Meesha Shafi, Hasan Minhaj starrer ‘Mustache’ bags award at SXSW

Keeping up with the stream of international recognition that Pakistani artists have been receiving, Meesha Shafi has added another feather to her cap at South by Southwest (SXSW). Mustache, featuring the singer-turned-actor, took home the 2023 audience award for the Narrative Feature Competition.

Fellow team members, such as Rizwan Manji, also took to Instagram to celebrate the win. The Hot Mango Chutney Sauce singer, too, shared a post commemorating the milestone, calling the narrative a “beautiful film,” while crediting her castmates.

With Imran J. Khan as the director and screenwriter, alongside producers Christina Won, Jessica Sittig, Christopher Storer, and Tyson Bidner, Mustache has been lauded as a “rebellious yet minor coming-of-age tale” by The Film Stage.

Its recognition at SXSW, which is a yearly Texas-based event that applauds creative talent within the fields of music, film, and comedy, is undoubtedly another great achievement for all those who push for mainstream representation of Muslims.

Meesha had first shared her hijab-clad look for the film back in January, where she sported an uneasy expression on her face, with a young teenager in her stead. She also added a caption to convey her sentiments about the project.

"First look! So excited to announce that this beautiful film I did with so many beautiful and hardworking people has been selected in the ‘Narrative Feature Competition’ section at the prestigious SXSW this year!" she penned.

The Waar actor then concluded her post by praising her colleagues, which included names like Hasan Minhaj, Alicia Silverstone and Atharva Verma. "Couldn’t have asked for a better team! You are all amazing," expressed Shafi.

Mustache follows the childhood troubles of Ilyas, a Pakistani teen growing up in San Jose who is sent to a public high school after being kicked out of an Islamic grade school for starting a fight. The main issue for Ilyas is that he has a moustache, which he grew at the young age of ten, leading to awkward class photos.

Ilyas is a bit of a rebel and decides to team up with a new friend, Arun, to try his hand at rebellion within limits. The film is set in the mid-90s and captures the emotion of being right in the middle of a problem that feels like an insurmountable, life-changing challenge for a child.

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