Creatively addressing themes of hierarchical tokenism and identity politics, whilst highlighting cookie cutter typecasts that can often fragment or distort images, Naqqash Khalid does a great job of capturing the juxtaposition between an industry that can (often, it seems) refuse to see people from marginalised groups beyond the stereotypes society boxes them into versus embracing the unknown of creating your own rooms where you can playfully, artistically and more liberally present what you wish to see represented (essentially mapping out your own script and seeing the power in who you are).
I really appreciated the array of visual perspectives demonstrating the lead, Nabhaan Rizwan, grappling with a growing need to discover his sense of self and the discomfort of separating from the characters he is often directed to be / an assimilation to what is familiar or "safe", which I believe many viewers will resonate with in one way or another.
What's more, Khalid, is both thoughtful and courageous in how humour is interwoven among the many themes that some find challenging to present in camera.
A brilliant debut from a very passionate, dedicated and gracious person and creator.
