It was almost 26 years ago when British-Pakistani scriptwriter Hanif Qureshi broke new ground by writing the script for the film My Beautiful Launderette, which starred Daniel Day-Lewis and Saeed Jaffery. The film would become a staple for crossover South Asian cinema, as it was able to document and address the socio-economic travails of Asians living in foreign countries.
At the National College of Arts, Akifa Mian, an upcoming filmmaker and assistant professor at the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, returned to her alma mater to a packed house for a Q&A session and a screening of her new short film, Inaam, which provides an indie-style insight on the issues of migrants in England.
Her film, which was short-listed at the 13th London Asian Film Festival 2011, plays on several issues which are relevant to the contemporary South Asian immigrants in Britain (or elsewhere overseas) such as issues of loss, extreme culture shock, alienation and economic strife.
The movie starts off with a positive and hopeful man named Inaam, who arrives in Britain with dreams of becoming the valiant super-lawyer/saviour, who will bring his family to the promised land. Slowly he sees his dreams fade away, as employment opportunities remain elusive and he is forced to take on the job of a taxi driver.
“Being far away from home and living in a different culture changes the attitude of an individual,” said Mian, who researched the movie, for four months before filming, the immigrant population in Britain, especially those employed in the taxi industry.
“Inaam was the perfect title because it has socio-economic connotations, but also reflects the irony that he is in many ways a prize for his family.”
Mian explained that she herself had the experience of living away from Lahore and this experience provided her with the insight to write and direct a film about a Pakistani man who is forced to stay away from his family for long periods of time.
“I try to portray a sense of social realism, not fantasy, because he does not have a lot of choices. When Inaam arrives in London,” says Mian, “it’s the idea of learning to lie, or even living a lie, that I explore.”
The movie which was filmed with a HD camera is shot on a moving set, with a state of the art car kit. Most of all, the depiction of London’s grey streets reflects the gloominess of the main character, Inaam, who is played by the seasoned actor Rez Kempton.
As his life continues to spiral downwards, Inaam falls into a cycle of sending money back home, while struggling to meet his own expenses. Other scenes include Inaam hearing about terrorist bombings and news on his radio and experiencing a sense of detachment from his home country. “You’re the prince of Wales, not wars,” he reassures himself.
Though the storyline seems redundant, the plot addresses stereotypes and political divides by actively pursuing a human angle, which is typically not seen when one talks about Pakistan or Muslims in the media. Through all of this, however, Akifa Mian’s talent is apparent.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2011.
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