QandeelBaloch, the slain Pakistani social media sensation star who rose to fame with her YouTube videos and was murdered by her brother, Waseem, in 2016 for ‘dishonouring’ the family. Now a film on her life has been announced by Indian filmmaker AlankritaShrivastava. The director has a couple of critical acclaimed work to her portfolio. To name a few Lipstick Under My Burkha, Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars, Made in Heaven and Bombay Begums will be working on the film.
Acquiring Rights
Shrivastava and co-producers Vikas Sharma and Sunny Khanna have acquired the rights to ‘The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch’ by Sanam Maher, a book published by Aleph.
Meet The Team
Director Shrivastava was ‘shaken up’ when she heard the news of QandeelBaloch’s murder in Pakistan. “I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I started watching Qandeel’s videos repeatedly, and I was fascinated… She was so charming and full of life. “A poor girl from a small village, who worked her way up to being provocatively famous. She was just 26 when she was killed. And ironically, it’s only after her death that she has been reclaimed as a feminist.”
A Story That Needs To Be Told
According to producer Vikas Sharma, “Qandeel’s story needs to be told by a sensitive filmmaker who is passionate about women’s stories. Alankrita is just the filmmaker for it. And not just because she is an award-winning feminist filmmaker, but because she has so much empathy for her characters. She tells their stories with candour and warmth.”
The Co-producer Sunny Khanna added, “QandeelBaloch’s story is important and relevant. Even today, women often continue to be at risk when they dare to express their individuality and challenge the status quo. I believe the world needs to watch stories like this. And I’m looking forward to the journey of this film.”
Summing it up
Details about the cast and release date are yet to be revealed. It would be interesting to see how the Indian audience responds to the film.
