Usman Mukhtar’s film Gulabo Rani bags 7 more awards at international film festivals

Actor-director Usman Mukhtar’s horror film Gulabo Rani, scheduled for a release in March, just won seven more international awards.

On Monday, he penned a long thank you note to everyone involved in the production on Instagram. “Alhamdulillah, so happy to announce that our film Gulabo Rani has bagged seven more awards internationally.” He listed the awards saying Gulabo won four awards at the Independent Shorts Awards Los Angeles, two awards at the Indie X Film Fest LA and one at the Indie Short Fest LA.

He thanked everyone involved in the project, “from the cast to the crew” for all their “hard work and dedication”. He considers accomplishing so much on such a tight budget “truly amazing”.

“Despite the challenges we faced, each and every one of you brought your A-game to the table,” he wrote. “You poured your hearts and souls into this project, and it shows in the final product. Your commitment to excellence and passion for storytelling is what made this film a success.”

He addressed the actors and said they brought the characters to life with such “authenticity and passion”, their “outstanding” performance capturing the essence of the story. “To the crew — you worked tirelessly behind the scenes, making sure everything was just right. Your tireless efforts, patience and positivity were truly inspiring, and I cannot thank you enough,” he added.

Mukhtar thanked everyone involved in the project one last time, saying that theawards are a testament to their “hard work, creativity and dedication”. “I could not be more proud of each and every one of you. Let’s keep pushing the boundaries and telling amazing stories. Congratulations!!!” he concluded.

The trailer for Gulabo Rani dropped last year. Starring Usama Javaid Haider, Meiraj Haq, Daniyal Khaqan Afzal, Omer Abdullah Khan, Natasha Humera Ejaz and Khushhal Khan Khattak, it was released by Eastern Terrestrial Studios, Mukhtar’s production company that he launched with his brother Meiraj in April.

The film’s rather chilling tagline is “The main work of haunting is done by the living.” From what we could tell from the trailer, the film is about a haunted hostel. There’s little dialogue in the trailer. Instead, it’s carried by dark visuals and haunting music and sound effects.

The film has been directed by Mukhtar and written by Ali Mudar and Mukhtar’s wife Zunaira Inam Khan.