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Zia Sarhadi

Writer and director

Works as
Writer and director
Titles
3 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 13% in 30 days

What are Zia Sarhadi's films like?

Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
52%
Survival
25%
Self
16%
Power
8%
Family bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
3
Tense
2
Hopeful
2
Dread
1

How their films linger

Devastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Zia Sarhadi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 3 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Zia Sarhadi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted.

Filmography

22 credits, 3 with a MovieCove page.

  • Chand Suraj (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writers' Assistant

  • Aneela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Dialogue · Screenplay

  • Lakhoon Main Aik (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Writer

  • Elaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Writer

  • Sarhad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer

  • Baitee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Dialogue

  • Aawaz(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Footpath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Writer

  • Baiju Bawra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Dialogue

  • Hum Log (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Writer

  • Anokhi Ada(1948)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Anokha Pyar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Lyricist

  • Elan(1947)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Badi Maa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Screenplay

  • Yateem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Director

  • Nadaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Garib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Writer

  • Sajni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Writer

  • Gramophone Singer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Writer

  • We Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Lyricist

  • Jagirdar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • Manmohan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 21 titles from 1936 to 1970.

Most popular right now

Anokhi Ada (1948)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 21: 3 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting18 of 21: 16 only writing, 2 with another role

By decade

1930s4 · crew1940s7 · crew1950s4 · crew1960s5 · crew1970s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Zia Sarhadi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

1stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 3 titles, by percentile

  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 3 titles are Cult Classics.

  • Cult Classic3

Most divisive · writer

Elan (1947)

86th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Anokhi Ada (1948)

Midcredits 67th (provisional) · 51% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Zia Sarhadi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Zia Sarhadi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mehboob Khan shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors