In the dappled shade of the jamun tree and the spice-laden hush of her kitchen, Zeba moves like a whisper. Newly wed to Sajawal, a man-child haunted by his own reflection, she seeks refuge in two women: Sohni Ammi, her feisty mother-in-law whose sharp tongue hides a big heart; and Bholi, her quiet neighbour whose gaze holds a strange wisdom. Zeba’s past looms large: three suitors lost before they could marry her whose deaths hang like a curse. Love stirs, but Sajawal’s paranoia festers. Bodies become battlegrounds, desire turns to anarchy. <em class="film">Lali </em>is a darkly comic fever dream from the city of Sahiwal’s shantytowns, where ghosts walk with the living and prophecies press heavy.