The trailer for the much-awaited film “Joyland” has finally dropped. The film is all set to make its way to Pakistan after having a successful international run garnering praises from all four corners.
The trailer opens with a ghastly joke that has a very thought-provoking sentiment to it. It starts with Haider (Ali Junejo) narrating the love story between a mosquito and a chicken which eventually leads to death.
Set in the streets of Lahore, Joyland is a web of secrets, lies, and unforeseen self-discovery refusing to shy away from the bitter truths of life. As the trailer unravels,it goes on to explore the Rana Family’s blindness towards Haider’s dual life as a dancer in a theatre who also has scandalous affairs with Biba, the dancer in his troupe who also happens to be transgender. On the other hand, Haider’s wife Mumtaz seems to be wrapped in comfort while she shares moments of bliss with her sister in law Nucchi.
Even though the relationship between Mumtaz and Haider seems undamaged, will they have to pay the ultimate price for their hidden secrets?
The trailer soon takes a melancholic turn as Haider and Mumtaz are seen wiping a pool of blood while Biba walks away.
The two parallels drawn between joy and anguish seem to lay out the path of a roller coaster of emotions while touching upon the taboo realities of society.
For Saim Sadiq, the film’s perspective is very important. “There is something to be said about how we’ve been talking on issues about identity and sexuality and gender, and the politics regarding trans issues, which we’ve only seen with the Western frame of reference so far in movies and film. That may not be the same as what is a South Asian frame of reference, because, even though the issues are pretty much the same, the way of dealing with them emotionally and politically, are very different,” Sadiq told Variety. “This film does introduce a new leaf in terms of the conversation around that, because it’s just refreshing to see a very empowered trans character who happens to be brown and Muslim and in a country like Pakistan.”
Joyland made waves internationally when it received a standing 8-minute ovation at the Cannes Film Festival which built incredible hype around it making it on the radar of many Pakistanis. What’s important to note here is the fact that the film is not about the men in fact its about the women who dare to dream in a society where they are constantly discouraged.
Produced by Sarmad Khoosat and Directed by Saim Sadiq, the film’s ensemble cast includes debutants Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, and Rasti Farooq alongside some of Pakistan’s most loved and respected actors like Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed, Sohail Sameer, and Salmaan Peerzada.
The film is all set to be released on the 18th of November.
On a scale of 1-10 how excited are your for the film?
