Is there anything that can stop Pakistan’s two-time Oscar and Emmy Award winner, journalist and filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy as she reaches for the stars? It seems not, as 2021 is looking like an SOC year.

Her latest initiative is the animated film, Self-Defence, which is the third release from the Siyani Sahellian series. A part of the collaborative program with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, the animated film is about empowering women during heinous times. The film is an illustrative work that shows the rising threats such as harassment, kidnapping, and sexual violence that women face across Pakistan. The animated film is available on YouTube.

Earlier this summer, it was also announced that SOC Films has been nominated for two day-time Emmy Awards for its documentary series: FUNDAMENTAL. GENDER JUSTICE. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Said Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy about being nominated: “I am proud of SOC Films and the fact that it’s the only production house in Pakistan that is consistently being nominated and recognized for its work on all the major global platforms and award programs. This series is a collaboration with Global Fund for Women where we are advocating for women rights around the world and highlighting the heroes on the ground, working in grass root communities and the advances they are making in the lives of others.”

Apart from picking up multiple nods for her work and launching series that educate people about their rights as well as their safety among other things, 2021 is also the year when SOC will co-direct a Pakistani-American superhero for MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) series with other directors such as Adil El Arbi, Meera Menon and Bilall Fallah. According to reports, SOC will direct one episode in the MCU series with the character perhaps making appearances in Marvel films as well. The series, to be aired on Disney+ will be Marvel’s first Muslim superhero - Ms Marvel aka Kamala Khan. What a diverse year!

Mira Sethi’s debut novel arrives
on shelves

It seems that the written word holds enormous respect and love at the Sethi household. After the release of singer, songwriter and composer Ali Sethi’s fictional work The Wish Maker (2009), another fictional work has arrived. But this time it’s the debut story collection by actor and model Mira Sethi titled Are You Enjoying? From appearing in drama serials to a number of music videos by Ali Sethi and known for her flair for writing, this book release was inevitable. A piece of contemporary fiction, Are You Enjoying? is described as an “exhilarating, audacious debut story collection…” with endorsements from the likes of Kiran Desai and Mohsin Hamid. South Asian literature is becoming a genre of its own and it’s good to see additions from Pakistan. Whether the book is as good as the endorsements state or is a letdown, watch this space for a review.