LALI at Berlinale presented by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat – Pakistan’s first all-local production at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin wasn’t just another stop on the film festival circuit this time. When LALI hit the screen at the Berlin International Film Festival, the city buzzed with energy. The Honorable Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany, Saqlain Syedah, hosted the evening, but it quickly turned into something bigger than a simple screening. It felt like Pakistan’s cinema was finally claiming its space—loudly, proudly, and without apology.
Sarmad Sultan Khoosat wasn’t just there as a director. He took the stage as a storyteller, an artist, and honestly, as someone carrying the hopes of a country that’s been waiting for this kind of moment. LALI premiered in the festival’s Panorama section, making history as Pakistan’s first all-local production at Berlinale. That’s no small feat.
For Sarmad and his sister Kanwal Khoosat, who teamed up on this project, it was more than just a career milestone. They brought their passion and vision straight from home to one of the world’s most respected film festivals. And that night in Berlin? It belonged to them, and to every Pakistani who’s been waiting for the world to really see what their cinema can do.
“Red” — A Color That Won’t Stay Quiet
When Sarmad stepped onto the stage in Berlin, he greeted everyone with a warm “Salam.” Simple, but his words after that stuck with you long after the event.
He talked about LALI—“red.” In South Asia, red isn’t just a color. It’s everywhere in moments of celebration—weddings, music, festivals, love, longing. It’s part of rituals, part of memory, almost stitched into people’s lives.
But red grabs you for other reasons too. It’s a warning. It’s anger. It’s blood. You can’t ignore it.
Khoosat used “red” as a way to talk about cinema. Movies can be beautiful, but they’re also harsh. They comfort you and challenge you at the same time. His speech wasn’t just another film promo. He reminded everyone that cinema is tangled up in everything happening in the world, whether we like it or not.
Art With a Pulse
LALI’s screening at Berlinale happened while the world felt like it was on fire. Khoosat didn’t dodge that. He spoke directly about pain across the globe, especially in Gaza. He said it plain: art and humanity are tied together.
Cinema, for him, soaks up both the good and the terrible. It can make you laugh, but it also makes you face loss.
The story of Lali is written by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and Sundas Hashmi
The Production Designer was one of the Khoosat sibling Kanwal Khoosat herself along with Art Director Fyque Nadeem. The beautiful costumes of the movie characters were designed by AIK Ayesha Imran Khoosat and Zoya Hassan
On that stage, Khoosat took the spotlight not just to wave the flag for Pakistani cinema, but to say something bigger. Artists, he argued, have a duty—especially when times are tough. He pushed the idea that creators need to stand “on the right side of history.” Suddenly, the movie premiere felt like more than just a party. It became a shared stand, a little act of courage.
Blending art with activism gave the night a real charge—something you don’t get at most film festivals.
A Story Where Superstition Meets the Unspoken
LALI isn’t just a symbol—it’s a film that grabs you.
At the center is Zeba, played by Mamya Shajaffar. She’s a new bride, but people can’t stop whispering about her. Three men she was supposed to marry? All of them died. Superstition already stamped its verdict.
Her husband, Sajawal (Channan Hanif), isn’t buying it. He refuses to give in to fear or rumors. He’s determined to prove everyone wrong, stepping into this marriage with his head held high.
But not every curse is supernatural
The real hauntings in LALI come from inside—buried secrets, things left unsaid, desires nobody wants to talk about. The marriage turns into this tightrope walk, balancing closeness and doubt. You can feel the tension; the air flickers between tenderness and suspicion.
Khoosat moves between ordinary life and the strange, never letting you settle. One moment, it feels real. The next, a bit surreal. The film keeps you guessing, never letting you relax, right up to the end.
The Sibling Vision Behind the Screen
LALI springs from a genuine family partnership. Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and Kanwal Khoosat build on each other’s strengths, their collaboration reflecting a bigger movement in Pakistan’s creative world. More and more, artists like them are taking control of their own stories, pushing back against old stereotypes, and showing the world who they really are.
Their win at Berlinale isn’t just a personal victory. It marks a bigger shift in Pakistani cinema—one where bold ideas, striking visuals, and international ambition all come together.
