In the final years of his life, Zia Mohyeddin, one of Pakistan’s most revered actors and cultural figures, turns his attention to preserving a lifelong passion: Urdu poetry. Through his performances and teaching, he works to pass its language, rhythm and literary traditions on to a new generation of South Asians.

Filmed over 15 years, director Umar Riaz follows Mohyeddin’s life and career between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, weaving the poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz throughout his story. Rather than offering a conventional biography, the documentary looks closely at Mohyeddin’s relationship with language, performance and his craft, and the cultural legacy he sought to preserve.

The Colour of My Heart is an intimate portrait of an artist in his final chapter, exploring the enduring power of poetry, the transmission of culture across generations and the legacy of a man whose influence on Pakistani theatre, film and literature continues beyond his lifetime.