The Great Shamsuddin Family: 'Refreshing, Brave Portrayal Of Muslims&#8217

Mumbai ~ For actor Kritika Kamra, it was refreshing to see Muslims being portrayed as normal people in“The Great Shamsuddin Family” and without the conventional dramatisation that's often associated with minority narratives in cinema.

Kamra plays the central character of Bani Ahmed in the comedy-drama, written and directed by Anusha Rizvi of“Peepli Live” fame. The film follows Bani, who faces her most important deadline while her house erupts in family chaos, forcing her to juggle a 12-hour writing sprint with an unfolding domestic emergency.

“It was so refreshing to just read a story about a normal family. It's one of those things that is very brave in many ways. It is about an Indian Muslim family with so many women. It is so different from what you generally see in cinema, but it doesn't do that by making any loud points,” Kamra told PTI in an interview.

“All of the characters are a little bit messy and have their own insecurities. They are very real, relatable people that you and I know. So, when I auditioned for it, I didn't even know it was about an Indian Muslim family till then because Bani is a very common name,” she said.

Kamra said Bani embodies the complexities and vulnerabilities of modern Muslim women.

Referring to the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims in cinema, the actor said,“The Great Shamsuddin Family” breaks the notion and presents it as“any other Indian family” facing issues like“generational gaps and judging one another”, among other things.

“And you always see a certain representation, which is more common in cinema, where you see Muslim women dressed or behaving a certain way, which are all also real and fine. There is space for that, but here you don't see that at all. You see a modern Muslim woman in Bani, and you see a modern Indian Muslim family. And that's really refreshing to see. When you see or read it, you realise that all Indian families are very common,” the 37-year-old actor said.

Kamra, known for her projects like“Saare Jahan Se Accha”,“Tandav” and“Bheed”,

said when she signs on to something, the film or story's core message and politics should resonate with her own principles as an artist.

“I think the politics of the film have to align with yours. I don't mean the politics of my character. I played a gangster on screen who's killing people, so not the politics of the character or even the filmmaker. But it is important how the film looks at its women, and also it doesn't vilify any group or community. These are some of those things that I keep in mind when I'm choosing a part.”

The film, produced by Ajit Andhare, Alok Jain, Vipin Agnihotri and Mahmood Farooqui under Star Studio18, premiered on JioHotstar on December 12. It has received rave reviews from critics.

Kamra, who has been garnering acclaim for her work in“The Great Shamsuddin Family”, said the film was a“big opportunity” for her as she got to be directed by Rizvi in a central role.

“It is a big deal for me,” Kamra said, adding that she is“obsessively” reading everything being written about the movie on social media.

“It feels very hard-earned, and eventually when you get appreciation for it, it's a huge relief. It has boosted my self-confidence,” Kamra added.

The film boasts of an ensemble cast including Shreya Dhanwanthary, Juhi Babbar, Sheeba Chaddha, Farida Jalal, Dolly Ahluwalia and Purab Kohli, among others.

“It was like being on a family holiday. It just reminded me of the times when I went to my nani's house for winter vacation; it was like having some elders in the house and your cousins, it was a really warm atmosphere,” she said.

On the sets, Kamra said the 76-year-old Jalal would often share stories about her experience of working with acclaimed directors like Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra, while Ahluwalia talked about her early days as a costume designer on“Bandit Queen”, among many other things.

“It's a joy to watch them perform. They were all sharing stories; the banter you see on screen was very much there. A lot of that was happening off screen. People were sharing food. It was a very homely atmosphere on set,” she added.

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