Showgirls of Pakistan (2021)

Name: Showgirls of Pakistan (2021)
Brand: KHAJISTAN
SKU: 1007
Price: 15.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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Enter the universe of three Mujra dancers in Pakistan as they dodge state censors and violence in their pursuit of stardom. Intimate verité, phone calls, social media streams and home videos offer a never-before-seen look into the underbelly of the Punjabi theater industry and the women who fight to play by their own rules.

Genre: Documentary
Original language: Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles
Director: Saad Khan
Producers: Saad Khan for SAVTA, Anam Abbas for Other Memory Media
Writer: Saad Khan
Art Director: Joey Chriqui
Release date: January 31, 2021
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
Streamer: Vice Media (2021–2026)
Distributor: Khajistan Releasing

Showgirls of Pakistan follows three mujra dancers as they navigate censorship, predatory management, and social stigma in their pursuit of survival and stardom. Blending the performers’ own social-media footage with intimate vérité and archival material, the film traces their personal journeys alongside the broader history of Pakistan’s performing-arts culture.The film premiered at IDFA,where it was praised for its vibrant, character-driven storytelling and its unfiltered look at the pressures faced by women working in Pakistan’s mujra industry. It was released online as the headline film for The Shortlist by Suroosh Alvi on VICE.

The New York Review of Books writes, “Showgirls of Pakistan embodies this idea, rendering its subjects on their own terms rather than through the state’s gaze or society’s moral anxieties.”Film Inquiry calls it “a fascinating exposé of a subculture between two worlds,” capturing lives “neither fully hidden nor fully accepted.”

Khajistan presents Showgirls of Pakistan as part of its mission to preserve marginalized and endangered cultural histories from the region.

Themes: Mujra performance culture, Gendered labor and survival, Censorship and policing of sexuality, Class and underground economies, Visibility vs. erasure, Women’s autonomy and performance traditions

Content Advisory: Contains real accounts of harassment, exploitation, and gender-based stigma within a hostile environment. Includes discussions of sexuality, violence, and survival that may be challenging for some viewers.

Note: Email info@khajistan.com for acquisitions and licensing.