This moment rewards years of grit in an industry that’s constantly wrestling with tight budgets, censorship, and limited resources.
Aesthetic Brilliance and Visual Opulence
People can’t stop talking about how LALI looks. The costumes, thanks to Ayesha Imran and Zoya Hassan, do way more than just dress the cast—they shape the whole film.
Every shot feels intentional. Outfits don’t just decorate; they speak. Bridal reds pop in tense moments. Fabric turns into armor. The textures mirror what’s happening inside the characters.
LALI’s lush style matches its emotional depth. It’s gorgeous without ever feeling empty. Here, beauty actually means something.
That mix of visual power and real storytelling is what landed LALI at Berlinale, standing out as one of the year’s best.
Recognition from International Critics
The Berlin premiere wasn’t just for show—critics really took notice. Sarmad sat down with German film critic and radio host Knut Elstermann for a live talk about LALI.
Elstermann didn’t hold back—he called it his favorite in Panorama, out of 37 films. Praise like that, especially at a festival like Berlinale, really matters.
Their conversation dug into LALI’s layered story, its cultural roots, and the raw emotion running through it. You could tell this was a real exchange, not just empty compliments.
For Pakistani cinema, this kind of international support shows that the world is paying attention—and starting to truly respect what these filmmakers have to say.
Marriage as a Psychological Landscape
LALI takes marriage apart and looks at it with a raw, almost uncomfortable honesty.
The newlyweds sit in this charged space, where intimacy always seems just out of reach. Desire hangs in the air—palpable, restless, but always held back. Underneath the affection, suspicion waits its turn. Old rumors don’t just fade away. They linger, refusing to let the past stay buried.
Khoosat doesn’t treat marriage like a fixed institution. He lets it breathe, tremble, even threaten to explode. The couple never really settles—they’re always caught between opening up and pulling back in fear.
Desire here feels dangerous. You get the sense that a single glance could set everything off. The whole place feels thick with feeling, every moment teetering on the edge.
LALI turns an ordinary home into something almost ghostly—an emotional landscape you can’t escape.
Pakistan’s Cinematic Identity on the World Stage
LALI showing at Berlinale isn’t just about one film’s success.
Pakistani cinema has spent years fighting for a place in a world crowded by big industries. The Berlinale screening proves Pakistan’s stories don’t just exist on the sidelines—they matter, they’re layered, and they connect far beyond borders.
This film, built entirely at home, challenges the old idea that you need endless resources to make something that travels. It shows what happens when you stick to what’s real, take risks, and believe in your vision.
People in Berlin didn’t just watch a movie. They got a real glimpse of Pakistan’s heart and spirit.
The Power of Representation
When artists from places that rarely get the spotlight finally step onto the world stage, they carry more than just their own hopes. Khoosat felt that, and he said so—mixing gratitude with a sense of duty.
He called on artists to take a stand, to be brave about what really matters. It felt personal but also like a challenge to everyone listening.
Right now, with so much conflict and division, cinema steps up as a witness. It gives people their dignity. It refuses to let silence win.
LALI shows how a story rooted in one culture still speaks to anyone about love, fear, shame, longing—all the things that make us human.
A Red That Lingers
When the lights faded in Berlin and the applause began, LALI did more than leave a mark on the screen. It left something deeper.
That red—bold, beautiful, but warning too—stayed with people. It spoke to the push and pull between joy and violence, hope and heartbreak, closeness and suspicion.
For Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and Kanwal Khoosat, this night was a milestone. For Pakistan, it was a leap in how the world sees its cinema.
On the Berlinale stage, it wasn’t just a film on display. It was a worldview—one that insists art and humanity belong together.
A Historic Chapter in Pakistani Film
LALI at Berlinale stands out as a turning point for Pakistani cinema. It’s a film that’s unafraid, graceful, and honest.
From Shahodi Garhi to Berlin, from small homes to big theaters, LALI’s journey is all about grit and ambition.
The red was seen.
The red was felt.
And, if Khoosat has his way, the red will linger.
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