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AG:
How did you get into the medical practice of film making after a
doctoral degree in medicine?
HZ:Since I was a kid, I had this big passion for making
movies. My first story was published when I was in the sixth grade. I
had an imaginary radio station in my room. When at 18, I informed my
parents of my decision to be a film maker, they were really shocked as
my parents wanted me to pursue medicine. They felt that there was not
much future in my dream. So I went about making a deal with them that
I would go to the pre-med school that was close to the radio station.
I joined Radio Pakistan and thinking about it 12 years have passed.
I wrote, produced and dubbed English Cartoons into Urdu language which became very popular in my country. Now kids
could see the cartoons in their own language and understand. The Dim
Light was my first television drama which I wrote and directed. It
was telecasted in thirty-two countries by Pakistan Television. This
venture gave me enough confidence about my future in cinema.
AG: From an Indian perspective, women are slowly moving
towards liberation while the Pakistani counterparts are having their
own set of challenges in terms of tradition, culture and religion. Do
you think cinema is a good instrument for change?
HZ: When I came to this country I was in total shock. It was a
totally new experience for me. I saw men and women working together in
every field of life and every one was being treated with great respect
regardless of age, color, ethnicity. That is the beauty of this
country. Ideas have revolved in my mind for years and some of them
have found expression through my poetry and sometimes through my radio
program 'Meri Jaan Francisco'. Cinema has a greater and powerful reach
with an intense impact on the audience. My feeling towards women and
cinema started during my medical practice in the Burns Unit at an
hospital in Pakistan. I would see women who are helpless with over 75%
burns due to Dowry or female infanticide. This had a striking impact
within me and I wanted to give something back to my community. I
cannot do this by staying in Pakistan. The crucial problem that has
bogged the society is ignorance. The society does not distinguish
between social causes and religious causes.
AG:How did the movie "Night of Henna" evolve?
HZ: My feature film 'Night of Henna' is about a young Pakistani
girl Hawa, meaning Eve - the first woman, who struggles to get out of
an arranged marriage to a stranger. Positively influenced and
inspired by the western society, she questions the tradition and
discovers the true meaning of freedom. I wanted to portray the meaning
of marriage. In the Pakistani custom, one does not see his/her partner
until the marriage. You have no clue with whom you are going to spend
your entire life. This made me think on how two people could sacrifice
their whole life and feelings. In this film, I am conveying my own
feelings of how I see the two different parts of the world with such
different cultures. The movie was earlier titled 'Daughter of the
East" but I changed the same to Night of Henna because of the vibrant
color of the bride's hands. In my film, the protagonist is not given
the right to decide her husband, but is shown as a beautiful and
obedient daughter and at the same time as an independent woman who
pursues her little dreams and goals. I truly wish the Indian and
Pakistan community come and watch this movie. So much of energy and
money has been invested in creating this awareness. This is the story
of an Asian American woman. Be it Pakistan, India, or any Asian
country for that matter- women are still suffering. The film's theme
is universal. Education is the only tool that can change people's
perspective. The 'Night of Henna' began in 2003. It was shot in 35
locations in 24 days with a budget of $500K.
AG:
Will Night of Henna be accepted in Pakistan keeping in mind the
religious ideologies?
HZ: The world is changing. We are moving towards the modern
era. We will have to accept the change. When you don't accept the
changes within your community, problems erupt. Tradition is man-made,
it can be changed. Religion is about love, peace and honesty. As long
as my Pakistani community is able to distinguish between these two, I
don't foresee any problems. I think people need to be aware of what's
going on. They should accept independence. The film will go through a
few cuts before being released in Pakistan but I am sure the mullahs
will be shocked initially. I am willing to face the controversy to
voice my honest perspective on women. I want to break this silence
amongst women.
AG: Any specific reason for choosing an Indian actress to
play the lead role in your film?
HZ: The film's concept basically involves social issues
that is common place within the Indian or Pakistani community. The
original choice for this film was Nandita Das - an accomplished Indian
actress. Due to date problems, Girija Shankar (a well established
character actor from India who played "Dritharashtra" in the Indian
sitcom Mahabharata) who plays Hava's father in the film suggested
Pooja's name. I was not sure about Pooja in the beginning as I was
looking for an actress who could speak a bit of Urdu/Hindi and
English. One telephone call to Pooja and I was convinced. Pooja was
based in United States and it was all the more comfortable to cast her
in the film. Pooja was recently awarded the SAG emerging actress award
for "Flavors". Another prime reason is the fact that I would like to
build bridges among nations. Being In United States, Pakistan or
India- social causes are present and we need to get together as a
community to solve one another's problems. Be it India or Pakistan,
the older generation would like to keep their values and traditions
while the younger generation is definitely hanging between the east
and the west- inside and outside home. |
