Naseeruddin Shah's Docu-Role: Afghan Refugees in India

New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah has taken on a new role as the executive producer of the short documentary "Far from Home," which focuses on the challenges faced by Afghan refugees in India. This marks Shah's debut as an executive producer in the documentary genre, highlighting the film’s critical message and significance, as per a press release.

Shah shared his perspective, emphasizing the lasting importance of documentaries over feature films. "I’ve always believed the primary role of cinema is to document the events of its time. As the sole medium capable of doing so, I consider documentaries more valuable for posterity than feature films," Shah remarked in a statement.

The documentary, directed by acclaimed journalist Ankita M Kumar, narrates the story of Samira Faizi. Faizi is an Afghan refugee who fled to India in 2021 after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. The film delves into Faizi's ongoing battle to forge a new life amid India's evolving political climate and scrutinizes the implications of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which excludes Muslim refugees from obtaining citizenship, affecting refugees like Faizi.

Kumar acknowledged the complexity of refugee rights in India, stating. "Refugee rights are a complicated subject in India, and with the current political climate, many refugees fear speaking out publicly. However, I admire Samira for her courage in sharing her story and raising global awareness about the circumstances of Afghan refugees in India. When we think of refugees, we often envisage them on boats to Europe or at the US-Mexico border. But discussions seldom focus on refugees in countries lacking mechanisms for integration," she explained.

The film is produced by Brent E Huffman with support from the Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting. "I take great pride in being a part of 'Far from Home,' a poignant and essential documentary that addresses the issues faced by refugees and immigrants in India, Afghanistan, and worldwide. Ankita Kumar is an emerging influential voice in documentary filmmaking, dedicated to raising awareness about the struggles of individuals like Samira and her family, aiming to better their challenging situation," Huffman expressed.

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