Popular media, like movies, have immense power over common people. The influence of films and movie stars on the film-viewing population is incomparable.
But only a few use this influential platform to voice the needs of the hour. The ever-growing business aspects around popular films worldwide are engulfing socially relevant movie attempts. ‘Aliya’, the brainchild of Minara Akter and a trusted team, is a daring attempt at making the voice of the voiceless heard loud amongst the hollow screams of the so-called mass-pleasing movies.
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‘Aliya,’ starring Samaira Sandhu, Neel Bhattacharya, and Srijita Das, attempts a bold take on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the reality of Autistic persons in the current milieu. This directorial venture by Shrestha Ganguly pinpoints all the brutal truths around the world of Autistic persons. The movie was shot almost entirely in Kolkata and has been streaming on the Minara Film YouTube channel since 17th November 2022.
Only a scanty part of the global population has yet realized that Autism is a developmental disorder rather than a mental illness. The lion’s share of the population still considers and treats Autistic persons as burdens. Even in a country like India, where around 18 Million people struggle with Autistic issues, the subject is still taboo. It is to such an arena that ‘Aliya’ gives a hearty yet brave attempt to redefine the notions around the world of Autism.
The team behind ‘Aliya’ expects the film to strip society of all the judgments that exist on Autism, just the way a growing awareness is being constructed around mental health issues worldwide. People have started keeping an open mind towards mental health issues, which once was taboo too, and are creating required assistance options to cope up with them. ‘Aliya’ look forward to developing such a non-judgmental and receptive environment for Autistic persons one day.
The movie talks about the life and struggles of an autistic child played by baby Srijita and how society responds and reciprocates to the child’s basic needs to grow up like any other girl. The perfect portrayal of the protagonist Aliya by Srijita Das, elevates the film to a must-watch. The performances of the pivotal characters, played by Neel Bhattacharya and Samaira Sandhu, stir up the soul of any viewers and appeal directly to the essential humanity within. The movie successfully touches on the humane aspect of every viewer and reminds them of the necessity to treat autistic people with compassion and kindness.
The discussion on ‘Aliya’ won’t be complete without mentioning the producer Minara Akter. This successful Bangladeshi entrepreneur, currently resides in New York, is the pillar behind the daring attempt called ‘Aliya’. The difficult times of the pandemic gave enough time for Minara to work on socially relevant concepts that were worth sharing with the people. Her relentless attempts at developing a story worth telling the world culminated in ‘Aliya’. Her decision to pick such an understated yet highly relevant social issue as her debutant media venture sheds light on the noble cause for which she stands.
The vision of Minara has been promptly executed by the director Shrestha Ganguly on screen. A talented team of technicians backed the producer-director duo, and the output of this collective effort is visible on screen. Both the trailer of ‘Aliya’ and the whole movie, released on 14th and 17th November 2022, respectively, has been earning the love and respect of movie buffs and is continuing to stream on the YouTube channel Minara Film. From the concept to casting and scripting to performances, ‘Aliya’ is indeed a film that should be watched and celebrated right now.
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