Two awards, in the pouring rain, on a stage with Jackie Chan’s name on it. Still can’t quite believe this one. 🇵🇰☔ The Legend of Maula Jatt took home two honours at the closing ceremony of the 7th Jackie Chan International Action Film Week in Harbin, one of Asia’s biggest celebrations of action cinema. The Special Jury Award, and Best Art Direction. Still wild to see it in that lineup, alongside films like Mortal Kombat 2 and The Furious. An open air stage in Harbin, thousands in the crowd, and rain coming down through all of it. It had been on and off all evening, then my turn to go up, and of course that’s just when the sky really opened up. Soaked by the time I reached the mic, a stranger holding an umbrella overhead, trophy dripping, the whole arena lit up behind the rain. As a director you dream of building moments like that on set. This one just happened. The Art Direction award is special to me because it isn’t mine. It belongs to Namsa Abbasi and Hamza Bajwa. What these two built wasn’t just sets and design, it was an entire world, and every scene of the film breathes because of them. Accepting it on their behalf, in the rain, on that stage… I wish they’d been there. This is yours. Fully deserved. And Ammara Hikmat, who couldn’t be with us in Harbin. We felt your absence up there. I grew up on Jackie Chan films. For a lot of us, that’s how we fell in love with action in the first place. So to be on a stage with his name on it, representing Pakistan, and then to shake his hand and have him congratulate us in person, I never pictured any of this when we started. There’s really nothing that pulls people from every corner of the world together like a good action film. No subtitles needed, you just feel it. Thank you to Mr. Jackie Chan, the organizers, and the jury for putting action, and the people who make it, on a stage as magnificent as this. And Mr and Mrs Nadeem Mandviwalla, my partners in crime through all these China adventures. None of this happens without you. What a ride it’s been. To our entire team, thank you. Every bit of this is yours. And to Pakistan, this one’s for you. 🇵🇰 谢谢, Harbin. Till next time. 🎬☔

Beijing. May 19, 2026. I’ve been to many premieres. Lahore, Qatar, four cities for my previous film. I thought I knew what to expect. I didn’t. It’s been almost four years since The Legend of Maula Jatt released in Pakistan. People have been telling me to move on for a while, and honestly, I did. I moved on a long time ago. New projects, new stories, new headspace. This China release always felt like it was happening to a version of me that already finished this chapter. And then last night happened. The warmth we received in Beijing, from the press, the industry, the people in that room, was something I genuinely wasn’t prepared for. Not polite interest. Real warmth. The kind directed at you as a person, not just at the thing you made. In Pakistan, the love for this film is overwhelming. But it’s wrapped up in everything else. The stars, the story, the years of waiting. Sometimes as the director you almost disappear inside all of that. Which is beautiful. But it’s a different feeling. In Beijing, none of that context existed. They didn’t know our actors. They didn’t know our industry. They came in with nothing. And what came back was something pure. Just two of us who travelled a long way to share it, a director and a distributor, received like we’d brought something that mattered. And standing in that room, I remembered something I’d started to take for granted. No platform, no algorithm, no TikTok can do what a cinema does. A darkened room, strangers sitting together, a story unfolding. Last night reminded me why cinema is cinema. I wished the whole team could have been in that room. The cast, the crew, the hundreds of people who gave years of their lives to this film. And especially Ammara Hikmat, who produced this film and couldn’t be there. Her work is in every frame of what Chinese audiences will watch. She should have been standing on that stage. The Legend of Maula Jatt opens across China tomorrow, May 21. The 75th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations. A Pakistani film. A Chinese audience. But right now I’m not thinking about any of that. I’m thinking about that room last night. And what it felt like to be seen. 谢谢中国。

🇵🇰 🇨🇳 ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ has broken into one of the most exclusive film quotas in the world — the first Pakistani film ever to do so. In cinemas across China from May 21, 2026. A huge moment for Pakistani cinema, and a new door opening for our stories on the world stage.

This is the kind of infrastructure Pakistani cinema has been waiting for. Excited to see it take shape. tribune.com.pk/story/2604867…

Music. Cinema. Action! It’s time to Pop to a Sound like never before with #VeloSoundStation #PopDontStop #withVELO +18 Only. This product is addictive and not for kids.

The #Xiaomi14Series - Where Innovation meets Inspiration. #LenstoLegend

The #Xiaomi14Series - Where Innovation meets Inspiration. #LenstoLegend

From behind the scenes to stepping into the spotlight with the stunning Xiaomi 14. Who knew a phone could capture cinematic visuals so impressively? The #Xiaomi14Series with its iconic Leica lenses is redefining the boundaries of mobile filmmaking. The shift from directing to being directed was a nice change.

Stay tuned for the full reveal on March 29th. #Xiaomi14Series #LenstoLegend

It is with immense humility and pride that I accept the prestigious Presidential Award - The ‘Sitara-i-Imtiaz’ 💫 (Star of Excellence), a recognition among the highest civilian honors in Pakistan. This achievement is a reflection of our joint efforts, the continuous support of my family, and the love of my friends. I’m profoundly thankful to all who have been integral to this journey.

Excited to announce that the PUBG MOBILE x THE LEGEND OF MAULA JATT Collaboration is live with the Maula Jatt set, Maula Jatt voice pack, and Noori Natt's voice pack available in-game🪓 Are you ready for the epic showdown? 👊💥 @PUBGMOBILE #PUBGMxMaulaJatt

I am deeply humbled to be awarded one of Pakistan’s highest civilian honors, the prestigious ‘Sitara-e-Imtiaz’ 💫 This is a testament to the dedication of my entire team and the unwavering support and love from my family and friends. To everyone who has been a part of this remarkable journey with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

USA, UK, CANADA & UAE - Cinema Listing. #TheLegendofMaulaJatt

One last time in a cinema? 😊

Celebrating 25 Weeks in Cinemas💫#thelegendofmaulajatt