Zindagi Tamasha
Poster
Directed bySarmad Khoosat
Written byNirmal Bano
Produced byKanwal Khoosat
Starring
CinematographyKhizer Idrees
Music by
  • Saakin
  • Shamsher Rana
Production
company
Khoosat Films
Distributed byIMGC Global
Release dates
  • 3 October 2019 (2019-10-03) (Busan)
  • 4 August 2023 (2023-08-04)
Running time
138 minutes
CountryPakistan
Languages
  • Urdu
  • Punjabi

Zindagi Tamasha, titled Circus of Life in English, is a 2019 Pakistani drama film directed by Sarmad Khoosat. It premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival, and won awards at Busan and at the 2021 Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film was set to be released in Pakistan cinemas on 18 March 2022, but was postponed indefinitely following widespread protests by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.[1][2]

After multiple delayed releases and the censorship it faced, it was eventually released on YouTube on 4 August 2023.[3]

Plot

A devout Muslim who writes, composes, and even records hymns praising the Prophet Muhammad, Rahat is a respected elderly man who works in real estate and takes care of his bedridden wife.[4] One day, he attends the wedding of a friend's son, where he inadvertently shows off a dance in front of his friends. His dance gets recorded and then uploaded to social media, which then gets broadcast on television.[5] And the chaos begins to ensue in his quiet life. Other than his wife, no one else in the world understands Rahat's circumstances. His daughters and neighbors criticize him, his friends turn their backs on him. Circus of Life provides a calm and detailed picture of challenging issues,[6] in a strict Muslim society and the search for the identity of an elderly man who gradually comes to realize his "minoritiness".[7]

Cast

  • Arif Hassan as Rahat Khawaja;[8] a devout Muslim becomes victim of a leaked video
  • Samiya Mumtaz[9] as Farkhanda; Rahat's bedridden wife
  • Eman Suleman as Sadaf; Rahat and Farkhanda's daughter
  • Ali Kureshi as Danish;[10] Sadaf's husbad
  • Faani Jan as Faisal; Rahat's friend, Asad's father
  • Arslan Khan as Asad; Faisal's son
  • Adeel Afzal as Usman; a DVD shop owner
  • Shahrus Khan as Muzammil; leaks Rahat's dancing video
  • Zoya Uzair as Amara; Sadaf's co-producer
  • Sikandar Nawaz Rajpoot as Young eunuch; eunuch in the neighborhood of Rahat

Cameos

Production

Zindagi Tamasha is a Pakistani drama film directed by Sarmad Khoosat.[11]

The title of the film is inspired by the eponymous song of the film Naukar Wohti Da (1974), the rights of which were purchased by Khoosat.[12] It is produced by Khoosat's sister, Kanwal Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano. The film features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi.[13]

The film was set to release on 24 January 2020 under the banner of Khoosat Films; however, Pakistan's Central Film Censor Board asked director of film to approach the Council of Islamic Ideology for critically reviewing his film. This film shows an intimate portrait of a family who lives in Lahore.[14][15]

Release

Zindagi Tamasha premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 6 October 2019 under the section "A Window on Asian Cinema".[16][17] The film was set to release on 24 January 2020 under the banner of Khoosat Films,[18][19] however, Pakistan's Central Film Censor Board asked director of film to approach the Council of Islamic Ideology for critically reviewing his film,[20][21] after which its release was postponed due to the widespread protests by the political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan against the release of the film.[22]

It was then decided to release the film in theaters on 18 March 2022 as announced in the trailer which was re-released in December 2021. However, the release was postponed and the reasons were remain hidden.[23][24]

In August 2023, the film was then decided to release on YouTube and Vimeo as announced by Khoosat who stated that he wants to free his film in this month of Independence. The film was eventually released on 4 August 2023 on YouTube.[25][26]

Accolades

Zindagi Tamasha was selected as Pakistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but was not nominated.[27]

The film was awarded the Kim Ji-Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival.[28][17]

As of March 2021, it had won four awards,[29] including the Snow Leopard Awards for Best Film and Best Actor for Arif Hassan at the 6th Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles in March 2021. [30]

Controversy

After releasing its first teaser, this film become controversial. Its teaser was removed from YouTube.[31][14] The release of the film was suspended after religious uproar.[32] Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's Khadim Hussain Rizvi promoted protests on the release of this film. Rizvi further accused Khoosat of blasphemy. The supposedly "blasphemous" material includes criticism of ulama and an alleged reference to bacha bazi.[33]

