Pakistani movie Talash, which was released on the 15th of November in theaters, was screened at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday evening in front of a number of distinguished guests.
The show, arranged by the UN staff Recreation Pakistan Club in the chamber of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child, seemed to be the perfect choice for the evening; the movie focuses on the detrimental impact of malnutrition and its subsequent impact including stunting in children’s development.
The Pakistani ambassador to the UN Muneer Akram was present at the occasion as the Chief Guest and commended Talash for its subject matter and for tackling an extremely important social issue with tact. In his speech he also mentioned how the sitting PM Imran Khan aims to reduce child stunting and improve maternal health, and highlighted projects that have been launched in Pakistan under his leadership to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, especially in under-developed parts of the country.
Director Zeeshan Khan also made an appearance, thanking the UN-Pakistan Club for giving him an opportunity where he could screen his film before an international audience amidst the revival of Pakistani cinema. The movie also garnered praise from eminent personalities present at the event, including Botswana’s UN Ambassador Collen Vixen Kelapile, and senior UN officials, including Stewart Simonson, assistant director-general, WHO, and Haoliang Xu, assistant secretary-general, UNDP.
According to reports, Talash has been doing pretty well at the box-office in light of the recent bummers such as Kaaf Kangana and Durj. Here’s hoping that the box-office trajectory doesn’t falter anytime soon.
