Arunjit Borah Opens Up On Journey Of His Short film Zibah After It Steps Closer To OSCAR

Arunjit Borah directed ZIBAH is making headlines everywhere whether it is electronic media, print media or social media because it is one of the top three film in "Best of India short film Festival, UK" and to receive a theatrical screening in Los Angeles for OSCAR qualification. The film stars Helly Shah and Barkha Sengupta in important roles and it touched upon a very sensitive issue of FGM (female genital mutilation).

Arunjit Borah gave an interview recently in which he spoke about his film and why he chose this sensitive issue which is very close to his heart.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Interviewer: How do you feel Zibah is different from other movies which have been directed by you?

Arunjit Borah: Being a filmmaker, I have always given preference to my passion over comfort because I am quite passionate about serving my audiences with good quality content which should have a meaningful message, either social or personal. Moreover, the stories that I tell should create a ripple in the hearts of viewers and Zibah's subject is something that I want everyone to know about.

Interviewer: What do you want to tell people through Zibah?

Arunjit Borah: The movie is based on the subject of female genital mutilation (FGM) which is not only physically painful but it also affects the victim mentally. As per the data available with the World Health Organisation, there are 300 million victim of FGM in the world as of now and the society especially the communities which are practicing FGM should be imparted education about its negative effects. This is a violation of human rights of women community and many countries including USA, UK, France, etc. have banned FGM but it is not prohibited in India and not just the government of our country but other social organizations should also take the initiative to bring this practice to an end as soon as possible.

Interviewer: As a director, was it challenging for you to deal with such a sensitive issue in the movie, Zibah?

Arunjit Borah: Yes, it was very challenging for me to deal with FGM in a careful manner because I am not against any religion or community, I am against the practice of FGM and I have made it very clear through the movie. My focus was on the strong relationship between mother (Barkha Sengupta) and daughter (Helly Shah) and how they both stood against this practice which has left many women suffering from mental trauma for whole life. I really hope that I have achieved the twin targets through Zibah - the goal of storytelling and addressing the issue in a proper manner.

Interviewer: Is there any change in your perspective towards women, life and humans after researching for Zibah?

Arunjit Borah: Before shooting for the movie, I went through many researches on this subject, talked to many victims and also attended many webinars on this subject. I was left shocked and traumatized because these victims not only suffer from physical and mental problems but also face Gender identity crisis. Though in India, only a minority community practice FGM yet each and every girl needs to be saved from this horrific and barbaric practice.

In the end, I just want to say that for me, Zibah is much more than good direction or acting, entertainment or technical perfections, etc. because it is a message from my side to the world, it is an attempt to save the daughters by making people aware. https://www.instagram.com/arunjithere