We're back! Sorry for the slight delay, but we were busy over the holidays. 

Our first episode back isn't a Bollywood banger (coming soon, promise), but the beautiful Naseem, made in 1995 by Saeed Ahktar Mirza. This is the story of a young muslim girl growing up in Mumbai, whilst elsewhere, in the months leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid mosque in Ayodhya.  

However, this film transcends its loaded context to become a beautifully observed story of innocence lost, as social relations around Naseem gradually become more fraught whilst her grandfather regales her with stories of simpler, pre-independence times. 

There's a lot to get stuck into in this episode- the context of the event itself, the role of the grandfather (wonderfully played by lyricist Kaifa Azmi), national and religious identity, and the experience of growing up around Mumbai at the time the movie was set (which Smytta did). If all that sounds like a heady feast, dive in!