Leesa Gazi, whose movie “A House Named Shahana” debuts at the IFFLA this month, chats with India Currents’ Anuj Chakrapani about her first Bangla fiction film.
Anuj Chakrapani: A House Named Shahana is your first fiction film and it has won recognition straight away with a spot in front of international audiences at IFFLA 2024. Tell us how you feel at the moment?
Leesa Gazi: Receiving awards at the JIO MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and the BFI London Indian Film Festival for “Barir Naam Shahana” (A House Named Shahana) is very gratifying. Yet the most fulfilling moments have come after each screening, when audience members shared heartfelt responses about the film’s world and how deeply the story resonated with them. They asked insightful questions and recounted their own journeys of overcoming societal judgment and burdens, which is truly enlightening. A House Named Shahana is my debut fiction but a second feature.
I feel privileged to be included among exceptional films and filmmakers at IFFLA this year. I cannot wait to connect with the LA audience, especially those from the South Asian and Bangladeshi communities, and share our cherished cinema with them.
AC: Not only is this your debut, but it’s also a debut role for lead actor Aanon Siddiqua, who co-scripted the movie. Tell us about the creative experience of writing the movie with her and then bringing it to life, with the two of you on either end of the camera.
LG: I believe in the transformative power of collaboration. Co-creating with fellow female artists brings me immense joy. My passion and purpose are rooted in telling stories from women’s viewpoints, transcending binary definitions of good and evil, and venturing into relatable stories of real women that our audience can connect with. I deeply value the richness of diverse voices and individual insights. We co-founded an arts organization, Komola Collective, an ensemble of four women theatre workers and filmmakers from varied backgrounds and creative disciplines, where collaboration is our cornerstone.
I have worked with Aanon Siddiqua as a performer for over a decade. In 2011, I wrote a novella entitled ‘A House Named Shahana.’ When Siddiqua read it, she said she was deeply moved by it. I then proposed we write a screenplay together. She replied that she had never written a screenplay before. I told Siddiqua that I clearly saw her playing the protagonist, Dipa. Despite our 18-year age gap, I deeply respect and admire the depth of lived experience Siddiqua brings to the character.
At that time, I had not directed a fictional feature film, but I believed I could do it. My ability to visualize the scenes as a director gave me the confidence to make the film.
Currently, I am co-writing the script for my second feature film, Shasti (Punishment), with Aanon Siddiqua and Sadia Khalid Reeti. Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s short story of the same title, the film will be a contemporary spin on the beloved classic.
Collaboration isn’t just a necessity for me; it’s a choice I cherish deeply.
AC – The synopsis says it’s a work of fiction, but it rings so true- the plight of a woman forced into marriage and the repercussions she faces when choosing her interest over everyone else’s. It seems so familiar that it may just be a true story – one many women would relate to.
LG: The story emerges from actual events. In the film, a divorced woman named Dipa wants to live her life on her own terms, which is considered an act of rebellion. She does not accept what has been decided for her by others and fights back. As a divorcée in ’90s Bangladesh, I faced immense social stigma and witnessed how divorced women were outcasts in their homes and society. Yet, throughout my life, I have been inspired by the resilience of ordinary South Asian women who confront infamy and injustice but still forge their own paths. I have always been driven to tell their passionate, complex, and burning stories. Dipa is one such woman who defies social stigma and the burden of family ‘honor’. It is her journey to emotional and economic independence. It is not an unhappy film. Instead, it is a triumphant one.
The struggles and victories of ordinary women inspire me the most. In the film, my vision is for women to break free from the stereotypes that confine them, as I see them doing so. I have drawn attention to the paradoxical existence many women continue to experience, navigating societal pressures while yearning for freedom and acceptance. A woman doesn’t need to be a deity, an all-sacrificing mother figure, or an obedient wife. She can be vibrant, daring, dynamic, and multi-dimensional like anyone else and is worth celebrating.
AC: Help me understand, Leesa, why has this been the plight of women in a country where the political landscape was dominated by two women at that time. Why do you think the plight of women did not change, even with these women at the helm of the country?
LG: This is because we live in a patriarchal society, where women have been considered property and custodians of male pride and family ‘honor’ for thousands of years. There is a collective effort to keep women within four walls and make them feel ashamed of their own dreams. The patriarchal mindset is so implanted in us that we don’t need men to manifest it. You can find patriarchy at work, even in families where there is no male member. This is, more often than not, how it works in societies.
Women bear the burden of ‘family honor’ and face shame if they fail to do so. In South Asian culture, a woman’s moral character is often judged by her status as a ‘shoti’ (virgin/faithful), which is tied to the concept of ‘honor’. Sadly, this idea has deeply rooted itself in our subconscious. ‘Honour’ killings, female infanticide, sex-selective abortions, and sexual violence against women are prevalent in South Asia, and they all stem from this damaging mentality.
So, it does not matter if the head of a country is a woman while the practice of male supremacy and dominance persists in the society. To break free, we need tenacious work and commitment to change the mindset, which can only happen if we, both women and men, work towards effecting meaningful change.
AC – On a related note, your earlier creation was the deeply moving documentary Rising Silence. Tell us about its impact on you for now and for possibly, the future?
LG: I began this journey to make a film about some of the extraordinary Birangona women, sexual violence survivors of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, whom I was fortunate to meet. By the end of the journey, I realized that their sharing of their life stories and their attempts at self-rehabilitation had shown me how to find myself in the process and what I am capable of as a woman. Their actions have given me a sense of humanity, purpose, and a sense of pride, which I have never experienced before. The human capacity to endure and thrive is innate. We don’t know our full potential regarding strength, resilience, compassion, and our power to love until we are tested. Birangona women’s experiences are living proof of that.
Knowing them has made me want to be a better person and made me more equipped to face up to reality with empathy, courage, understanding, and dignity. They have inspired me to believe kindness is a practice. It’s an act; the more you apply it in life, the kinder you become. My perspective of life has been enriched a great deal because of them. Their strength and fighting spirit to rise above extreme plight have shown me light in difficult times. Although these incredible women remain defiant, enduring unimaginable suffering, systematic torture, and mass rape, these experiences do not define them. It is not who they are. My lifelong goal is to achieve the effortless strength of character they so naturally have in them.
It has also been simultaneously the most inspiring and heartbreaking experience of my life, significantly changing how I see the world. By living, they overcome and grow beyond the monsters of war and daily prejudice with extraordinary strength and the most profound expression of love, which will remain a life lesson for me.
For the last fifteen years, my purpose has been listening to survivors, telling their stories, amplifying their voices, and spreading their legacy. It fills my heart with gratitude that they have trusted me with their stories.
“Rising Silence” has received widespread acclaim, winning 15 awards worldwide. It has been screened globally to raise awareness and mobilize advocacy campaigns about the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in current armed conflicts. The film has become an effective tool to address the issue and facilitate discussion.
AC – Truly that must have been a very poignant experience for you. We can see that in how you engage with the women you interviewed. We can see them touching you and hugging you, as you feel their pain. Well, we look forward to seeing your next creation on screen soon. Good luck at IFFLA!
LG: Thank you for the wishes.
We warmly invite the LA audience and film enthusiasts to experience our film, ‘A House Named Shahana’ at IFFLA. Join us for a poignant cinematic experience. Bring your friends and family to this celebration of life, music, and storytelling. Your support is invaluable to us.
