Adan, a blind former fighter, stands in a sugarcane field at sunset

Some bonds are worth fighting for.

A Punjabi survival thriller from Pakistan. A servant boy, his rooster, and the fighting ring that owns them both.

About the film

Runtime
96 minutes
Language
Punjabi, English subtitles
Country
Pakistan, United States
Status
World premiere to be announced

A boy who would not let the ring keep his bird.

In the underbelly of rural Punjab, 14-year-old Asif works as a servant inside a brutal underground rooster-fighting world. When his prized red rooster loses a fight and is marked for slaughter, Asif steals it and runs into the night.

A blind former fighter named Adan takes him in. He trains the boy, not just to survive, but to beat the system that enslaved him. A story of rebellion, dignity, and the bond between a boy and his bird.

Asif holds his red rooster close, wrapped in a dark shawl

The people in the ring

Asif with his rooster

Asif

A boy with fire in his heart.

Adan in the sugarcane field

Adan, the Blade

A blind fighter with a haunted past.

Ameen speaks into a microphone, wrapped in a cream shawl

Ameen

The cruel boss who controls everything, and everyone.

“It’s not huge in terms of scale, yet it’s big at heart. You’ll walk out with goosebumps.”
M. Umer Gulzari, Director

Shot in Lahore and rural Punjab

Independently produced and culturally grounded, with a local cast and crew.

A lamplit room stacked with old ledgers
Crew between takes on the night set
The crew sets up a shot with the young lead in a farm courtyard
The camera operator films a crowd of village boys
Men around a fire in a courtyard at night
Official poster: Asif holding his rooster under festival bunting

Press & industry

For festival programmers, sales agents and press. Screener available on request.

The film

Genre
Survival thriller, social drama
Runtime
96 minutes
Language
Punjabi with English subtitles
Country
Pakistan, United States

Credits

Director
M. Umer Gulzari
Writer and producer
Babir Sultan
Director of photography
Mohammed Asif Khan
Music
Shez Manzoor

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Festival news, screening dates, and clips from the set land on Facebook first.

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