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Joyland

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Joyland

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Summary

Drama starring Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq and Alina Khan. Unemployed Haider is a disappointment to his traditionalist father, but things seem to be looking up when he gets a job at a theatre. Telling his family that he is the manager, Haider is actually working as a backing dancer for Biba, a trans performer. When he starts to develop feelings for Biba, Haider's life becomes even more complicated.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Amber Wilkinson

The crushing effect of Pakistan's patriarchal society is explored in Saim Sadiq's achingly poignant debut. In the extended family at the story's heart, youngest son Haider (Ali Junejo) and his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq) are a source of frustration for Haider's traditionalist father (Salmaan Peerzada), who disapproves of the fact that she works, while he is content to take on domestic duties. When Haider lands a job, it is as a backing dancer for trans performer Biba (Alina Khan) at an erotic theatre. However, he tells everyone at home that he is theatre manager. It is just the first of the secrets that begin to eat away at the family, as Mumtaz is forced to sacrifice her job to pick up Haider's chores, while the relationship between Biba and Haider grows. Crafting a character-driven drama, Sadiq allows tenderness to shine in the first part of the film, and he isn't interested in picking out a villain. Instead, he shows how tradition itself can take its toll, which is never more evident than in the film's emotional, thought-provoking conclusion.

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7.6/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameHaiderAli JunejoMumtazRasti FarooqBibaAlina KhanNucchiSarwat GilaniRana AmanullahSalmaan PeerzadaSaleemSohail SameerFayyazSania Saeed

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Crew

rolenameDirectorSaim Sadiq

Details

Theatrical distributor

Studio Soho

Released on

2023-02-24

Languages

Punjabi | Urdu

Guidance

Violence, swearing, sex scenes, discriminatory language.

Formats

Colour

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