Farkhund Yousafzai
Riyadh, 9 August 2024 (TDI): The Pakistan Embassy hosted the Saudi premiere of the Pakistani film “Gunjal Entangled,” welcoming the cast and crew to showcase the movie on Thursday at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh.
“The relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are more than bilateral ties, they are brotherhood, and there are many overlapping sectors where the interests of both countries align. I believe culture is one such area,” Muazam Ali, deputy head of mission at the Pakistan Embassy, said.
He said that they wanted to show that there is a vibrant film industry in Pakistan.
The #Pakistan Embassy hosted the #Saudi premiere of the Pakistani film “Gunjal Entangled,” welcoming the cast and crew to showcase the film on Thursday at the Cultural Palace in #Riyadh @PakinSaudiArab https://t.co/8FV01U3abr
— Arab News (@arabnews) August 9, 2024
The film is based on the life and murder of Pakistani child labor activist, Iqbal Masih.
“Such an event has never happened here in the Kingdom where the crew, cast and team came to screen the film along with the audience,” Shoaib Sultan, director of the film, said.
“This movie is based on real events, and we are celebrating a hero. His name was Iqbal Masih, and he talked about human rights and labor. This is a very important topic, he added.
“We are excited to have this movie screened in the Kingdom. We think it’s a global movie in a way; we have already been to so many festivals. We wanted to present the movie in Saudi Arabia, which is an emerging film market. We see a lot of opportunities, and people are enthusiastic to collaborate,” he expressed.
During her interview, lead actress Amna Ilyas said that events such as the one hosted by the embassy create a “positive and more real image of Pakistan and its people.”
As a part of the event to showcase Pakistani culture and cuisine, mangoes from Pakistan and more than 40 pieces of artwork from different artists were featured in the exhibition on the sidelines of the film premiere.
