Following its acclaimed screening at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, ZEE5 Global is all set to premiere the poignant coming-of-age drama Safia Safdar on 16th January 2026. Produced by Zee Studios and Azmi Pictures LLP in association with Film Stoc Pvt. Ltd and directed by filmmaker Baba Azmi, the film stars Aditi Subedi in the titular role along with Sidharth Menon and supported by legendary performers Naseeruddin Shah and Kanwaljit Singh.
As revealed in the trailer, when Salman (played by Kanwaljit Singh) falls gravely ill and his modest barbershop teeters on the edge of collapse, his daughter Safia makes a daring choice. Disguising herself as a young man named Safdar, she steps into a male-dominated world to protect her family’s legacy. What unfolds is a tender yet powerful journey of identity, quiet rebellion, and an unexpected emotional bond with a neighbourhood boy. As Safia sinks deeper into her borrowed life, emotions intensify and boundaries blur — setting the stage for a story that is as intimate and layered as it is transformative.
Safia Safdar is a beautifully told tale of courage and resilience—of a young woman who defies convention and carves her own space in a world that was never designed to include her.
Ahead of its digital premiere, the makers hosted a special screening in Mumbai, attended by friends and family of the cast including stalwarts Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Tanvi Azmi, Shibani Dandekar, Dia Mirza, Tabu, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Boney Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Kanwaljit Singh, and others.
Director, Baba Azmi said, “Safia Safdar is a deeply personal film for me. It speaks of quiet strength of women who survive not by shouting, but by enduring. Safia’s journey is about finding freedom within constraint, and I hope audiences connect with her courage and vulnerability.”
Actor Aditi Subedi said, “Playing Safia was both challenging and liberating. She lives between identities, emotions, and expectations—and that tension is what makes her human. I feel incredibly grateful to bring such a layered character to life."
Actor Kanwaljit Singh said, “Salman is a man weighed down by circumstance. What moved me most was not his illness, but the silent strength of his daughter stepping in. It was Safia’s resilience, shaped by circumstances that carried the family through hardship. Her courage fills Salman with pride to be the father of such a daughter."
Producer Namrata Goyal, Filmstoc Pvt Ltd said, “This story stayed with me for its honesty and heart. It is about a daughter who steps forward when life asks too much of her family. In Safia’s journey—between clippers and verses, silence and rhythm—I saw courage taking a quiet form. It speaks of love that learns to work, of dreams that wait, and of a young woman who refuses to let loss decide her future. This film exists to honour that choice—to stand up, to adapt, and to keep going when there is no other way.”
