Berlinale 2026 Review: LALI, Newlyweds Confront Demons in Pakistani Drama
The lavish wedding ceremony keeps hitting snags, especially when future mother-in-law Sohni Ammi (Farazeh Syed) is accidentally shot in the leg during a fireworks celebration.
It's just another sign of the bad luck that dogs bride Zeba (Mamya Shajaffar), an "Angel of Death" whose previous three fiancés all died. Desperate to marry off her son Sajawal (Channan Hanif), even to a potential black widow, Sohni Ammi has the wedding proceed while a doctor stitches up her leg.
It's only late that night, in their bridal chambers, that Zeba and the viewers first see the grotesque birthmark covering half of Sajawal's face. Is he possessed by a demon? Or, like Zeba, is he just a victim of fate?
Lali will address all these issues and more, but not before delivering wildly divergent moments of laughter, passion and terror. Directed and co-written by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, this genre-bending spectacle is an immensely entertaining, if occasionally confusing, fairy tale.
Khoosat, who has a master's in psychology, has a keen grasp on his characters. Consumed with guilt and doubt, Zeba finds herself trapped in Sajawal's family compound, trying to win approval from his hostile family. The withdrawn, brooding groom tests Zeba by having her reenact love scenes with her fiancés. Meanwhile, the overbearing Sohni Ammi pushes everyone around while dropping insults, like her husband was so ugly that "standing next to me was bad for my beauty."
Syed gives a delicious performance as Sohni Ammi, like a mean-spirited, vindictive Melissa McCarthy. Mehr Bano is fascinating at Ammi's daughter Noor, first seen trying to figure out if she's taken too many drugs to donate blood to her mother. Peripheral characters, like a quartet of bodybuilding musicians who live next door, flesh out the plot.
Lali focuses primarily on Zeba and Sajawal, who dance around each other, alternately attracted and repelled by their desire. They could be characters in a screwball comedy or a giallo, a tender love story or an exorcism. Shajaffar and Hanif play them beautifully, adapting to each shift in the narrative without losing a step—or any of their appeal.
Khoosat not only marshals a large cast, he captures both the intimate and the garish with humor and empathy. Parts of Lali take on a Bollywood exuberance, while others zero in on the legal minutiae surrounding the disposal of corpses. That's before a climax that embraces the swirling chaos of the supernatural.
Lali is the first Pakistani feature selected for the Panorama section of the Berlinale. The costumes, songs and dissonant soundtrack, expansive landscapes, and rituals seen here are fascinating. But it’s the characterizations and performances that impress the most.
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Directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. Screenplay by Sundus Hashmi & Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. Cast: Mamya Shajaffar, Channan Hanif, Farazeh Syed, Mehr Bano. Photo © Khoosat Films.
The film enjoyed its world premiere at the 2026 Berlinale. Visit their site for more information.
