Dir Bio: Saiyna Bashir is a Pakistani photojournalist currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan, with a focus on documenting migration, gender, healthcare, and climate change in her images. She has also contributed to leading media outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, and The Washington Post among others. Bashir has also worked as a consultant photographer for UN agencies and other International NGO’s.

Films shown in Divvy Film Festival 2024

Ustad

dir: Saiyna Bashir & Zakir Thaver

run time: 12 mins

production year: 2021 - present

documentary short

synopsis: With a voice that captivated millions, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s musical genius transcended borders, bringing ancient Qawwali music to the world stage. His meteoric rise was cut short when he died suddenly in 1997 at the age of 48. Saiyna Bashir Studios presents Ustad, a cinematic biopic of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, that paints a rich portrait of a man from humble beginnings, devoted to his craft, surrounded by an array of characters eager to bask in the glow of his success. Now for the first time, with intimate interviews from those who knew him best as well as rich archival recordings of his artistic prowess, the in-depth story of the life of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is told.