Mohamed Ramadan’s big-screen return, Pakistan’s first zombie thriller and a Saudi-Egyptian action blockbuster are among the major titles slated for this year’s Eid Al Adha cinema season.
With UAE residents potentially set for a six-day break from May 26, some of the biggest films from the Arab world, Bollywood and Pakistan are expected to be released during the holiday period.
Here are the main films to watch this Eid season.
1. Kattalan (May 14)
Marketed as an Eid release and getting an early start on the season, Kattalan is a Malayalam action film set in the world of India’s illegal ivory trade and smuggling.
The film follows a man pulled into a violent conflict involving crime and revenge. Antony Varghese, known for his performances in Jallikattu and Maamannan, leads the cast alongside Sunil and Kabir Duhan Singh.
2. Asad (May 21)
Egyptian superstar Mohamed Ramadan has been relatively quiet on the big and small screen recently, preferring to focus on his music career, including a 2024 Coachella appearance.
Fans will argue that we are about to see him return to his more natural habitat in this historical action-drama set in 19th-century Egypt.
He plays the title character, Asad, a slave whose defiance puts him on a collision course with his masters. When he falls for a free woman, what begins as a personal struggle sets the seeds for a revolution.
Razane Jammal, Ali Qassem and Kamel El Basha co-star, with Mohamed Diab directing.
3. Drishyam 3 (May 21)
Malayalam film star Mohanlal returns in the third instalment of the thriller series that has become one of the most reliable franchises in southern Indian cinema.
The film picks up with a man still living under the shadow of a crime, forced once again to stay one step ahead of those determined to uncover the truth. Meena and Asha Sharath return alongside him.
4. Chand Mera Dil (May 22)
Ananya Panday and Lakshya star in this Hindi romance about college sweethearts whose relationship starts to fray once the pressures of adult life take hold.
Family expectations and competing ambitions raise the question of whether their relationship has what it takes to survive.
5. Ibn Meen Fehom (May 26)
Laila Elwi and Bayoumi Fouad star in this Egyptian comedy built around a parenthood mix-up that pulls a family into increasingly complicated questions about who belongs to whom.
6. Khan Tumhara (May 27)
Bilal Ashraf and Maya Ali lead this Urdu action drama set in Karachi.
Ashraf plays Khan, a taxi driver who stands up against a local mob run by the feared Don Shadow. Maya Ali plays Nargis, a lawyer caught up in the same fight.
7. Zombeid (May 27)
Marketed as Pakistan’s first big-budget zombie thriller, Zombeid reunites Fahad Mustafa, Mehwish Hayat, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza, the team behind successful films including Actor in Law and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.
Set against the backdrop of Eid Al Adha celebrations, the film follows a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse as they face a fresh wave of attacks.
8. Luv Di Saun (May 27)
Farhan Saeed and Mamya Shajaffar lead this Pakistani romance about a couple navigating family pressure and conflicting social expectations.
9. 7 Dogs (May 28)
This Egyptian-Saudi film has the makings of a blockbuster.
Karim Abdel Aziz plays an Interpol agent who reluctantly partners with a member of the criminal Seven Dogs gang to bring down a drug-trafficking network.
Ahmed Ezz plays the gang member, with Italian actress Monica Bellucci also making an appearance.
10. Ezma (June 18)
Adapted from Mohamed Sadek’s novel, Ezma stars Ahmed Dawood and Salma Abu Deif in an Egyptian drama about a young man struggling with his fate after a calamitous decision.
The film is opening in Egypt during the Eid Al Adha window, before reaching UAE cinemas on June 18.
