Written by: Areej Asad
Posted on: November 06, 2019 | 
| 中文
(L to R) Sarmad Khoosat, Haseeb Khan, Alina Khan, Saim Sadiq, Nadia Afghan, Abdullah Malik, Sana Jafari (photo credits to tamkenat on Instagram)
Darling is a short film directed by Saim Sadiq, a 28-year-old filmmaker from Lahore, that has been causing a buzz all over the country. After winning the Best Short Film Award at the 76th Venice Film Festival, Sadiq finally brought Darling back to its hometown for its first-ever premiere in Pakistan. The 16 minutes’ short film was screened at Olomopolo Media, to packed crowds and film enthusiasts who had been waiting to see the film.
The screening was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session with the cast and crew, including Pakistan’s renowned actors Nadia Afghan and Haseeb Khan, who had starred in the film in supporting roles. Along with Sarmad Khoosat, the lead actors Alina Khan and Abdulla Malik, were also present during the Q&A, to answer questions from the viewers.
Saim Sadiq winning the award at Venice Film Festival
This whimsical film drew attention to the behind-the-scenes of ‘Mujra’ dance culture in Lahore, which some see as an art form but others perceive it as vulgar. But Darling is about two young adults who find the courage to purse a transgender’s dream of becoming a Mujra dancer.
Darling focuses on two individuals, Alina and Shani, whose dreams are too big for their small community. Shani, played by Abdulla Malik is a naïve young man, who displays his affection and supports his friend Alina, who is a transgender woman. Played by real-life transgender actor Alina Khan, the film highlights Alina’s passion for dancing, and her search to find a mainstream platform that would allow her to become a star. Shani, on the other hand, is aware of the challenging nature of the Mujra industry in Lahore, and the difficulty of succeeding in it. In an effort to support her cause, Shani manages to get Alina an audition with the director, played by Haseeb Khan.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the film is the way it shows the bond that Alina and Shani share with each other. Shani encourages Alina and is supportive of her decision to dance as a profession, and is always there to boost her confidence and self esteem.
Alina Khan with the Venice Film Festival Award (photo credits to Jodi Pai)
During the Q&A, Alina talked about how great she felt to be a part of the film industry. She emphasized, “…the only reason we are behind in the industry is because of our gender, [but] we have equal talent too.”
Both the script and acting showed a lot of empathy for the transgender community. It managed to convey that not every transgender undergoes painful and brutal lives, as shown in popular media.
The film refuses to characterize transgendered people as outsiders or as invisible, instead showing them as significant members of our community. Viewers connect to the experiences and frustrations of someone simply chasing after their lifelong dream, irrespective of their gender.
Abdullah Malik (extreme left), Alina Khan (center Left) and Saim Sadiq (center right) (photo credits to Jodi Pai)
Olomopolo Media also does not shy away from depicting the life, struggles and dreams of the transgender community in Pakistan. In 2016, Olomopolo produced wildly popular plays like Teesri Dhun, that revolved around the transgender community. Olomopolo is also set to host another live performance called Vadhai, which will feature the Khwaja Sira Toli Group.
As for Sadiq and Darling, the film also enjoyed a successful screening at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019. Sadiq is currently working on creating a pilot for a production company called Makeready in Los Angeles, and is also busy on his first feature, Gulaab. After his mesmerizing debut, viewers cannot wait to see what Sadiq has in store for the future.
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