There is a specific kind of electricity that ignites when a civil engineer with a London Business School pedigree meets a film school purist from NCA. In this exclusive Suhail Ahmed and Sheryar Ali Interview, we deconstruct how that spark didn’t just create a collaboration; it birthed a new aesthetic for Pakistani cinema. Their project, A Door to My Memory (Yaadon De Buhe), has been vibrating through the Oscar-qualifying circuit via the Tasveer Film Festival, challenging the global misconception that Pakistani stories must be limited to “misery cinema” or social dramas
I sat down with the duo, Suhail Ahmed and Sheryar Ali, to deconstruct the DNA of their partnership, the fragility of human memory, and why they are betting their careers on a genre they call “Grounded Sci-Fi.”
I. Deconstructing the Duo: The Exclusive Suhail Ahmed and Sheryar Ali Interview
In the world of directing duos, there is usually a collision of two distinct brains the “Chaos Agent” and the “System Manager.” When you look at this Suhail Ahmed Interview and Sheryar Ali Interview combined, you realize the boundary between their influences isn’t a wall; it’s a bridge built on mutual respect and “stealth mode” efficiency.
“Sheryar naturally leads the creative execution,” Suhail explains with the clarity of a strategist. “On set, he has full freedom to shape the visual language and the emotional tone. My strength is structure. I’m the one protecting the ‘why’ behind every choice ensuring the story logic, feasibility, and intention stay intact.”
Sheryar, the NCA graduate, views their synergy through a lens of necessity and trust. “We take turns sharing titles and roles,” he says. “The good thing is that we both have trust in each other’s expertise. We are firm believers in the ‘no such thing as a bad idea’ philosophy.”
This balance allows them to move at a pace that puts traditional studios to shame. While some directors spend months in development hell, this duo has the confidence to lock a script and begin shooting within three days. They operate in “guerrilla mode,” a high-speed style of filmmaking that favors momentum over bureaucracy.
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II. Grounded Sci-Fi: The Architecture of Memory
While mainstream Sci-Fi is often obsessed with sleek chrome and “Avengers-style” spectacle, any Pakistani Filmmaker will tell you that the real magic is in the texture. A Door to My Memory finds its soul in the ancient, crumbling texture of the Walled City of Lahore.
“We didn’t want to copy a foreign look and lose our cultural texture,” Suhail notes. “By anchoring a high-idea concept in the Walled City, the world feels lived-in. In the end, the ‘Pakistani vibe’ wasn’t an add-on; it became the film’s identity.”
The inspiration for the film’s central theme the digitization of human emotion came to Sheryar during a trip to Canada in 2023. He began to wonder how that same dependency would look in a Pakistani context where infrastructure is fragile.
“The film doesn’t pick a side,” Sheryar says. “It shows how inaccessibility to tech can deprive you of basic human needs, but it also shows a world where you must depend on that tech just to be part of society.”
The ‘Miracle Shot’: A Lesson in Desi Hacks
One of the most impressive feats of the film is its high-end look achieved on an indie budget. In this Suhail Ahmed and Sheryar Ali Interview, they describe indie Sci-Fi as a “magic trick.”
“Honestly, the miracle of this film is that we built a high-concept world without polishing away the real Lahore,” Suhail says. They point to a specific shot outside a shop that feels alien yet believable. It wasn’t expensive VFX; it was a “desi hack” involving smart lighting, strategic composition by DoP Taseer Ali, and a crew willing to stand in the frame to add physical depth.
III. Breaking the “Social Issue” Stereotype at the Tasveer Film Festival
There is a lingering pressure on South Asian filmmakers to produce “Social Issue” dramas for international festivals to gain Oscar attention. By choosing Sci-Fi, the duo effectively burned that script.
“Many people expect ‘issue films,’ and they don’t always imagine Pakistan as a place for a psychological, genre-driven story,” Suhail admits. “But festivals respond to confident direction. Once a film feels emotionally real, the genre becomes an advantage.”
Sheryar is even more blunt about their priorities. “I’ve rarely ever thought about what might work at festivals. International audiences are often shocked that we don’t say ‘adab’ as much as they thought we did.”
IV. The Industry & The “Stealth” Path Forward
The conversation eventually turned to the state of the Pakistani industry. While the history of Pakistani Oscar-Nominated Films is growing, Suhail points out that the real challenge isn’t talent it’s the ecosystem.
“Hard Sci-Fi demands a strong infrastructure that we currently lack,” Suhail explains. “If I had the keys to the industry for a day, I’d build a grassroots pipeline for students and launch an international-level film festival inside Pakistan.”
Sheryar remains optimistic about the “New Wave.” “Pakistan is ready to attempt all genres, and audiences are dying to see it. My advice to future filmmakers? Make films for the sake of making them.”
V. Comparison: The Duo’s Duality
To understand how these two brains create a singular vision, we looked at their differing stances on the core pillars of their work:
| The Theme | Suhail Ahmed Interview (The Logic) | Sheryar Ali Interview (The Instinct) |
| Technology | A “quiet curse” creating new inequalities. | A “situation” of forced dependency. |
| Process | Focuses on the “Why” and story logic. | Focuses on the “Who” and casting instincts. |
| Genre | A strategic move for high-concept authenticity. | A personal choice for a story he wanted to see. |
| Reform | Wants structural change and grants. | Wants variety and local platforms. |
The Final Word
Years from now, when film students research the shift in Pakistani cinema, they will likely point to the risk taken by Suhail and Sheryar. They didn’t wait for the “perfect industry”; they used the streets of Lahore as their canvas to create a potential entry into the ranks of Pakistani Oscar-Nominated Films.
“I see it as a universal story told through a Pakistani lens,” Suhail concludes. “We go deeper into authenticity. The more specific you are, the more universal it becomes.”
As Sheryar puts it, the legacy they are building is about a mindset: that a Pakistani Filmmaker can own any genre Sci-Fi, Thriller, or Romance without losing their soul.
