- Web Desk
- 3 Hours ago
Khoosat to release his short film, Dealing in Desire, on YouTube
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- Web Desk
- Aug 12, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Acclaimed filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat announced Tuesday that his latest project, Dealing in Desire — an “unscripted” and “experimental” short film – will be premiered on his official YouTube chancel on Friday, August 15.
The film is a collaboration between Khoosat Films and award-winning writer and filmmaker Saba Karim Khan.
In an Instagram post, Khoosat described the film as “a celebration of unflinching troublemakers” who, despite social constraints, refuse to be silenced.
“Dealing in Desire [is] a brand-new short-film which explores the emotional toll of exploitation and shame, ultimately revealing how even those individuals who are preferably unheard, will find agency and voice, in their attempt to live deliberately,” khoosat wrote on Instagram.
Commenting on his post, Saba Karim thanked audiences for their support ahead of the release, saying, “Our film … will soon be yours — this Friday!
Khoost and censor board
According to Khoosat, Dealing in Desire will premiere on the Khoosat Films YouTube channel on August 15 at 7pm (PKT).
The decision to premiere the short film on YouTube resonates with Khoosat’s earlier experience with the censor board, which had suspended his award-winning film Zindagi Tamasha amid growing threats of unrest after a religious party objected to it.
Objecting to the central role of a struggling cleric, the party claimed that the film “might lead to deviation from Islam and the Prophet.”
Another foray by Khoosat
The project marks another foray by Khoosat into stories that confront uncomfortable realities, following critically acclaimed films such as Manto (2015), Zindagi Tamasha (2019), and Kamli (2022).
Known for his nuanced, human-centred narratives, Khoosat has also directed celebrated television dramas including Humsafar and Shehr-e-Zaat.
The award-winning filmmaker, Saba Karim, brings to the project her experience in documentary filmmaking.
Her documentary Concrete Dreams: Some Roads Lead Home — which explores the transformative power of football for Pakistan’s street children – has earned accolades at international film festivals and is available on Amazon Prime.
The duo’s latest venture would surely be a raw, unfiltered look at the intersections of power, vulnerability, and resilience.
While details of the plot remain under wraps, Khoosat has hinted at a narrative that blurs the boundaries between reality and performance, inviting audiences to engage with voices and perspectives rarely given space in mainstream storytelling.
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