Detractors of Rizvi were quick to point out that suggest criticism of ulama is blasphemous, may in itself constitute blasphemy as it implies ulama hold sacred or holy rank. Rizvi was also criticized for using charges of blasphemy to prevent criticism of religious fundamentalism. No charges against Rizvi have been filed at this point for engaging in blasphemy.[32] A petition against TLP was subsequently filed by Irfan Ali Khoosat, director of Khoosat Films.[34] The Sindh government also banned the film.[35]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed and produced by Saakin and released on 9 November 2019.[36]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat's Zindagi Tamasha to be released in Pakistani cinemas on March 18". Dawn Images. 17 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Explained: What is the row over Pakistani film Zindagi Tamasha?". The Indian Express. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Images Staff (15 November 2022). "From Joyland to Khamosh Pani: A list of Pakistani films that have been banned over the years". Images. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "'Zindagi Tamasha' trailer is a grim glimpse of society". Daily Times. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  5. ↑ "Zindagi Tamasha Trailer Taken Down From YouTube". ProPakistani. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Kalam, Kayenat (29 September 2019). "'Zindagi Tamasha' Trailer: An Intense Plot with A Dark Twist!". Box Office Insights. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Javed, Aamir (1 October 2019). "Zindagi Tamasha Story Review and Trailer". Medium. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Zindagi Tamasha cast". The5Ws. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  9. ↑ "Character posters of Sarmad Khoosat's Zindagi Tamasha unveiled". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "This is How Ali Kureshi Bagged a Debut in "Zindagi Tamasha"". Lens. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat's film Zindagi Tamasha cleared for release". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  12. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat wraps up filming of his first Punjabi film". The News International. 9 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat reveals characters of his film 'Zindagi Tamasha'". Something Haute. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Sarmad Khoosat's Zindagi Tamasha trailer removed from YouTube". Samaa TV. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  15. ↑ "Trailer released for Sarmad Khoosat's second film 'Zindagi Tamasha'". The Nation. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat's 'Zindagi Tamasha' to be screened at Busan Film Festival 2019". The Express Tribune. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Sarmad Khoosat's 'Zindagi Tamasha' wins the Kim Ji-Seok award". Samaa TV. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Exclusive: Here Is The Release Date Of Zindagi Tamasha". 24 October 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  19. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat announces release date of 'Zindagi Tamasha'". Daily Times. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "'Zindagi Tamasha' will be assessed by Council of Islamic Ideology to ensure accurate portrayal of Islam". Filmi Tips. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  21. ↑ "Film Censor Board approaches CCI for critically reviewing 'Zindagi Tamasha' : Firdous". Associated Press Of Pakistan. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Zindagi Tamasha: Pakistan film suspended after religious uproar". BBC. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  23. ↑ "'Zindagi Tamasha' to finally release in cinemas on THIS date". The News International. 18 December 2021.
  24. ↑ "Film Zindagi Tamasha's Pakistani release postponed, says filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat". Dawn Images. 10 March 2022.
  25. ↑ Entertainment Desk (3 August 2023). "Sarmad Khoosat's 'passion project' Zindagi Tamasha to release on YouTube, Vimeo". Express Tribune.
  26. ↑ Kashif Imran (4 August 2023). "Stuck for years with censors, Pakistani filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat releases award-winning film online". Arab News. Event occurs at 08:15 PM.
  27. ↑ "'Zindagi Tamasha' is Pakistan's submission to the Oscars". The Express Tribune. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  28. ↑ "Sarmad Khoosat's Zindagi Tamasha bags the Kim Ji-seok Award at BIFF". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  29. ↑ "All awards of zindagi Tamasha". www.samaa.tv.
  30. ↑ Leiber, Sarah Jae (17 March 2021). "6th Annual Asian World Film Festival Announces Winners". Broadway World. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  31. ↑ "Zindagi Tamasha trailer goes missing from YouTube". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  32. 1 2 "Film about cleric held over 'risk to Muslims'". BBC News. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "Film about cleric held over 'risk to Muslims'". BBC News. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  34. ↑ "Petition filed against TLP over the release of Zindagi Tamasha". Samaa TV. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  35. ↑ "Sindh bans Sarmad Khoosat's upcoming film 'Zindagi Tamasha'". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  36. ↑ "Zindagi Tamasha's Ajj Sik Mitraan Di is hauntingly beautiful". Something Haute. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
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