Originally banned in its country of origin, Pakistan, a censor board review committee ultimately cleared it. However, a ban remains in the province of Punjab, where the movie is set. It was also Pakistan's submission to the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. It made the shortlist of fifteen films, but was not ultimately nominated.
The film got a roaring 8-minute-long standing ovation from a very emotional audience at the Cannes Film Festival.
This film had a 100% rating based on 15 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. As of June 2023, it has a 98% rating based on 83 critic reviews.
Malala Yousufazai (an activist) is an executive producer of this film.