Pakistani-American actor Shaz Khan has been on the rise for about fifteen years now with a number of indie screen credits. His latest continuation now puts him squarely on the MMA fandom radar with his next pic, The Martial Artist.
Khan also debut directs from a script he penned (credited as “SK”) with co-writer Michael Ross Albert, based on “Say It Ain’t So,” a short film Khan wrote and directed by 2016. The movie held its premiere at a rousing red carpet VIP event in Bahrain back in late June, marking a milestone for Khan in the five years it took since development, training and preparation for the lead role, and production during 2020.
When MMA rising star Ibby “The Prince” Bakran shines in a local fight, the world’s largest promotion company offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Now aligned with the sport’s top developing athletes, Ibby has a clear path to becoming great.
Consumed with the limelight and all it has to offer, Ibby burns the candle at both ends and soon his fighting takes its own hit. As his star begins to fade, he points the finger at everyone but himself, becoming withdrawn and puling away from his family who never wanted him to fight. Desperate to reconnect, his mother reveals the reason for her fear and the long-held truth about his father’s death.
With nowhere else to turn, he travels to his homeland to find answeres from his estranged grandfather. In the majestic mountains of Pakistan, Ibby works to find what he’s lost, but first he must face his biggest opponent yet: himself.
The cast also includes Babar Peerzada, Faran Tahir, Sanam Saeed, Thesa Loving, Gregory Sporleder, Nyk Schmalz, Phillipe Prosper, Joseph Faulk, and Herb Dean.
The Martial Artist is a co-production between Odysseus Entertainment, KHK Media Group and BRAVE Combat Federations’s movie offshoot, BRAVE Films.
Khan’s next stop will be the inaugural London Pakistani Film Festival for the film’s Closing Premiere on October 3. A teaser arose last month as well, while an official trailer is now available – both of which you can view below.
