‘Delhi Crime’ producer boards Pakistan’s first ghibli-style film ‘The Glassworker’

Emmy-winning producer Apoorva Bakshi has joined the team of The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first ever ghibli-style animation feature, as an executive producer.

The Delhi Crime producer will produce the film through her production company Awedacious Originals. Awe-struck by the sheer talent of the team making the film, she said, “The Glassworker is a truly remarkable project spearheaded by the gifted trio – Usman, Mariam and Khizer, alongside a team of young artists in Pakistan who are igniting a creative revolution in South Asia through their exceptional work,”

The Glassworker is set in a location inspired by its birth country Pakistan, with buildings in the film resembling those of the mega city Karachi and the clothing of characters inspired by the Pakistani attire of Shalwar Kameez.

The Miyazaki-style feature follows the story of a father-son duo who run an exceptional glass workshop but find themselves embroiled in a war they want no part in.

The Glassworker is helmed by Usman Riaz, who is a longtime fan of Studio Ghibli’s style in animation. Riaz crowdsourced the funding for the project through a Kickstarter campaign, raising $116,000.

Riaz has also co-founded Mano Animation Studios in Karachi, which is Pakistan’s first ever hand-drawn animation studio and hired young animators, half of whom are women.

Meanwhile, Bakshi is taking on more independent projects through Awedacious Originals, including another Pakistani feature, One Of A Kind by Iram Parveen Bilal. The live-action feature was selected for Busan’s Asian Project Market last year.