The largest global OTT platform for Indian content, ZEE5 Global has announced an exciting original film MeeRaqsam that is all set to hit the screens on the 21st of August. The Naseeruddin Shah starrer is a tribute to Shabana and Baba Azmi’s father, Kaifi Azmi who was known for bringing Urdu literature to motion pictures.  

The film’s enthralling plot moves beyond the confines of all stereotypes, presenting the story of a father who is willing to stand by his daughter’s dreams. The moving narrative centres around the life of a young girl from a small village who aspires to become a dancer. While society opposes her dreams, it’s her father that stands by her with his trust, unwavering belief, and support to finally help her achieve them. 

The drama marks the directorial debut of the very talented Baba Azmi and showcases phenomenal performances of Naseeruddin Shah, Danish Husain, and Aditi Subedi. MeeRaqsam has garnered immense love from the industry including from Farhan Akhtar, Satish Kaushik and Boney Kapoor post its announcement on social media. The film is shot in and around Shabana Azmi’s ancestral village Mijwan, Uttar Pradesh.  

“It is absolutely heart-warming to see ‘MeeRaqsam’ produced and directed by my brother Baba Azmi getting introduced to the world through a global platform like ZEE5. It is the first film I am presenting, and it is a homage to our father Kaifi Azmi who was one of the torchbearers of India’s composite culture which the film celebrates. It is an inspiring tale about a father standing resolutely behind his young daughter’s desire to dance. In these dark times, MeeRaqsam offers hope and elevates the soul”, expresses Shabana Azmion the premiere of MeeRaqsam. 

“The simplicity of the film will grapple the audience in absolute awe. MeeRaqsam is made with a lot of love and purity, it beautifully portrays the father-daughter relationship. It is about a daughter’s aspiration and her father supporting her dreams and choices irrespective of what the society says. It shows the power of this beautiful bond. The film will premiere on 21st August on ZEE5,” says actor Naseeruddin Shah 

Baba Azmi shares how and why the film is so close to him.“Many years ago, my father Kaifi Azmi had asked me, ‘Baba is it possible for you to shoot a film in Mijwan?’ (My father was born in Mijwan, a village in Eastern UP). We both smiled at each other because we both knew what a formidable task that would be. A village with no roads, no amenities, no infrastructure. But his question stuck with me. Now, many years later I was able to do just that. It gives me immense pleasure to have made my directorial debut as a tribute to my father Kaifi Azmi . I’m delighted that MeeRaqsam is going to premiere on 21st August on ZEE5 and I hope it will give this inspiring story the global reach it deserves.” 

Earlier this year, the film had an exclusive screening attended by Aamir Khan, Vidya Balan, Varun Dhawan, Manish Malhotra, Mahesh Bhatt, David Dhawan, and many more, all who were all praises for the film.