When it comes to most hot and happening projects in filmdom, Sarmad Khoosat’s Kamli ranks in the top tier. The Saba Qamar and Hamza Khwaja venture has built quite a buzz around it ever since its principal photography commenced in early October. Launched straight after the Manto director wrapped up his art-house venture Zindagi Tamasha, the film is set to be Sarmad’s first full-fledged commercial film.

The latest word on the project is that the crew has called it a wrap and the camera has officially closed after an exhausting two months-long shooting spell. Speaking to Galaxy Lollywood, Sarmad sounded rather pumped up about the culmination of the marathon spell. “We have closed the camera on time, as per our schedule, which is very, very rare. God has been kind, the universe has been kind, and my cast and crew’s dedication has been exemplary.”

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A ‘demanding project’

Commenting about the rigor of the film’s shoot, Sarmad said “Kamli in terms of production, in terms of the treatment of its story was a very demanding project. From the locations to the nature of content to the scenes which required elaborate logistics and production design – it all presented quite a challenge, and then we had to encounter extreme weather under which we had to stick to taxing timelines.” He termed the arduous outdoor shoot as “one of the toughest of his career.”

Explaining the enormousness of the task at hand, he added “Shooting a film is like making a painting with 80 to 100 painters. You have to be able to get the creative energy right, and here thankfully we were able to do that. Everyone on the cast and crew was fully dedicated.”

Kamli is a project on another scale compared to what Sarmad has worked on previously, and the director credits his sister Kanwal for skillfully managing the production, which could have, according to him, “turned into a production nightmare.”

Saba Qamar ‘a commando’

“My entire cast has been extremely dedicated to the project, they have wholeheartedly contributed their energy towards it. Practically all of them have given delicate, nuanced performances,” he gushed when asked about his experience working with actors that are a mix of seasoned performers and some fresh talent.

We were particularly interested in what he had to say about working with the female lead Saba Qamar. “Saba is a commando, she is a fighter and a trooper. She had the maximum amount of work, in terms of the number of days as well as the complexity of her role which required tremendous physical and emotional energy. She did it with tremendous ease and grace, without complaining,” he said.

He sounded very happy with the kind of performances he has managed to extract out of the remaining cast members. “Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Hamza Khwaja, and Umair Rana as well as the supporting cast members, along with crew – all of them did a great job and showed a consistent level of dedication and commitment, which I am very grateful for.”

Eid release

The project is aiming for an Eid-ul-Fitr release, something which will now dictate the deadlines around the film’s post-production work. Concluding the conversation, Sarmad said, “We are all very tired, very burnt out and glad the production has wrapped as planned!”

With Saba Qamar and Sarmad Khoosat joining creative forces in what seems to be a rather hat-kay commercial film, our curiosity level about it is climbing by the minute. We cannot wait to update you with the latest on this promising film. Let us know why you are anticipating the project in the comments below. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for the latest on Kamli, and more!