KARACHI: Acclaimed film star and British Independent Film Awards nominee Alyy Khan and award-winning filmmaker Khalid Hasan Khan have announced the official launch of the key visual assets for their latest project, the penetrating 30-minute psychological thriller short film, Screen Locked.

The team released the official poster and an intense first-look trailer at the Adab Festival over the weekend as the film begins its submission journey to global film festivals.

The official poster is a visually arresting collage featuring the lead actor Alyy Khan as the intense Dr T.R. Mavani alongside rising talent Atabik Mohsin as the withdrawn teenager Addy. The artwork juxtaposes the analog world of a therapy room with ubiquitous digital devices, dominated by the film’s ominous tagline: ‘Mind Unscrambled’. The central visual motif of a smartphone screen locking the characters in a visual loop perfectly encapsulates the film’s core themes: “Addicted. Observed. Controlled. Welcome to your reflection.”

The released trailer provides a visceral look into the film’s intense narrative. It transports audiences to a dimly lit therapy room where Dr Mavani, a maverick specialist in Digital Addiction Therapy, confronts his digitally narcissistic patient. The footage hints at a powerful, claustrophobic atmosphere, showcasing Dr Mavani employing a blend of Freudian and Jungian psychometric tools and subtle provocations to dismantle Addy’s digital defences.

The trailer promises a techno-thriller flavour, teasing the presence of a mysterious digital nemesis set to roil the road to recovery.

Written, directed and produced by Khalid Hasan Khan, and produced by Alyy Khan, Screen Locked is a timely and intense examination of the modern screen-addiction crisis.

The film is currently being submitted to film festivals globally and promises to be one of the most provocative psychological thrillers in the genre.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2025