Mahdi Ahmed

As a screenwriter, you often write characters knowing they serve as emotional anchors for the story. Sometimes it’s not the protagonist, nor the antagonist, but a quiet presence — a small yet vital light that reminds everyone, including the audience, what is still worth holding onto. In Kan’bulo, that light is Ainee. And bringing her to life is the young and incredibly talented Laiba.

Laiba’s portrayal of Ainee goes beyond simply playing a child on screen. She brings an authenticity and warmth that is rare, even among seasoned actors. In a story shaped by silence, grief, and healing, her innocence doesn’t just soften the narrative — it sharpens its emotional impact. She makes us believe in hope without forcing it. She becomes the pulse of gentleness within a world weighed down by pain.

What impressed me most, as I watched the dailies and the early cuts, was her natural understanding of emotional rhythm. She listens in scenes. She reacts honestly. There’s no artificial sweetness in her performance — only truth. Her interactions with the cast bring out dimensions in their performances that even I, as the writer, hadn’t fully anticipated.

Writing Ainee was my attempt to thread hope through a heavy narrative. Seeing Laiba embody that hope so effortlessly is a reminder that sometimes, the smallest characters carry the greatest emotional weight.

Laiba’s Ainee doesn’t just brighten scenes. She lifts the film.

Kan’bulo is set to be released on 31 August 2025.