With this year’s Toronto International Film Festival just around the corner, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of my favourite filmmakers about bringing this new project to the Fest. With his debut feature, In Flames, premiering at TIFF 2023 to critical acclaim, Zarrar Kahn brings a new short film to the festival this year, as he sits down to discuss the film with his lead and longtime collaborator Mohammad Ali Hashmi.
Fandom Rising exclusive interview with Writer Director Zarrar Kahn ahead of his TIFF 2026 premiere short film, The Lion Does Not Concern Himself
In Flames surprised me with what Kahn could do in the drama genre, blending surreal and supernatural elements into a story of generational trauma. So when he was announced as bringing a new film to the Toronto International Film Festival, I couldn’t resist speaking to him about it. The Lion Does Not Concern Himself is a short film that takes a deeper look at gym-bro culture, the podcasting manosphere and more deeply about how we craft our personalities in a digital world, where someone isn’t entirely alone, even in isolation. And how all it takes is to be seen, to become a better version of ourselves.
“I Let the Story Inspire the Genre”: Shifting From Surreal Horror To Rom-Com
Acclaimed writer/director Zarrar Kahn sat down with me to discuss this new project, along with his long-time collaborator, writer and actor Mohammad Ali Hashmi.
Shah Shahid: So I wanted to sort of start with the fact that In Flames was very much this visceral look at, like, generational trauma through, surreal horror lens, and then this short is very much not that. It’s very lighthearted, very romantic and sweet, and sort of skirting the line between toxic and endearing. How do you make that switch? How did you go from something so heavy of a subject matter to something so lighthearted?
Zarrar Kahn: I feel like for me, I’ve always played in genre, and before I made In Flames, I was kind of tackling different genres with my shorts. I made like a rock and roll musical. I made a psychological thriller. I made a bunch, kind of like the gamut of what I can experiment with in the short format. And what I love about shorts is that there’s space to experiment.
And coming off In Flames, which was a very difficult movie, a very hard film in many ways for me to make personally, and I carried it for many years. And I’ve always said that I let the story inspire the genre. And The Lion Does Not Concern Himself is about the manosphere, and you know it came out of conversations that we were having, and also some of like the goofiness of the stuff that’s on the internet that is coming from these like quote unquote fitness and manosphere influences.
So comedy as a genre, especially Canadian comedy, has this history of really eviscerating topics while making it a way to bring people in and bring people together. And the rom-com felt like the perfect genre for a film about the manosphere, and that’s kind of how I landed here.
Real-Life Inspirations Behind The Lion Does Not Concern Himself
When asked about the basis of the inspiration behind his new short, I was genuinely surprised to find out that aspects of the story were based on co-writer and actor Hashmi’s own experiences.
Mohammad Ali Hashmi: “Well, I mean, certain aspects of my life. It’s honestly, it’s really funny because like a big part of being a creative, being an actor, you have to kind of take care of your body, blah blah blah. So I started going to this new gym, and as I’m working out over the weeks, I start hearing a certain rhetoric where we go from lifting weights to getting a pump to going on peptides, and now we’re the dominant sex, and we’re now running the gym. And I’m just like, how did we get here? It’s only Tuesday.”
And it’s really funny because what it really came down to was the fact that these young men are siloed in their own echo chambers by what’s exposed in their algorithms, right? This is how you talk to people. Or don’t actually talk to people. And so, instead of actually engaging in communication, these young men are going through this comedic space, And that’s really where it all came from. And then obviously, you know how he (Kahn) tried to make it a rom-com.
“We’re talking about Fight Club, and you’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club.” –Kahn
Speaking about going from a critically acclaimed thriller to a lighthearted rom-com, Director Kahn speaks on his views on genre filmmaking, and which he prefers to work within. And how he pitched this short to Hashmi as a rom-com, given their collaborative history together.
ZK: I mean, I always say I’m genre agnostic. Like, I love horror movies, I love rom-coms, I love cinema. You know? And I was getting to try out a very different approach to something that we often see in the drama world, and that challenge really excited me.
