as an arranged marriage soon becomes an increasingly complex relationship shaped by desire, paranoia, superstition and the pressures of tradition. As Zeba and Sajawal struggle to navigate their new lives together, the boundaries between love, fear and obsession begin to blur, while the worlds of the living and the dead appear to exist side by side.

At the heart of Lali is a story about the expectations placed upon marriage, masculinity and family, told through Khoosat’s distinctive cinematic language. The film draws on Punjabi cultural traditions, folklore, spiritual beliefs and contemporary social dynamics, creating a world that feels both deeply rooted and unexpectedly surreal.

Directed and co-written by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat alongside Sundus Hashmi, Lali brings together an accomplished creative team. The film features cinematography by Khizer Idrees, editing and casting by Saim Sadiq, and music by Abdullah Siddiqui. The ensemble cast includes Mamya Shajaffar, Channan Hanif, Rasti Farooq, Farazeh Syed and Mehar Bano.

Known for his work across film, television and theatre, Khoosat has established himself as one of Pakistan’s distinctive contemporary filmmakers. His previous films include Zindagi Tamasha and Kamli, while he also produced Saim Sadiq’s acclaimed Joyland, which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. With Lali, Khoosat once again turns his attention towards the tensions between individual desire and the social structures that surround it.

Visually rich and rooted in the rhythms and textures of Punjabi life, Lali combines dark comedy, drama and elements of the supernatural to create a story that continually shifts between the familiar and the uncanny. Its exploration of marriage, inherited trauma, societal expectations and intimate relationships gives the film a universal emotional core, while its distinctly Pakistani setting and Punjabi-language storytelling place it firmly within a rich cultural tradition.

Following its extensive international festival journey, Lali arrives in the UK as part of the 2026 BFI London Film Festival. The film will screen in Punjabi with English subtitles, offering UK audiences the opportunity to experience one of the most distinctive new voices in contemporary Pakistani cinema on the festival stage.

Lali is a striking exploration of what happens when love, destiny and superstition collide — a story where marriage becomes a battleground for identity, desire and control, and where the past refuses to stay buried. Watch the trailer here. 

Lali premieres on 7th October at the BFI London Film Festival 2026. Get your tickets here. 

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