Even before its release in Pakistan, Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha, is making waves. The film, which recently premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, won an award at the fest as well.
Zindagi Tamasha (Circus of Life) won the Kim Je Seok Award for which it was nominated. The award was accepted by Shafiq Haider Virk for Sarmad Khoosat.
93 films from all over Asia had competed for shortlisting in the category for the award. In the end, 8 films were shortlisted including Zindagi Tamashai from Pakistan and ‘Market’ from India. The two were then declared winners of Kim Je Seok Award.
93 films from all over Asia had competed for shortlisting in the category; 8 films were shortlisted; #zindagitamasha from #Pakistan and ‘Market’ from India were declared winners of Kim Je Seok Award. #BIFF2019 @KhoosatSarmad @KhoosatFilms @PakistaninSeoul pic.twitter.com/svK0yJ0pT7
— Shafiq Haider Virk (@SHVirk) October 12, 2019
The Kim Ji-seok Award, named after the festival’s co-founder and executive programmer, was jointly awarded to Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s “Zindagi Tamasha i.e. Circus of Life” from Pakistan and also to Pradip Kurbah’s “Market” (India). The jury was headed by Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf and included Malaysian director-actress Tan Chui Mui and Korean film critic Huh Moon-young.
Zindagi Tamasha revolves around the story of a religious man whose viral video brings an upheavel in his life. The film stars Arif Hassan, Samiya Mumtaz and Eman Suleman in pivotal roles and Sarmad Khoosat makes a cameo. Directed and produced by Khoosat himself, Zindagi Tamasha has been written by Nirmal Bano and is eyeing a January 2020 release in Pakistan.