Baba Azmi on 'Mee Raqsam' Winning in Dublin

From being a cinematographer to now being a director, the journey for Baba Azmi has been amazing. An accomplished cinematographer, he is now enjoying the laurels that his Zee5 film, Mee Raqsam is bringing in.

Azmi's directorial debut is about a sprightly young Muslim girl’s determination to learn Bharat Natyam. The film has now won the Best Debut Director at the just-concluded Indian Film Festival Of Ireland in Dublin. 

Sister Shabana Azmi and brother-in-law Javed Akhtar couldn't stop praising where sister Azmi said, “I am extremely happy but its Javed who is behaving like a PROUDY and smiling away saying . ‘Yeh film bahut achchi hain aur mujhe yaqeen tha goti sahi khaane mein pahunchi hai!’  He is hosting a small lunch at home today for the family. Baba is underplaying but my sister-in-law Tanve is thrilled! There is something about the film that has touched hearts and its received rave reactions from people as diverse as Shyam Benegal and David Dhawan. Mee Raqsam is a film that would have made our father Kaifi very proud. The film was launched in Mijwan on his birthday in his birth centenary year. There can be no greater tribute paid by a son to his father.”

Director man himself said, “Everything just fell into place. The key cast simply fell into place. Naseerudin Shah, a dear friend, was my first and    only choice of the cleric’s role. We’ve known each other for 30  years. I was  the cinematographer in his starrers Woh 7 Din and Bezubaan. We’ve remained friends. So when I  asked him I wasn’t surprised  when he said yes.”

He added,  “Mee Raqsam was born out of a spirit of harmony and  peace. It is inspired by my father(Kaifi Azmi) secular  ideology in life. It teaches us the value of cultural assimilation.  My film wasborn out of a feeling of harmony, not hatred and  strife.”