Mahdi Ahmed

Scripting waves of imagination from the sunny side of the Maldives.

Posts tagged ‘Film criticism’

FROM DOUBLE MEANINGS TO FAMILY MAGIC – MY REDEMPTION

As a screenwriter with a reputation (okay, infamous might be more accurate) for sneaking in those double-meaning dialogues, I’ve heard more than my fair share of whispers. Some loud. Mostly about how my work flirts a little too much with cheekiness, especially for an 18+ audience. Guilty as charged!

But hey, I’ve always been about delivering something extra. If the scene called for a wink and a nudge, the dialogue was more than happy to comply. But it wasn’t gratuitous. Every smirk-inducing word had a purpose, serving the story, the characters, and—let’s be honest—keeping the audience entertained, even if it made them blush a bit.

But yesterday evening? Yesterday evening was different. Yesterday evening was a turning point. It was the premiere of Roboman: The Movie, and this time, the audience I wrote for wasn’t the 18+ crowd ready to catch every innuendo. This was for families—kids, parents, everyone looking for a wholesome ride. It was my shot at redemption, to prove that I could write something family-friendly that was just as engaging without leaning on the suggestive. And let me tell you, it felt good.

What made the evening even better? My usual premiere buddy, my wife, was there as always. She’s my muse, my most honest critic, and when it comes to feedback, let’s just say no one tells me the truth quite like she does. But this time, there was a new guest—our 13-year-old son, at his first-ever movie premiere. And not just any movie, but one I wrote. I hadn’t felt this nervous in years. Not because of the critics or the audience’s reaction, but because my toughest reviewer would be sitting right beside me, popcorn in hand, ready to whisper his thoughts in real-time.

And whisper he did.

About halfway through into the movie, my son leans over and says, “I know how this is going to end.” I glance at him, eyebrow raised, because, well, I wrote the thing. I know a twist when I see one. But I humor him and whisper back, “Oh yeah? How?”

The movie carried on, filled with dance, heartwarming moments, and plenty of Roboman heroics. The climax hit, and there it was—the big reveal. And guess what? My son nailed it. He had the ending figured out long before the final scenes played out, and you know what? I was proud. Not because the ending was predictable (okay, maybe a little predictable—it’s a family film, after all), but because he got it. He connected with the story in a way I didn’t see coming.

He absolutely loved the movie, and for me, that was the real win. Seeing him wide-eyed, and fully immersed—that’s the kind of review you can’t buy.

So yeah, yesterday evening was a reminder that I can write family-friendly. And guess what? It can be just as fun, heartfelt, and memorable as anything I’ve written for a more… mature crowd. Roboman: The Movie wasn’t just a film—it was my redemption arc. Proof that I don’t need to lean on double meanings to create a story that sticks.

And my wife? She walked out of that theater with a smile and a few tears. The emotional scenes got to her, and as we left, she turned to me and asked, “Is my makeup smeared?” That, my friends, is when you know you’ve done something right.

A PSYCHEDELIC REWRITE

Two nights ago, after discussing the draft screenplay of EMME MANZAREH (Just One Scene) with film reviewer and writer Ahmed Nadeem on whose short story it was based upon, I have started rewriting it today.

Like commented by him, I have rearranged couple of early scenes and removed all of the dialogues from them. They indeed look fantastic now. I have also extended some more scenes especially a scene that calls for quick cut psychedelic visuals that comes with psychedelic music and added some snorricam shots for three more scenes. Yes, changing this way has really added more meaning and much needed darkness to those scenes and the screenplay as a whole. To get inspired while writing the needed psychedelic visuals, I kept playing Help by Deep Purple and The End by The Doors. These two songs really chilled me and opened up my thinking cap making me easier to write. Says who only a joint gives hallucinations? Now I know those songs are called psychedelic for a reason.

Anyway, since this scene required a psychedelic soundtrack in the background, I wrote on using Deep Purple’s Help which was very fitting in every way. But I didn’t think this song could be added without a copyright approval. So I had to seek an alternative. I discussed the issue with Nadeem over the phone immediately. I suggested if he knew any local bands playing local psychedelic songs. He said he’d work on it and an hour later, he mailed me three songs written and performed by a local band called Gianscore. Their music was heavily influenced by The Doors. Their song ‘Veynekay’ which replaced Deep Purple’s Help, felt much more appropriate. And I’m going to use the other two songs for two other scenes. I have already noted these scenes in my new outline. Once pre-production starts, I’m going to suggest whoever is producing to negotiate with Gianscore on using their songs for the film. They were a revelation.

Other new changes brought were addition of a montage like short scenes on how the relationship with the three central characters developed. And this build-up comes inside another psychedelic song and I’m going to use one of the two remaining songs of Gianscore. That’s up to where I stopped the re-write for today and took a rest and decided to blog about the whole experience.

As I type this post, my excitement level keeps rising. The montage sequence I outlined looks flirty and connected by visuals from one scene to another. The screenplay is now looking more solid, dark and of course, psychedelic. Thanks to Nadeem for his constructive suggestions.

On other news, Dark Rain Entertainment (DRE) honcho, Mohamed Ali Moger is yet to recover from his flu and have a go at the draft screenplay. But now I want him to be reading the rewrite. That leaves me with keeping my fingers crossed for few more days. Just to give my fingers some rest, I type off this post for now.

Cheers!