Short film | Mahdi Ahmed

Posts tagged ‘Short film’

RUGYAH: CRAFTING SHADOWS INTO ART

A Serendipitous Beginning

About three days ago, I received an exciting request from Mua, the director of the captivating short film ‘Rugyah’ which was aired on Raajje TV on 23 April 2021. He approached me for assistance in providing subtitles for the movie, as he plans to submit it to an upcoming Indian film festival. This opportunity sparked a rush of memories, taking me back to the incredible journey we embarked upon, from the birth of the idea to its final manifestation on the small screen.

Inception of a Vision

Our journey commenced in early March of the same year when Mua had a remarkable vision for a Ramadan special on Raajje TV. His unique idea was to create a horror screenplay, but with a twist – the production had to be relatively simple and confined to minimal locations. Our brainstorming sessions were filled with intensity, and it was during one of these sessions that inspiration struck me. I stumbled upon an online news article featuring a local island’s scandalous ‘Rugyah’ scam, and its gripping narrative potential immediately captivated me.

The Birth of ‘Rugyah’

Writing the screenplay for ‘Rugyah’ turned out to be a whirlwind experience. In merely four days, I had a draft ready for Mua, who was genuinely thrilled with the outcome. However, casting came with some unexpected hurdles, especially when it came to finding child actors within the tight time constraints we faced. It was during this challenging period that Mua came up with a brilliant idea – to reshape the cast and introduce two real-life sisters, Azza and Rishmy. This ingenious move brought a captivating new dimension to the narrative, as their personal history of reconciliation added depth and authenticity to their on-screen portrayal of sisters Zee and Adhila.

Unfolding the Tale

The revised plot now revolved around Zee and Adhila, both trapped in a house, desperately fighting for freedom from Adhila’s manipulative husband, Easa, and the enigmatic character of Usman, a rogue spiritual healer. What unravelled before the audience was a bone-chilling tale of manipulation, torture, and survival, intertwined with supernatural beliefs. By the end of March, I wrapped up the final rewrites, and in April, Mua delved into the production phase.

Mua’s Directorial Brilliance

Mua’s directorial skills proved to be nothing short of brilliant. Despite the demanding production schedule of two weeks – one for filming and another for post-production – the quality of the film remained uncompromised. His steady and innovative direction respected both the story and the actors, ensuring that ‘Rugyah’ was a riveting watch from start to finish. Mua’s exceptional ability to choose the perfect camera shots transformed the 58-minute film, set entirely within the confines of an apartment, into a visually captivating masterpiece. I must mention one scene, in particular, where Zee is forced to scrape food into a bin while a famished Adhila helplessly watches on, which left a profound impact on the audience.

Immense Pride and the Continuation of Creativity

As I hand over the completed subtitles, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride in having been part of the ‘Rugyah’ journey. The stellar performances delivered by the cast were truly remarkable, but it was Mua’s visionary direction that effortlessly showcased their incredible talents. His skill in maintaining engagement and conveying deep meaning through cinematography served as a testament to his artistic brilliance. And now, as he hints at a new project on the horizon, it seems that our creative journey is far from over, with the ball now in my court. ‘Rugyah’ was more than just a film; it was a remarkable voyage filled with creative challenges, constant adaptation, and ultimately, triumphant success.

SUGGESTIONS AND CHARACTER ARCS

As planned, this afternoon I met with Ahmed Zareer, my writing partner to discuss the suggestions he had after reading EMME MANZAREH (Just One Scene) rewrite. To begin with, he first thought the entire screenplay was going to be, like the title suggests, just one scene. But I explained to him the reason behind that title. It was called EMME MANZAREH because the narrative goes back to the same scene three times in three different angles which marks the beginning of the three respective acts in the screenplay. He nodded.

His one and only suggestion was on a pivotal scene where he thought that one of the central character was out of personality compared to how that character was built up from the start. After the meeting I went back to my laptop, read and re-read the scene and realized he was actually right. Without any hesitation I rewrote the scene removing some of the dialogues. Now the character in question has a smoother character arc. Awesome!

Then he suggested on the third angle of the murder scene to be changed. But I felt the third angle looked better the way it’s already written. Other than those, Zareer didn’t have more to say. Once again, the foreshadowing really worked just the way I intended as he never expected the shocking twist. He just loved it.

Well that’s all for now. And oh before I finish this post, I mentioned him about an idea for the next gig I am thinking of writing, this time in collaboration with him. He was interested. More on that later.

Cheers!

COMMENTS AND CROSSED FINGERS

Last night at Petay’s Restaurant, I sat with Ahmed Nadeem to discuss his comments on the short film screenplay EMME MANZAREH which I wrote and was based on a short story he published of the same name on Haveeru online two years ago.

Though he had many comments, he really loved the screenplay especially the wickedest twist which was nonexistent from his original story. He too thought it was very twisted.

Most of his feedback was on the visual look, the mood and the style which I thought changing would enrich the screenplay thus making the film darker and adding more depth to the twisted ending. He even referred me a movie to watch to understand the kind of visual style he’s talking about. So before I start re-writing I’m going to watch this movie.

The other comment he made was on some of the dialogues used for the central character. He wanted to make it stronger. I agreed on changing some while I disagreed on changing them entirely. I felt the audience would get offended since using strong language in films is still considered a bit taboo. We need to come out of this shell slowly I thought.

He was very excited when I said soon after I updated my Facebook status that I completed writing the screenplay, Dark Rain Entertainment (DRE) honcho, Mohamed Ali Moger replied me requesting for a read. I have already mailed him a soft copy of the screenplay which he will read as soon as he recovers from the flu he’s having presently. It’s difficult to continue typing this post as my fingers have been crossed since his message.

I type off for now and will return with more updates, hopefully without crossed fingers.

Cheers!

EMME MANZAREH (JUST ONE SCENE) COMPLETED

Though the title suggests just one scene, the screenplay exceeds 27 times more. I have wrapped up writing short film EMME MANZAREH (Just One Scene) which was based on a short story written by film reviewer, Ahmed Nadeem. I have highlighted on this story in my last post. So I’m going to save my finger tips from getting blisters.

Funny how last night I only sat down to write just one scene but I ended up completing it. The magic which always happens when I’m near completion of a screenplay happened. I had the usual sudden exuberance to complete it. More ideas started to ooze out in to my outline. My heart rate was jumping up, down, left and right that it felt as if it might shoot out of my chest at any minute. So I was careful. But I was unable to stop writing. I wasn’t sure if it was my hand taking control over my mind or vice versa. I didn’t take a break. I missed Barcelona’s match against Celtic in the Champions League. I’m happy I did.

When I completed writing, it was late. My head was spinning and moreover my mind was feeling twisted over the climax. The whole ending was entirely changed from the original story. I’m so tempted to write about it but that would spoil the film. But I can assure that it’s going to be one of the wickedest twists I have ever written yet.

I have already mailed the story to Nadeem for his comments. I also mailed a copy to director Ravee Farooq, who I felt would be tempted to do whatever he wants after reading it. I can’t wait for their feedback which I think I would be getting sometime this evening. Until then I await.

Cheers!