Pakistani filmmaker Zahid Iqbal from Layyah is gaining widespread attention after his 28-minute AI-generated film, The Mother’s Monster, reportedly crossed 50 million views on YouTube. His MYTHRA channel has also surpassed 100,000 subscribers, marking a significant milestone for the emerging creator.
The film was released on the MYTHRA YouTube channel on September 14, 2026, under the title She Gave Birth to a Dragon | The Mother’s Monster | Full Fantasy Movie 4K. Zahid Iqbal is credited with the story, screenplay and direction, while the project uses AI-generated visuals and synthetic voices.
The Mother’s Monster tells the story of a woman living in a snowy mountain village who gives birth to a mysterious dragon-like creature. While the villagers view the unusual child as a monster and fear its presence, the mother chooses to protect and accept it as her own.
The film focuses on themes of motherly love, sacrifice, fear and acceptance. Its central conflict develops around the mother’s decision to stand by her child despite the villagers’ belief that the creature should be rejected.
The project has also attracted attention because of its AI-based production approach. According to MYTHRA, the film was created through an AI-native production process, with human direction and storytelling combined with artificial intelligence tools for elements including visuals and voices. The studio describes Zahid Iqbal as the creator of *lThe Mother’s Monster.
MYTHRA’s own website currently reports 55 million YouTube views in seven days for the film, while its broader distribution figures include views across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Because these figures are reported by the studio itself and different platforms can count views differently, individual platform numbers should be understood according to their respective sources.
The project has also generated discussion about how quickly an independent creator can produce ambitious fantasy content using AI. MYTHRA’s separate production documentation says its 27–28-minute experimental film was completed through a production sprint of less than 72 hours, with direct software, image/video computing and audio-licensing costs reported at under $2,000, excluding creator labour.
There has also been considerable speculation about the film’s possible earnings. Claims circulating online suggest that the project may have generated around Rs50 million from YouTube. However, this amount has not been independently verified, and YouTube advertising revenue can vary significantly depending on factors such as audience location, monetisation status, advertisements and other revenue sources. The Rs50 million figure should therefore be treated as an unconfirmed estimate, not confirmed earnings.
The film’s rapid rise has also highlighted the changing possibilities for independent filmmaking in Pakistan. Rather than relying entirely on conventional production methods, creators can now use AI-assisted tools to experiment with fantasy worlds, characters, visual effects and storytelling on a much smaller scale.
From Layyah to a global online audience, Zahid Iqbal’s project has become an example of how Pakistani creators are experimenting with emerging technology to produce and distribute original stories beyond traditional filmmaking platforms.
