Topic summary

Zindagi Tamasha

Zindagi Tamasha

Zindagi Tamasha (Urdu: زندگی تماشا), titled Circus of Life in English, is a 2019 Pakistani drama film directed by Sarmad Khoosat. It premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 6 October 2019 and went on to win notable awards at Busan (BIFF 2019), 2020 Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF20), 23rd UK Asian Film Festival and the 6th Asian World Film Festival. Zindagi Tamasha was selected as Pakistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

The release of the film was repeatedly delayed due to censorship concerns and protests by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. After multiple delayed releases and the censorship it faced, Sarmad eventually released it on YouTube and Vimeo on 4 August 2023. Later, it was also made available on myco app. In a groundbreaking move, TikTok collaborated with Khoosat Films to bring Zindagi Tamasha to its platform, marking the first-ever full-length film release on the popular short-form video app.