(Mehreen Jabbar, Pakistan/India, 2016, 58mins) Starring legendary Pakistani actress Marina Khan (Tanhaiyan), and directed by 3rd i alumna Mehreen Jabbar (Ramchand Pakistani), Lala Begum is a complex and impressive drama that delves into the ghosts of Pakistan’s past.

It is the 1970s. Two estranged sisters Meher (aka Lala Begum) and Seher come to terms with their haunting past: the loves they shared, the sacrifices they made, and their struggles with the colonial heritage that defines their lives. What happens when after 20 years of estrangement, both the sisters are forced to have a face-to-face confrontation and try to move forward?

Evocative, dramatic and endearing, Lala Begum is part of Zeal for Unity, a series of films for TV envisioned as a cultural exchange program between Pakistan and India. As Mehreen says, this is “one of the strongest and most effective ways of promoting understanding and respect while learning from what we can offer each other.”