Safia / Safdar

Safia / Safdar
Official poster
Directed by	Baba Azmi
Written by	Mir Ali Husain
Produced by	Baba Azmi Namrata Goyal
Starring	Naseeruddin Shah Aditi Subedi Kanwaljit Singh
Cinematography	Thomas A. Xavier
Music by	Ripul Sharma
Production companies	Filmstoc Azmi Pictures
Distributed by	ZEE5
Release date	January 16, 2026 (2026-01-16)
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Safia / Safdar is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language social drama film directed by Baba Azmi and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Aditi Subedi, and Kanwaljit Singh. The film explores themes of identity, resilience, and family responsibility, and was released by ZEE5 on 16 January 2026. It was also selected for screening at the 2025 Chicago South Asian Film Festival. ^{[1] [2]}

Plot

The film follows the life of Safia (played by Aditi Subedi), a young woman who confronts societal norms and family challenges to protect her family’s heritage and livelihood after her father becomes incapacitated. The narrative focuses on her struggle for survival and self-identity in a patriarchal context.

Cast

• Naseeruddin Shah
• Aditi Subedi
• Kanwaljit Singh
• Irrfan Jaffer
• Shivi Bajpai
• Siddharth Menon
• Mehrin Saba
• Neetu Pandey ^[3]

Production

Safia / Safdar was directed by cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Baba Azmi and produced by Baba Azmi and Namrata Goyal under Filmstoc and Azmi Pictures. The screenplay was written by Mir Ali Husain, and music was composed by Ripul Sharma. The film was also selected for the Chicago South Asian Film Festival in 2025. ^[4]

Release

Safia / Safdar premiered exclusively on the OTT platform ZEE5 on 16 January 2026. ^[4]

Reception

Special screening

A special pre-release screening of Safia/Safdar was hosted by veteran actress Shabana Azmi on 14 January 2026, where several prominent film personalities attended the event. ^[5]

critical Reception

Arpita Sarkar of OTT Play gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Baba Azmi's directorial is not just a simple narrative of how women face issues in a patriarchal society, but it teaches how they should never give up to prove their worth." ^[6]

References

1. "Safia/Safdar OTT release date: When and where to watch Naseeruddin Shah, Kanwaljit Singh's social drama". OTTplay. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
2. "Safia/Safdar, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Kanwaljit, to begin streaming on this date". Cinema Express. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
3. "Safia/Safdar, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Kanwaljit, to begin streaming on this date". Cinema Express. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
4. "Safia/Safdar OTT release date: When and where to watch Naseeruddin Shah, Kanwaljit Singh's social drama". OTTplay. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
5. "Shabana Azmi hosts special screening of brother Baba Azmi's Safia/Safdar". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
6. Sarkar, Arpita. "Safia/Safdar Review: A powerful and thought-provoking reminder of what women must endure to be accepted". OTT Play. Retrieved 16 January 2026.

External links

• Safia/Safdar at IMDb