Written by: Mahnaz Shujrah
Posted on: August 11, 2023 | 
| 中文
Arif Hassan as Rahat Khawaja, the protagonist of Zindagi Tamasha
After being delayed, censored and banned in Pakistan, the film Zindagi Tamasha was finally released on YouTube for audiences on August 4th, 2023. Zindagi Tamsha (Circus of Life) was initially set to be released in January 2020. However, due to protests by religious factions of the country, the trailer of the film was taken down and the release was indefinitely suspended. This week, director Sarmad Khoosat took to social media and announced that the film would be released for public: “There is a sense of loss, and I feel it is not my loss alone; there is a sense of failure, but it is not my failure alone. It is the failure of the system, the failure of our helpless voices…despite having all three clearance certificates of the three censor boards, Zindagi Tamasha was not allowed to be screened in theatres which deprives you (audience) of the collective cinematic experience of watching that story. A story which was meant to be yours, which was meant to be felt by you, received by you, will now be received through YouTube”. The film can be viewed for free on the video streaming website, with a paid option to view the director’s cut on Vimeo. After battling backlash and controversies, Zindagi Tamasha has created a stir and hype this week amongst Pakistani film viewers.
Arif Hassan and Samiya Mumtaz in Zindagi Tamasha
A Khoosat Films production, the feature film was produced by Kanwal Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano. It was directed by renowned filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat, who has given the Pakistani film industry some of its most intriguing and noteworthy films in recent times, such as Kamli (2022) and Manto (2015) . Zindagi Tamasha film was premiered at 24th Buscan International Film Festival, where it won the Kim Ji-Seok award, an award at the 2021 Asian World Film Festival and recognition elsewhere also.
Sarmad Sultan Khoosat has a cameo as a transgender dancer in the film
Zindagi Tamasha is the story of Rahat Khawaja (Arif Hassan), a respectable, elderly man who is a well-known naat khawan (someone who recites poetry in praise of Prophet Muhammad). The story unfolds with Eid Milad-un-Nabi in the backdrop, a festive occasion celebrated by many Muslims to commemorate the birth of their Prophet. Rahat devotes much of this time to taking care of his bedridden wife, Farkhanda (Samiya Mumtaz), with whom he has a beautiful relationship of love and care. Rahat Khawaja is shown to have an ordinary life, until one day a discreetly recorded video goes viral where he is seen dancing indecently to the famous song ‘zindagi tamasha bani’, an act that was done in a fun, lighter mood amongst close friends. The protagonist’s life takes a turn for the worst as family, friends and neighbors all turn away from him and begin to treat him as an outcast. Even his own daughter Sadaf (Eman Suleman), disassociates herself from her father. At the insistence of his son-in-law Danish (Ali Kureshi), Rahat tries to make amends through an apology to family and friends, but soon realizes that it is futile since hypocrisy is now so deeply embeded in our society. The audience is compelled to face the moral degradation and double standards of our society, while the banning of this movie is a withering testimony to that.
Arif Hasan and Ali Kureshi in Zindagi Tamasha
What made the story impactful was its relatability, since the characters on screen were those that we see around us every day. The film provides a critique of those powerful few who often use religion to meet their own ends. However, the story is not only about religious leaders in a community, but about the community itself. Sarmad Khoosat brings to life the bigotry and intolerance that our society suffers from, for example Rahat’s own daughter, Sadaf, mistreats and misbehaves with her father after seeing his viral video. However, on the contrary, she is seen promoting a male classical dancer on the television show that she produces. Khoosat weaves this social commentary beautifully and delicately into the story, triggering an introspective experience for the audience. One of the highlights of the film is the spectacular acting by the protagonist Rahat Khawaja, played by Arif Hasan. He has put life in his character and brought realism into his circumstances. The fact that the film switches between Punjabi and Urdu seamlessly, gives it an authentic feel, which would have been missing if the script was strictly in Urdu. I really liked the metaphorical use of the song from which the film gets its name, as it is strategically used several times during key moments.
Eman Suleman and Arif Hassan in the film
Despite the range of emotions that the film stirs up, there were some technical aspects of the film which could have been adressed: some scenes are longer than necessary, while the sets of the film are mostly sedentary, but that adds to the perception of the film being slow. Moreover, some of the artistic cinematographic shots seemed amateur and forced, as opposed to Khoosat’s usual style where cinematography is one of the most captivating features of the film.
Adeel Afzal and Arif Hassan in the film
This is a film that should not have been banned, for it is needed to be seen and understood by society as a whole. Ironically, Zindagi Tamasha’s real-life journey encapsulated the film’s theme quite well. Now that audiences across the globe have access to this thought-provoking story, perhaps viewers can focus less on the controversies surrounding the film, and give more attention to the lessons that the film stands for.
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