Take a glimpse into Pakistan's dystopian future where doing anything other than smiling is a crime

What would Pakistan be like in a dystopian future with no crime and only smiles? Take a look at the teaser for upcoming animated film Shehr e Tabassum to find out. A teaser for the first-of-its-kind animated Urdu film was released recently and we're in awe. The story is set in Shehr e Tabassum (the city of smiles) in 2071. There have been no reported instances of terrorism or violent crime in over three decades in Pakistan but the price Pakistan paid for it was dear -- the systematic subjugation of human emotion.

A first of its kind animated Urdu short-film set in a dystopian future: It is year 2071 in Pakistan. There have been no reported instances of terrorism or crime in 3 decades. The cost? Systematic subjugation of human emotion. Welcome to Shehr-e-Tabassum https://t.co/S0jbVJiPTC

— Shehr-e-Tabassum (@ShehrTabassum) January 30, 2019

Directed by Arafat Mazhar, the short film has been inspired by cyberpunk classics such as Blade Runner and AKIRA as well as novels like George Orwell’s 1984. A narrator tells us in the video about a law that was passed after the civil war of 2038. The new law criminalises anything other smiling. Because of the new law, Pakistan has become an exemplary country free of crime, terrorism, depression and cruelty, says the narrator. The team hasn't disclosed an official release date yet but its Facebook page says the film will hit our screens soon. Follow SAMAA English on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.