First International sports-action film with Pakistani leads in the making

And it stars Shaz Khan in the lead!

LONDON: Acclaimed actor Shaz Khan has joined hands with renowned Hollywood actor-producer Faran Tahir for his directorial debut The Martial Artist. He shared the story of how he had always envisioned making films with a universal story for the global audience but with Pakistanis as the main characters, stated a press release.

“The Martial Artist is a sports-action-drama dealing with the main character’s rise in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world in California. The story develops after he suffers a horrific loss and goes back to his homeland where he connects with his roots, having a spiritual awakening that leads to his comeback,” said the Parwaaz Hai Junoon actor.

PHOTO: PR

Earlier this year, footage of Khan training for the project was released on social media, showing him learning jiu jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling to prepare for the film.

Tahir saw the project as not only an immigrant story but also through an authentic lens into the MMA world. Being a Hollywood staple, he came on board as a producer and is also playing one of the main characters in The Martial Artist.

PHOTO: PR

"It is simple from my end: If you want to see brown faces on the global screen, we have to create those stories ourselves,” commented Tahir at a press conference in London.

The cross-cultural film is based on the story of two Pakistani-American MMA fighters rising up in California and eventually, going back to their motherland. Shot in the US and Pakistan, The Martial Artist will be the first global sports-action-drama that has Pakistani actors as leads in a universal story with relevant themes.

PHOTO; PR

Khan will be producing the film alongside his co-producers Faisal Rehman and Faraz Khan of Impact Films, Joseph Faulk and Brian Aspinwall - his long time creative collaborators.

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