KARACHI: Mango Jutt, one of the latest Pakistani films to have hit cinema screens, and a play written by eminent Indian screenwriter Javed Siddiqui titled Begum Jaan were the highlights on Tuesday at the World Culture Festival.

Written and directed by Abu Aleeha, Mango Jutt has Hareem Farooq, Faysal Qureshi, Shamoon Abbasi and Ayesha Jahanzeb in the cast. Cinema lovers started to come into the auditorium 2 of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, half an hour before the scheduled start of the movie.

Begum Jaan, directed by Alaiza Jawaid, was first performed at the council in May this year and was very well received. For the festival on Tuesday, the director retained the cast from that performance.

The story revolves around Begum Jaan (Alaiza) who lives with her granddaughter Zareena (Farzeen Ejaz) in a house that gives off a semi-affluent vibe. The old woman is assertive but cares for her granddaughter immensely. Things begin to change when a journalist Sanjay (Daniyal Naeem) comes in search for a room on rent in their house. Actually, he is interested in taking Begum Jaan’s interview whom is in awe of — she had an illustrious past and now lives in relative anonymity, but hasn’t lost the sharpness of her mind.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2026