MAH: I think what’s been really lucky in this particular dynamic is that I’ve had the privilege of working with Zarrar on other projects. So there is an existing shorthand. So while we are working on a short, there is experience of a lot of years and understanding of the kind of craft that is required to work on a Zarrar Kahn project. And I think just having that space and trust, knowing what we’re working with, is complex but can be delivered.
Poking the Bear: Viral Trailers, Reddit Threads, and Internet Reactions Before TIFF
SS: With In Flames, there was a bit of a divisive reaction, you know, from certain sections of the audience. Do you feel, or are you expecting any sort of reaction from the manosphere, from the podcast bros? Because that is also where we are right now. In the space of doing the press and you’re doing the interviews. Are you expecting anything, or did that ever inform you at all during any of this for both of you?
ZK: I mean, I know we’re poking the bear a little bit, you know, but I think that’s what good comedy does. And our trailer for the short film already went viral, which wasn’t expected. And there’s a lot of really toxic comments already, kind of there.
MAH: I really want to know how our trailer ended up on a particular Reddit thread because the comment section is on fire. Like it is amazing. It’s a great time!
ZK: I’m gonna say it’s because we’re talking about Fight Club, and you’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club.
“…now we’re the dominant sex, and we’re now running the gym. And I’m just like, how did we get here? It’s only Tuesday.” — Hashmi
MAH: You know, that’s just what comedy is, historically it has been the way to reflect society, jesters were the only ones who were actually looking at the truth of the society and colleagues were able to say it loudly in front of kings; everybody else had to be quiet, and I think comedy’s always had that power.
ZK: But what I really hope the film does is it brings people in, because it ultimately ends on a note that you know we’re all human, we’re all going through it, and there’s space for people to come together, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve with this film.
The Lion Does Not Concern Himself Takes A Stark Look At The Manosphere
SS: I don’t want to poke the bear any further, but did you do any research? What was that experience? What was that sort of process of looking into this world?
ZK: It’s such a vast and engaging place where all sorts of voices are given a platform, and some voices are amplified more than others. So doing research for this project was deeply easy. The wildest part of it for me was when I started researching stuff that’s a little bit more in the manosphere. My entire algorithm changed. It’s an echo chamber, you know, of really harmful, nefarious content. And I understand how a young man who’s still finding his way in the world can just completely fall into that. And that’s something that, you know, within the confines of a rom com, I was like, we need to, we need to talk about this.
Speaking about how In Flames exceeded his wildest expectations, both Kahn and Hashmi describe their audience expectations, and ultimately what their takeaways are from the experience itself.
“I always say I’m genre agnostic. Like, I love horror movies, I love rom-coms, I love cinema.” –Kahn
ZK: You know, I mean, this is a feel-good film, which is so different. Like In Flames was such a harrowing experience, and this is a movie where I want people to, like, walk out and feel like life is exciting and lovely and beautiful.
MAH: I think one thing I really want people to take away from this film is that at the core of it, behind all of the complex topics, it is very much a Toronto film. It’s a love letter to the culture, to the place, to the idea of being young and in love and being stupid and making mistakes. And that’s what it is, right? It’s this city that’s given us so much, and you want to really make sure that it felt like it was recognizably a Toronto film.
Looking Ahead: Teaming Up With MCU’s Iman Vellani
SS: What’s next on your slate after The Lion Does Not Concern Himself.
ZK: And with what’s coming up next, we’re in development on my next film. I can say it’s starring Iman Vellani, who has been an incredible collaborator from a very early stage, and it is again a genre bender. And we’re really excited to go to camera in late 2027, and I can’t say too much more than that right now.
The Lion Does Not Concern Himself Premieres On September 11, As Part Of The TIFF Short Cuts 2026 Programme 02.
What are your thoughts on Zarrar Kahn’s jump from psychological horror to manosphere comedy? Are you hyped for his upcoming project with Iman Vellani? Sound off in the comments below!
Following TIFF from home or on the ground in Toronto? Follow Shah Shahid @theshahshahid for live festival updates, exclusive director interviews, and real-time reactions straight from the screenings.
