It’s always exciting to see talentented directors being recognized for their work and Sarmad Khoosat’s achievement is definitely worth celebrating.
Pakistani actor come director Sarmad Khoosat's 2022 film "Kamli" won Best Director at the DC South Asian Film Festival, an accomplishment for the country. The festival is an annual event in Washington, D.C. that showcases the best South Asian films to the rest of the world.
Khoosat shared a photo of the coveted award on Instagram handle to show off his excitement.
Fans and celebrities showered the news with congratulations and well-wishes.
However, this isn’t the first time the critically acclaimed film and its ensemble cast won accolades. At the Minsk International Film Festival in November, Kamli made history by winning three esteemed awards.
At the prestigious Listapad festival, Belarus's biggest film festival, Saba Qamar won Best Actor, Khoosat took home Best Director, and the movie won Viewers' Choice.
Veteran actor Sania Saeed, who portrayed the crucial role of Sakina in Kamli, also won Best Actress at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) earlier in Mississauga, Canada.
‘Kamli’ is a story centered around the protagonist Hina (Saba Qamar), a girl who has been awaiting her husband’s return for eight years. The story follows her meandering path, as her life unfolds through a series of unusual events when she encounters Amaltas (Hamza Khawaja).
Hina lives alone with her blind sister-in-law, Sakina (Sania Saeed), who has a dominating presence in her life. Hina’s routine remains limited, but a key aspect of her day is walking to a mansion to work as a model for an artist, Zeenat (Nimrah Bucha), who is working on a series of paintings with Hina as her central muse. Zeenat’s strained marital life forms the background to the story. Zeenat senses the sadness in Hina, which is also noticed by her husband, Malik Sahab (Omair Rana).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHw5odxgbY
The film is produced by Sarmad and Kanwal Khoosat, and directed by Sarmad Khoosat, while Irfan Khoosat is the executive producer. The screenplay and dialogues are by Fatimah Sattar, based on a short film by Mehar Bano. The director of photography is Awais Gohar.
It is pertinent to mention here that Khoosat's 2019 film "Zindagi Tamasha" became well-known since it was Pakistan's official submission for the 93rd Academy Awards. In Pakistan, Sarmad Khoosat has become a household name. His cinematic masterpieces continue to astonish audiences throughout the world, leaving them yearning for more.