“Gunjal”, the investigative thriller based on the murder of child labour activist Iqbal Masih premiered at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 8th of August, 2024. Hosted by the Pakistani Embassy, the event featured the film’s leads Ahmed Ali Akbar and Amna Ilyas, supporting actor Sardar Nabeel, along with director Shoaib Sultan.
The film’s full theatrical release in Saudi Arabia is set for Thursday, the 15th of August. Ahmed Ali Akbar stated his hope that the film would “demonstrate to Saudi Arabia—our brothers and sisters—that the work produced by their Pakistani counterparts is impressive.”
Director Shoaib Sultan also mentioned, “Such an event has never happened here in Saudi Arabia where the cast and crew came to Saudi Arabia to screen the movie along with the audience.”
The premiere was meant to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries, and also create further opportunities for collaborations in Pakistani Cinema.
“Gunjal” released in Pakistan on 15th December, 2023. It received great reviews at home and abroad and won Pakistani Cinema Awards for ‘Best Film’, ‘Best Actor Male’ (Ahmed Ali Akbar), ‘Best Screenplay’ (Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi) and ‘Best Dialogue’ (Nirmal Bano, Faseeh Bari Khan and Ali Kazmi).
