When Jujji, a neo-noir crime thriller set in Pakistan, became one of the first Pakistani independent films to stream internationally on Amazon Prime Video, it marked a significant milestone not just for the country’s emerging film scene, but for the small team behind it.
Among them was Asad Chaudhry, co-producer and production coordinator on the film, and currently an MBA student at the University of Chester. His journey into filmmaking, he explains, was driven less by formal training and more by necessity, determination, and a belief in learning through doing.
Shortly after founding Yūgen Studios in Islamabad, the team made a conscious decision to step straight into production rather than wait for ideal conditions. “None of us had attended film school,” Asad said. “We didn’t have the luxury of learning in a classroom – we had to learn in the trenches, quite literally.”
That ethos was strongly encouraged by Yūgen Studios’ founder, Ali Osama Chaudry, whose faith in the team played a defining role in their early work. Asad recalls his words clearly: “If you don’t believe in yourself, believe in those who believe in you.”
Operating within a country that lacks a fully structured independent film industry meant that Asad’s role as production coordinator became central to keeping the project on track. He was responsible for managing day-to-day operations across pre-production and production, coordinating between departments, supporting crews on the ground, and overseeing financial and logistical planning.
“The aim was simple but demanding,” he explained. “To make sure the production ran smoothly despite structural gaps in the system.”
One of the biggest challenges, he said, was the absence of clearly defined industry standards. Without established benchmarks for how an independent production house should operate, much of the work had to be improvised. Regulatory hurdles added further complexity, from securing permits to navigating unpredictable bureaucratic processes.
“Solutions often had to be created from scratch,” he said. “It was difficult, but it forced us to become resourceful and resilient.”
Alongside his filmmaking work, Asad’s studies on the MBA programme at the University of Chester played an important role in shaping his approach to leadership. He credits the course with giving him a more structured framework for decision-making in high-pressure creative environments.
“My MBA sharpened my understanding of organisational behaviour, risk assessment and strategic planning,” he said. “Those things are often overlooked in creative fields, but they’re essential.”
Balancing creative ambition with operational reality was a constant challenge during Jujji. “Every decision carried both creative and financial implications,” he added. “The course helped me think more clearly about resource allocation and leading teams while keeping morale intact.”
The film’s international release proved to be a powerful moment of validation for the team. For Asad, seeing Jujji reach Amazon Prime Video was about more than visibility.
“It was a vote of confidence,” he said. “For a small, independent team working without institutional backing, international distribution validated the risks we took and the standards we tried to uphold.”
He hopes global audiences will also take something deeper from the film – particularly in how it portrays Pakistan. Set in Rawalpindi, a city rarely depicted in international cinema, Jujji offers a grounded and nuanced view of life often missing from mainstream narratives.
“Too often, Pakistan is portrayed through narrow, stereotypical lenses,” Asad said. “We wanted to reflect complexity rather than caricature – to show Pakistan as a layered society, not a single story.”
Since moving to the UK, Asad has continued to focus on community-building within the creative industries. He recently founded the Chester Filmmakers Society, based at Storyhouse, with the aim of encouraging collaboration between students from different disciplines.
“The emphasis is on learning by doing,” he explained. “It’s about sharing skills, developing projects together, and building networks that go beyond borders.”
For students hoping to break into film or other creative industries but feeling constrained by resources or location, Asad offers clear advice.
“The idea of limited resources is often more psychological than real,” he said. “With dedication, a great deal can be achieved with very little. In fact, constraints can force clarity of vision and ingenuity.”
Rather than waiting for ideal conditions, he encourages aspiring creatives to start where they are. “Limitations, when embraced,” he added, “can become strengths.”
