Pakistani cinema has another international stamp to celebrate. Iram Parveen Bilal’s film ‘Wakhri’ has been selected for Channel 4 and Film4’s South Asian Film Season 2026 in the UK, where it will screen alongside a curated selection of contemporary films from across South Asia.
The film follows Noor Malik, a widowed schoolteacher who becomes an overnight social media sensation after sharing her unfiltered views about life as a woman in modern-day Pakistan. It draws inspiration from the tragic story of social media personality Qandeel Baloch — though, as the film’s team stresses, its themes of women’s voices, online identity, gender inequality and the pressures of sudden visibility extend beyond any one individual or country.
This year’s season features nine films from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, curated by Indian cinema expert Nasreen Munni Kabir, spanning drama, thriller and social realism. Producer Abid Merchant called the selection “a huge validation,” adding that the film’s journey from international film festivals to a major UK broadcaster marked an important milestone. For a film about a woman finding her voice online, the biggest platform yet is about to listen.
