Mahdi Ahmed

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

Posts tagged ‘Violence Against Women’

KAMANAA: MUNAVVAR UNFILTERED

Thirteen years ago, on a sweltering afternoon, I first encountered Hussain Munawar. The image is still clear. A slightly battered red Toyota Ist was chasing on the road. There he was, squeezing through the backseat window. He wore a long-sleeved horizontally striped T-shirt clinging to his frame, his hair tightly braided. His demeanor was far from pleasant as he harassed a young girl on the back of a motorbike. This unsettling introduction was my first glimpse of the character Tomas. Hussain portrayed this role so convincingly in the critically acclaimed Dhivehi film Loodhifa.

This gritty scene encapsulated the essence of Munawar’s directing style—unflinching realism.

My collaboration with Hussain began in late April 2010. He was only 22 years. He asked me to doctor a screenplay. The screenplay was eventually re-structured and re-written for his directorial debut. That screenplay became Sazaa, the first Dhivehi film to confront the issue of violence against women with such raw intensity.

Hussain’s approach to Sazaa was unapologetic. He believed that to make a genuine impact, the violence had to be depicted as it happened—brutal and graphic. His reasoning was clear. The public needed to understand the shocking reality some women endure. The only way to convey that was through an honest portrayal.

We continued working together on Dhilakani in 2013, and eleven years later, Hussain approached me again. Over coffee at Olympus, he shared a story his wife, Rish, had told him. It was a true account of a loving husband who resorted to extreme violence. We immediately saw the connection to Sazaa and decided that this story would be its spiritual sequel. Thus, Kamanaa was conceived.

Hussain’s commitment to portraying violence in its rawest form has never wavered. He is a deep thinker who approaches each project with a seriousness that demands authenticity. His philosophy is straightforward. If the public is to grasp the gravity of domestic violence, they must see it as it truly is. No filters, no sugar-coating.

Kamanaa is not just a film; it’s a re-enactment of real incidents. The violence portrayed is graphic and shockingly brutal, but it’s necessary. Hussain wants the public to confront the harsh reality some women face. He aims to spark a conversation that needs to happen.

Kamanaa is set to be released on 27 August 2024. Brace yourselves for a film that doesn’t shy away from the truth but forces us to confront it head-on.

KAMANAA: Unveiling the Haunting Reality of Domestic Violence

It all began one early morning on 04th June 2023 at Olympus Cafe. As usual, I sat with director Hussain Munawar, affectionately known as Kudafoolhu in the film fraternity, for our morning coffee. With his characteristic enthusiasm, he told me he had a story to share—a true one narrated by his wife, Rish, who got it from the source.

When he finished recounting the series of incidents, my coffee had gone cold, untouched except for one sip. Like the coffee, I felt a chill. Lately, stories with violence have been hard to stomach, and this one, about domestic violence, hit particularly hard. Munawar wanted it to be a spiritual sequel to his debut film “Sazaa,” which also dealt with violence against women and was our first collaboration in 2011. He promised to get an audio recording of the interview with the victim, and I agreed to start the detailed outlining once I received it. Little did I know this story would haunt me for the rest of the day.

The dramatic weight of the story put my brain into overdrive. That evening, on my way to Vilimale’ from Male’, I began crafting the screenplay on the ferry using my trusty Samsung S22 Ultra. By the time I reached Vilimale’, I had a rough outline. Later that evening, sprawled on the sitting room floor, I built up the backstory for all the separate acts of violence inflicted by a husband on his mild-mannered wife. I developed the characters, including the minor ones, and outlined the violent incidents leading up to the climax, staying true to the real story while reimagining it for the screen.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. I kept reminding Hussain about the interviews, but due to the subject’s sensitivity, Rish was still unable to record them. Meanwhile, casting had begun. Hussain locked down Mariyam Azza, the most sought-after actress, for the victimized wife and was negotiating with Yoosuf Shafeeu, the most decorated actor, for the violent husband role. He also scouted for an equally renowned actress to play the other woman. Despite some casting setbacks, he eventually onboarded the most up and coming actress, Aminath Rashfa, for the latter role. Veteran actor Mohamed Rasheed and promising actress Natasha Jaleel, along with Mohamed Manik, were assembled for the cast. I tweaked the characters and scenes to better fit the actors’ strengths, making my outline even more engaging.

Still waiting for the interviews, Hussain eventually informed me that he had set a date to begin production. He urged me to start writing. Luckily, I had the rough outline ready. I revised the outline in a day, removing repetitive violence and adding fresh, brutal scenes. Voila, the outline was complete and looked good.

With three weeks to write the screenplay, I divided my time, spending two hours in the morning and two in the evening. By the end of the final week, I had a draft ready and immediately sent it to Hussain for feedback. He shared it with the cast, and I received valuable input, particularly from Rish, who suggested additional scenes leading up to critical violent incidents and some character name changes.

The meeting with Yoosuf Shafeeu was a pivotal moment. When he approved the unrestricted interaction with the other woman, I couldn’t help but grin, my heart racing like a bullet train. I finished the final draft that night, adding intense violence and refining the interactions.

After a journey that began with a chilling tale over coffee, Hussain finally gave me the final title of the screenplay: ‘Kamanaa,’ a loving term in Dhivehi used to address a wife. What started as a daunting task had transformed into a powerful screenplay, getting ready to be brought to life on the big screen.

Kamanaa is set to release on 27th August 2024.