Mahdi Ahmed

i have started writing NULIBUNAS… a new 13 episode serial for veteran actor DHARAA RASHEED. this is infact a screenplay i have written based upon a HINDI FILM. thought i love originality. not that i don’t. what am i suppose to do when most of my clients love rip-offs. did i say rip-offs? lo and behold. this serial maybe based upon a HINDI film but it has a different re-telling and its adapted. have i told you that the serial finale has a surprise ending. there you go… i have made y’all curious now. good thing that i didnt mention the name of the HINDI FILM this serial is based on…

the fifth and the final episode of NETHIDHIAYAS… the first docu-drama from TVM will be aired on thursday night at 2300 hrs. previous 4 episodes has gained popularity despite the now infamous extreme close-up shots of the narrators mouth who is also the real person this serial is based upon.

 

previous episodes follows the protagonist from his school days, his first contact with drugs and his eventual addiction in to drugs while simultaneously showing the effect of drug use has on his life, his family and his loved ones.

 

serial director and visual maestro SHARY dramatizes the scenes in raw, gritty and dark style he is so masterful with. his use of jump cuts, extreme close-ups and hand held camera is a treat. on my map, this serial has confirmed SHARY’s status as the best visual director in the maldives. three cheers for him. no doubt the serial finale will end with his trade mark rivetted all over it.

 

actor ISMAIL RASHEED has done a remarkable job portraying a promising youngster who destroys his life completely after being exposed to drugs. ISMAIL has shown that he is one of the few actors who likes to try his acting chops on gritty material. brave effort.

 

episode 4 goes deep inside the aftermath of being exoposed to brown sugar for the first time. ISMAIL shows the pain and the suffering he goes through while putting his family and loved ones in pain and suffering in a different way… their concern over his future. its a must see for everyone.

the first docu-drama from TVM based on a true story of a drug addict was premiered on 14th December 2006. the first episode of this five part serial  has a stunning visual style created by visual maestro SHAREE. the drama intercuts between the interviews of the real person together with interviews of his closed ones and friends and dramatization of certain points of his life. it looks absolutely raw.

 

after the first episode was shown, i had an immediate comment from a close friend of mine objecting the idea of showing such stories. he also added that it only encourages young people in to drugs. he went on to say that that ignorance is always bliss. true, but do we need to stay ignorant when our society is on the brink of becoming a nation of drugs? we need to try different methods to make a lasting statement that drug is bad. give this drama a chance…

 

anyways, this serial doesn’t support use of drugs. it only wants show the dangers of using drugs. how one man destroys his life and its dire consequences on his relatives and loved ones. keep watching…

5 part docu-drama NETHIDHIAYAS… based on a true story of a drug addict will be premeired tonight at 2300 hrs on TVM. this is my second collaboration with visual maestro SHAREE. also, this serial happened to be the darkest i have written so far since the protagonist is an anti-hero.

 

i have seen the rough cuts of episodes one, two and three few days ago and i am so thrilled of SHAREE’s work. he has done a remarkable job to strengthen his postition as the most visually driven director working in dhivehi film industry today.

 

hope the audience will like this serial for a change…

episode 19 of HINITHUNVELAASHEY KALAA… was shown last night. this episode turned a tad dark and heatbreaking compared to the previous episodes which was full of humor and one liners. episode 19 mostly focuses on JIMMY and HAJJA, how much their love grows and in the meantime HAJJA becomes fully pregnant.

 

things go well until HAJJA is admitted to deliver. tragedy strikes. the scenes of her delivery intercuts with JIMMY dying. the first breaker comes when HAJJA delivers a baby boy and JIMMY dies. what happens next is hard to endure as AFEE and FAUZIYYA try to give the news to HAJJA who’s unbeknownst of JIMMY’s death. her father remains speechless.

 

HAJJA gives a superb performance so does everyone else dealing with the news of death of JIMMY and accepting his death. i must admit that this serial has taken a twist in its theme. so take caution. there are more to come. but no telling… 

the audience is responding positively after watching VAA LOABI ENGEYNAMA… i haven’t heard any negative comments so far.

sunday i have submitted yet to be titled UNFPA/ NCA screenplay which i co-wrote with HILMY . am waiting for UNFPA’s comments. after that a rewrite. am hoping there will be not much to re-write.

ABDUL FATTHAAH’s eagerly awaited VAA LOABI ENGEYNAMA… was released last night after a small function where principal cast, producer and director appeared on the stage, each carrying a red rose. MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE ARTS cut the ribbon. He was presented with a bouquet though. Later all the roses but the bouquet were thrown at the cheering audience. Most tried to claim the rose thrown by superstar YOOSUF SHAFEEU. But whoever got that rose isn’t going to get married soon… it was a film releasing function, not a wedding for crying out loud. Maybe the bouquet would have worked.

Anyways, the first half of the film before the intermission went smoothly. The audience responding to most of the jokes delivered. yeah, it had some funny lines. But the path I was hoping the audience would respond most went unnoticed. The first half kick-started slowly, but the audience was jolted to the movie throughout. How did I know? Simple. They were dead silent. That’s a sign of them concentrating heavily. Or were they sleeping? Now that’s a bad sign.

However, after the intermission tragedy struck, Vaa LOABI ENGEYNAMA… also faced the dreaded opening night technical error curse majority of Dhivehi movies face. This happened probably because the entire audience in their subconscious mind had the thought that something should go wrong. And it did. The screening DVD got stuck. It was a total embarrassment…

The audience had to wait about 45 minutes before the film started running again. Surprisingly, they waited patiently despite some jeering. But it was the right decision from them that they stayed. The film ended on the same entertaining note as it began. But the last hour of the movie turned all melodramatic. A taste most of the Maldivian audience expect from a Dhivehi movie. So they had funny lines to laugh coupled with scenes that shed a tear or two from their eyes.

When end credits rolled some from the audience even cheered and clapped. They sound as if they didn’t care about the running time or technical error curses as long as they were able to watch a good movie. So overall, the audience considered this a good movie. But that will be decided how VAA LOABI ENGEYNAMA… fares at the box office. If only I would know…

dubbing of VAA LOABI ENGEYNAMA has begun 3 days ago. up to yesterday, 75% of the dubbing has been completed.

rough editing of VAALOABI ENGEYNAMA was completed at 2330 last night. as a whole the film looks good. acting is great. YOUPPE and AFEE give a brilliant performance. FAREE is absolutely surprising in her debut, as if her role could only be performed by herself. the visual style of director NIMAL nicely syncs with the theme emotional moments of the film. anyways, i could go on boasting. but there’s so much post production work to be done.

 

to celebrate the completion of editing, producer FATTHAAH gave us a dinner. along with him were editor SEMI, dop DHABA, music composer THITTHI, special guest ISMAIL MUBARIK and myself. the celebration was at LEMONGRASS.