The first trailer for Sarmad Khoosat’s latest feature, Lali, has debuted, offering a chilling preview of the first all-Pakistani production to be showcased at the Berlinale (February 12–22, 2026). Ahead of its world premiere in the Panorama section, the footage confirms Khoosat’s pivot into a darker, more surrealist brand of storytelling.
The “Cursed” Bride of Sahiwal
The trailer is centered on an unsettling dialogue between the protagonists, Zeba (Mamya Shajaffar) and Sajawal (Channan Hanif). Set within the textured, lower-middle-class landscape of Sahiwal, the story follows a newlywed couple haunted by Zeba’s reputation as a “cursed” woman. Having lost three previous suitors to unexplained deaths, Zeba enters her new marriage under a cloud of communal suspicion and paranoia.
Sajawal, fully adorned in wedding finery, attempts to project strength, claiming he is not like the “pathetic” men who came before him. However, the visuals suggest a different reality, one where insecurities quickly turn into a suffocating need for control, fueled by the superstitious whispers of those around them.
A Vision of Unease
True to Khoosat’s signature style, the trailer prioritizes mood over plot.
Rasti Farooq (Joyland) portrays a sharp-tongued mother-in-law whose abrasiveness hides a complex core, while Mehr Bano (Churails) plays a neighbor morbidly intrigued by Zeba’s supposed curse. The film features a modern, pulsing soundtrack by Abdullah Siddiqui and Punjabi hip-hop artist Star Shah.
The groom arrives.
Desire stirs. Superstition watches.LALI
A film by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Premiering at Berlinale Panorama pic.twitter.com/DVxvMbAh5A— Khoosat Films (@KhoosatFilms) January 27, 2026
With Joyland director Saim Sadiq serving as editor and executive producer, the trailer’s rhythm is deliberate and withholding, refusing to over-explain the mystery.
By blending the “baraat” chaos with psychological horror, Lali appears to be a searing examination of the fear and violence that can lurk within intimate bonds. It isn’t just a ghost story; it is a study of how society uses the supernatural as a weapon against those it deems “other.”
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