Iram Parveen Bilal of ‘Josh’ and ‘I’ll Meet You There’ fame is back with an intriguing thriller ‘Wakhri’ starring Faryal Mehmood as a single mother. The film is inspired by Pakistani social media sensation Qandeel Baloch who was murdered in 2016.
‘Wakhri’: Trailer Synopsis
‘Wakhri’ (one of a kind) unravels the entangled life of its lead protagonist Noor (Faryal Mehmood) a widow, and a mother to a 10-year-old who works as a school teacher. Her life takes a major turn when she accidentally becomes a raunchy social media sensation due to her explicit views on social media platforms aiming to change the status quo.
The story unfolds multiple themes, from misogyny, patriarchy, sexual harassment, honor killing to other social issues. In a male-driven industry, the female-centric narrative aims to empower women, pays homage to the unapologetic social media influencers and highlights the plight faced by women online.
‘Wakhri’: The Team
‘Wakhri’ boosts a good mix of actors including Gulshan Majeed, Saleem Mairaj, Sohail Sameer, and Shees Sajjad Gul. It also features exclusive Urdu raps and Punjabi club tracks by Ali Sethi, Meesha Shafi, Eva B, Natasha Noorani and more. That’s not it. We will get to see some special appearances by Mathira, Khalid Malik and Waseem Hassan Sheikh.
‘Wakhri’: Pre-Release Recognition
With a vision to break stereotypes, ‘Wakhri’ is all set for its world premiere in competition at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival 2023. During its production phase, the film has participated at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Hub in 2018, the Cannes Cinefondation L’Atelier in 2019, the Busan Asian Project Market in 2022 and receipt of a production grant from CAPE (The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and the CAA Foundation.
‘Wakhri’: What To Expect
The trailer of ‘Wakhri’ comes across as a welcoming change for cinema in Pakistan. It’s crisp, intriguing and as exciting as hell. Faryal Mehmood is in full form and looks convincing in her character. This is a big ticket project and might change her reputation as an actress if ‘Wakhri’ hits the bull’s eye.
