- Directed by: Jeremy Guy
- Released: 2018 (educational)
- Year of Production: 2017
Running Time: 71 min
Format: NTSC DVD
Language: Hindi, English with English subtitles
Includes English CC
Subjects: Asian Studies, Women's Studies
"It's like a real-life Bend It Like Beckham" - NPR (KQED)
Kaikasha Mirza, a young Indian woman, is allowed to remove her burka for the first time in order to pursue her dreams of playing on the Mumbai Senior Women's Cricket Team. In the days leading up to the tryouts, Kaikasha's parents give her the ultimatum that she will have two years to become a professional cricketer or they will arrange her marriage. Once married, her husband would likely not allow her to play, thus pinning all of Kaikash's hopes on the upcoming tryouts for the Mumbai team. Kaikasha's eldest sister, Saba, also has her own dreams of her career and yearns to become a model, but she endures harsh criticism for wearing a niqab to interviews. Heena, the youngest sister, desires to become a fashion designer or a singer, but poverty may impede her pursuits. All three girls must contend with the wishes of their father who does not believe women should work, in addition to the whispered judgment of those within their community.
Festival Selection:
Cinequest Film Festival
Sheffield Doc/Fest Film Market
Dances With Films
Indian Film Festival Stuttgart
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne
Five Lakes Film Festival (Germany)
Chicago South Asian Film Festival
Indian Film Festival of Houston
South Asian Film Festival of Montreal
Recommended by Video Librarian
"In the beginning of this documentary directed by Jeremy Guy, viewers are told that purdah is a veil or screen and can also refer to something that Muslim women wear to keep hidden. The film focuses on the Mirza family in India, particularly Kaikasha, who loves playing cricket and hopes to make it on a Mumbai women’s cricket team. Filmed in cinema verité style, the film follows Kaikasha as she rides the train to cricket practice before coming home to interact with her parents and siblings, the latter including two sisters whose dreams and aspirations don’t always mesh with parental or religious viewpoints. Just as Kaikasha is about to learn if she makes the team, the screen goes black, the footage speeds up, the background piano music intensifies, and the documentary fast forwards three years, bringing viewers up to speed on surprising family developments, including abandonment, abuse, arranged marriage, relocation, and childbirth. Ultimately, the Mirza siblings, including a younger brother who was forced to drop out of school in eighth grade, persevere through hurdles and against obstacles in this engaging portrait of a family and their future. Recommended." - S. Beauregard for Video Librarian
In The Press
"An insightful story of female empowerment through sport" - KSCO Radio
"It's like a real-life Bend It Like Beckham" - NPR (KQED)
"Uplifting and Empowering" - Film Threat
"Purdah is a beautiful narration of women's fight for identity and ambition in modern India." - Media Entertainment Arts Worldwide
"This inspirational film about the sisters' candid journey of self-discovery is a must see with family and friends." - Modern Latina
“Purdah is a film that shows well how a belief system and the guidance of
one’s religion can impact children’s dreams and adults’ lives.” - Cinema Crazed
About the Director
Jeremy Guy is an award winning director and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. His work spans a wide variety of formats including narrative feature films, major television shows, and independent documentaries.
Documentary filmmaking is of particular interest for Jeremy because he feels that real life stories can be much more powerful and relatable than fiction. Jeremy had a great connection with the Mirza family and was honored to tell their story in Purdah.
Jeremy graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara Film Studies Program with Highest Honors and Departmental Honors before earning his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California in Film Production.
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