Faryal Mehmood thinks her new project Wakhri would relate to everyone sitting in the cinema hall as the movie touches on some aspects of society rarely shown on the big screen.

“I think every woman… if you can come out of your house for grocery so I think you can spare 1 to 1:30 hours to go along with your daughter, sister, best friend, or your husband to watch Wakhri,” she told Aaj News in an exclusive interview where she spoke about her role and the issues discussed in the movie. “When you guys watch Wakhri, you will get messages but it will not be a lecture as you will also get entertainment.”

The film, which is inspired by true events and the life of social media star Qandeel Baloch, will be released on Friday after its international premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival.

This is Faryal’s first movie where she will be playing a titular role. Wakhri, which is this year’s first movie, is directed by Iram Parveen Bilal and co-written by Mehrub Moiz Awan and Iram. It is about a school teacher who becomes a viral sensation overnight when she unleashes her unabashed opinions on social media. This fame comes with its challenges.

When asked why should see the movie, Faryal said the film speaks about a lot of things happening in Pakistani society. “Firstly, it is about a woman’s struggle. When she leaves the house to earn a livelihood, what challenges and difficulties she has to face,” she said and added that a woman is constantly harassed in her pursuit to make a living.

“Harassment is very normal and we know it happens and it will happen. And it is OK. So we are highlighting a lot of issues when it’s about women,” Faryal shared that the film shows the life of a social media influencer.

But she believes there are a lot of funny moments in the movie as other influencers also star in the movie. “It is just absurd comedy. It will make you laugh even more because it is relatable. There will be a point where everyone sitting in the theatre will think that this has happened to them.”

She went on to add that it has been a time when people came out of the cinema saying: it was very entertaining and refreshing.

According to Faryal, every joke and moment of the film could be related to people’s lives. All in all, it is a family movie.

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Last month, the Raqeeb actor in an Instagram post said that she would dedicate her film to her ex-husband who taught her to be better and know about you. The film happened after her divorce.

“I think anyone who comes in your life or happens in your life is because of some reason,” she said and praised her former husband.

“It is a tribute to Qandeel Baloch,” Faryal stated. She added that she was made for films.

The actor added that Pakistani cinema was changing as female-driven scripts were being made this year. She suggested that such efforts should not be called experimental cinema. “We are heading cinema in a good direction where romcoms are not only made as that is Bollywood. What we have is priceless. We have so much tell. We just need to do it.”