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Hashim, a lonely office worker, is asked by his domineering and charismatic co-worker Iqbal to get the number of an attractive female client. Desperate for companionship, Hashim uses Artificial Intelligence to Catfish Iqbal, forging a deep online connection. As their bond strengthens, the question looms: how long until Hashim's facade crumbles?


Director Statement

CATFISH is a satirical exploration of male homosocial relationships in the Pakistani workplace. The line between homosocial relationships and beyond is often blurred in ‘launda' (think Pakistani 'chad') culture. In a country with little to no public spaces, the workplace serves as the prime location for people to find entertainment, forge relationships and look for intimacy. Flooded by men, however, the office ends up as an extension of the playground - bullies, nerds and the like, all competing for attention.


With the ever increasing access to technology, many find themselves creating online personas especially in a country like Pakistan where there is little other space to truly express yourself.


Catfish serves to explore these ideas of the homosocial in the office space and represent a microcosm of society that often goes unnoticed in mainstream media.

  • Year
    2023
  • Runtime
    35 minutes
  • Language
    English, Urdu
  • Country
    Pakistan
  • Premiere
    World Premiere
  • Genre
    Short
  • Director
    Abdullah Shahid
  • Screenwriter
    Zohaib Bilal, Abdullah Shahid
  • Producer
    Zohaib Bilal
  • Cast
    Muhammad Sufiyan Rasheed, Gulshan Majeed, Sohaib Ali, Rao Daniyal Ashraf, Anam Husain, Shanawar Zahoor Butt
  • Cinematographer
    Babar Dahr
  • Editor
    Abdullah Shahid