1. Why is Zombeid already one of Pakistan’s most talked-about films?

a) It launches Pakistan’s first superhero cinematic universe

b) It is the country’s first animated fantasy epic

c) It is the first Pakistani musical horror-comedy

d) It is Pakistan’s first-ever zombie thriller

4. Gisèle Pelicot’s recently released memoir A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides centres on what message?

a) Reclaiming dignity by confronting shame and stigma

b) The healing power of silence

c) Escaping memory through art

d) Revisiting forgotten folklore traditions

2. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book Dream Count primarily explores which theme?

a) Women’s inner lives, longing and self-reinvention

b) Migration through speculative fiction

c) Climate collapse and political anxiety

d) Historical resistance movements

5. Fatima Bhutto’s recently released book, The Hour of the Wolf, can be best described as?

a) A fictional political thriller

b) An experimental poetry collection

c) A personal memoir on healing, love and recovery

d) Investigative reportage

3. Sanam Saeed’s standout closing Cannes Film Festival 2026 fashion moment featured which iconic detail?

a) A custom metallic Balenciaga gown

b) Archival A/W 1986 Yves Saint Laurent, designed by Mr. Laurent himself

c) A Valentino couture ensemble inspired by old Hollywood

d) A Mughal-inspired contemporary couture piece

6. Bob Spitz’s newly released The Rolling Stones: The Biography is best described as what kind of book?

a) A photo-heavy collector’s archive

b) A fictionalised retelling of the band’s rise

c) A technical study of rock production

d) An intimate and deeply researched chronicle of cultural rebellion

Answers

1. The correct answer is d.

Zombeid is making history as Pakistan’s first-ever zombie thriller and that alone makes it one of 2026’s most exciting releases. Writer-director Nabeel Qureshi and producer and writer Fizza Ali Meerza have been behind major hits in recent years, including Na Baligh Afraad (2024), Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad (2022), Load Wedding (2018), Actor in Law (2016) and Na Maloom Afraad (2014). Starring Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat, with whom Meerza and Qureshi have worked on several projects, Zombeid marks a major genre leap for Pakistani cinema. Releasing this Eidul-Azha under Geo Films, it promises to bring large-scale horror spectacle to local audiences in a way Pakistani cinema has never attempted before. If it delivers, Zombeid could open an entirely new chapter for genre storytelling in Pakistan.

2. The correct answer is a.

Released in March 2025, Dream Count marked Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s long-awaited return to fiction and it was absolutely worth the wait. The novel follows women navigating love, ambition, loss and reinvention, examining how quietly and bravely people rebuild themselves when life doesn’t go according to plan. What makes it resonant is how Adichie frames longing: not as something absent from your life but as something that transforms you. It is thoughtful, layered and profoundly human. Already out and widely reviewed, many readers and critics consider it the book of 2025 and honestly, it’s easy to see why.

3. The correct answer is b.

Sanam Saeed’s recent Cannes appearance, was genuinely one of the standout fashion moments of the year. Styled by the brilliant Sana Anver, she stepped out in an archival Autumn/Winter 1986 Yves Saint Laurent piece, designed by Mr. Laurent himself, and it was a masterclass in understanding how true style doesn’t have an expiry date. What made the look special was that it did not try to grab attention or be loud, it did the opposite. It leaned into history, structure and elegance, and Saeed carried it with exactly the kind of poise it deserved. Sometimes the boldest thing you can do is exercise restraint, and she proved that beautifully.

4. The correct answer is a.

Released in February this year, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate what Gisèle Pelicot’s A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides represents. At its heart, the book is about refusing to carry shame that was never yours to begin with, and how speaking your truth openly can become one of the most radical acts of resistance. It balances vulnerability with defiance in a way that feels rare and deeply moving. It’s a profound meditation on resilience and the act of choosing self-worth over imposed stigma. Since its release, it has become one of the most talked-about memoirs of the year and for very good reason. That said, a trigger warning is due, as some of the content and the events described are based on real-life experiences.

5. The correct answer is c.

Released at the start of 2026, The Hour of the Wolf is Fatima Bhutto’s deeply personal memoir about love, emotional abuse, healing and the long road back to yourself. It reflects on memory, self-reckoning and resilience with striking emotional clarity.

What makes it so riveting is its honesty. Bhutto doesn’t shy away from the complexity of how even the strongest, most self-aware people can find themselves trapped in harmful relationships, and what it really takes to reclaim your sense of self afterwards.

6. The correct answer is d.

Music lovers, this one is for you. Released in April 2026, Bob Spitz’s The Rolling Stones: The Biography is far more than a trip through rock history. It’s a well-researched look at one of music’s most disruptive cultural forces. Spitz doesn’t just chart the rise of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of the band, he places them right at the centre of the social upheaval they came to represent. It’s as much about a changing world as it is about changing music, capturing all the chaos, ambition and contradiction that made the Stones so compelling. Critics have already taken notice and it’s shaping up to be one of 2026’s defining music books.