A Lone Struggle

My film is about the reformist movement within the Dawoodi Bohra community, a small sect belonging to Shia Muslims. The film delves into the lifestyle, beliefs and customs of those individuals who have been excommunicated. It depicts the challenges faced by them, showcasing their struggles and the aftermath of their expulsion. The film also narrates the story of my family, who underwent excommunication and endured hardships while residing in Ahmedabad, including trauma, abuse, and various struggles. All members of my father's family were excommunicated, leading to my mother's departure from the community upon marrying him, while her side of the family remained within the Dawoodi Bohra community. The narrative will also detail my parents' journey, including their relocation to Bangalore in search of a better life. Through interviews with family members, we will gain insight into their perspectives on this complex situation.

We had to make a 15-20 min Documentary on any topic of our choice. We started off my brainstorming ideas/topics of what our film could be with our mentor Vipin. Went through all the steps, built a script, finalized our shooting days and began the shoot. Since this was a very sensitive topic for my family, I had to figure out what kind of questions to ask them but at the same time try to get the deep trauma and abuse they went through too.