“Mehram” is a story of Aamna (played by Farida) who decides to stand up to the patriarchal system to claim her right to perform the Hajj.

Veteran Actress Farida Jalal’s short film- Mehram, will be screened at CAM International Film Festival, Egypt, on December 26 and at the DFW South Asian Film Festival, Dallas, in February 2018. Written and directed by Zain Anwar, the short film is co-produced by Vishakha Singh and Gaurav Bharadwaj.

Farida Jalal and Sushma Seth in Mehram

Farida Jalal and Sushma Seth in Mehram

Under Saudi Arabian laws, women without a ‘Mehram’ (a male blood relative) are forbidden to perform the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Mehram’ is an effort to start discussions around the discriminating laws of Hajj against women while also pointing at various religions and cultures where gender inequality is accepted as a tradition.

Bhardwaj said in a statement: “It feels great when your ideas turn into reality and even better when it gets appreciated. After discussing ‘Mehram’ script with Zain, we instantaneously decided to begin our journey. Though we were mentally prepared to face both appreciation and criticism, we have only got appreciation and acclaim so far and after winning two awards (in Indian festivals) ‘Mehram’ is now ready to be screened in Egypt, US and many other countries.”

The short film, which features Rajit Kapur and Sushma Seth, won the Best Film Award at the Delhi International Film Festival and the Best Music Award in Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival.

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