Mee Raqsam
Ratings: 4.8/5
Director: Baba Azmi
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi
Release Date: 21st August 2020
Streaming Platform: Zee 5
Star Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Danish Hussain, Aditi Subedi, Rakesh Chaturvedi Om. Shraddha Kaul, Farrukh Jafar, Sudeepta Singh
Plot:
Set in the town of Mijwan, Azamgarh, the story of Mee Raqsam focusses on the young Maryam (Aditi Subedi) and her passion for Bharatnatyam. The movie begins with the death of her mother, which leaves Maryam alone with her poor father Salim (Danish Hussain). She develops an interest in Bharatnatyam, a popular dance form of the Hindus, and her father encourages her to learn. Soon, she becomes an excellent dancer until some members of the Muslim community take offense to her dancing.
Led by Hashim Seth (Naseeruddin Shah), they ostracize Salim, which affects his livelihood. Meanwhile, Maryam faces issues on another end as the Hindu community is not ready to accept a Muslim dancer.
Review:
The film is directed by Baba Azmi and presented by Shabana Azmi as a tribute to their father and legendary poet Kaifi Azmi. This film tells the story of a father who goes against society to help his daughter pursue her dream of being a classical dancer. The film offers an interesting take on the fundamentalists in both Hindu and Muslim religions in society.
The audience will be able to witness the emotional bond between a father and daughter as together they fight religious fundamentalism and patriarchy in the latter's pursuit of classical dance.
Mee Raqsam introduces us to Aditi Subedi, who is exceptionally talented in her dance. Her performance is sincere, and she shows promise in the art. Danish Hussain as her father is every young girl’s dream. He is kind, supportive, and emotionally available to her. Salim is determined not to let anyone, or anything get in the way of his daughter’s dreams, even if that means standing up to Naseeruddin Shah’s Hashim Seth.
Naseeruddin Shah needs no introduction to the excellence of his art. He has a small yet significant role where he leaves a prominent mark. It is certain that an actor of his capability could pull such a strong performance in a short screen timing.
Mee Raqsam tries throwing light on the stereotypes that exist in society against Muslims while also showing the intolerance within. There’s no attempt to take any sides. In fact, through the medium of dance, the film tries to bridge the divide between the two communities by giving us a fantastic fusion of Bharatnatyam performed to Sufi music.
This film is unique because it brings the spotlight on Indian classical dance.
The best part is that a story like Mee Raqsam is not preachy at all; it presents the stark reality. That’s it!
