November 2023: The much-anticipated Pakistani film ‘Wakhri’ unveils its first trailer as it announces its world premiere at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival taking place between November 30th and December 9th, 2023. Written and directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, the film is produced by Abid Aziz Merchant (Sanat Initiative), Apoorva Bakshi (Awedacious Originals) and Iram Parveen Bilal (Parveen Shah Productions). The film boasts a stellar cast featuring the incomparable Faryal Mehmood taking on the lead role of Wakhri along with Gulshan Majeed, Shees Sajjad Gul, Sohail Sameer, Saleem Meraj, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam and Tooba Siddiqui. The Red Sea International Film Festival are renowned as champions of film culture in Saudi Arabia and across the Arab world. Previous attendees of the festival include the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Sharon Stone, Anotonio Banderas, Akshay Kumar, Jackie Chan, Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Andy Garcia and more.
‘Wakhri’ tells the story of a widowed school teacher in Pakistan, whose life takes an unexpected turn when her unfiltered opinions on social media catapult her to viral stardom overnight. As an unlikely influencer, she grapples with the complexities of managing archaic norms, concealed identities, and the upbringing of her 10-year-old son in a world where women’s rights to express themselves and claim their space, whether in the physical or digital realm, remain an enduring struggle.
The path to producing ‘Wakhri’ involved splendid key milestones, including participation at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Hub in 2018, the Cannes Cinefondation L’Atelier in 2019, and a presence at the Busan Asian Project Market in 2022. Additionally, the project received a production grant from CAPE (The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and the CAA Foundation.
The film highlights the ongoing challenges women face as they strive to assert their rights and presence in both the physical and online realms. It is inspired by a variety of true events in the nation’s history and offers tribute and celebrates real life social media icons with special appearances from the likes of Mathira, Tamkenat, Amtul Baweja, Waseem Hassan Sheikh, Khalid Malik, Mustafa Chaudhry and more.
