Shoaib Sultan awarded best debut director for ‘Gunjal’ at Indian film fest

Pakistani director Shoaib Sultan was crowned with the debut director award for his film Gunjal at the 14th edition of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2024 held in New Delhi on April 30.

In a celebration of global cinematic achievements, the Indian film festival showcased films from across the world, with Gunjal ultimately beating its competitors and gaining recognition. The debut director award heralds a milestone not just for Sultan, but also for Pakistani cinema. 

Helmed by Adur Productions and co-written by Sultan himself, Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi, Gunjal (2023) is an action crime thriller inspired by the true story of Pakistani child labour activist Iqbal Masih, who led a movement against child labour in the 90s before his murder. Set amid the backdrop of child labour in Pakistan in the 90s, the film follows the gripping fictional narrative of journalist Shahbaz Bhatti, played by Ahmed Ali Akbar, who investigates the killer of adolescent labour activist Masih. According to a post on Sultan’s Instagram handle, Gunjal is on the way to reaching a wider audience as it is screened at the UK Asian Film Festival on May 3. 

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