The RizTest Podcast

Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan Kareem! 🕋

We geek out and level up this week with the amazingly talented Osama Dorias and discuss the topic of representation of Muslims in Video Games🕹. 

Osama is Lead Games Designer at Warner Brother Games Canada, authored the Independent Video Games programme at Dawson College (Qubec) , founded the Montreal Independent Games Awards and is President of the Muslim In Games Special Interest Group for the IGDA (International Games Developers Association).

Osama is also a prolific public speaker talking about Muslim Representation in Video Games at conferences around the world, most notably at the Games Developer Conference presenting a “How to Guide to Muslim Representation in Video Games”.

We discuss:

Games covered:

It’s been a long time in the making but here we are with our Bollywood special. 

We sit down (in our own homes) with the talented Mr Asim Burney, host and producer of the Khandaan podcast to talk about Muslim Representation in Bollywood.

Shownotes below:

· The Khandaan Podcast

· Who is Bollywood for?

· Sense of cultural betrayal – when did Bollywood start demonising Muslims?

· Perspectives on Bollywood from Muslims in the US, UK and Europe

· Are there any nuanced representations of Muslims

· Why don’t Muslim actors speak out?

· Shahrukh Khan’s article for New York Times, Outlook Turning Points: “Being a Khan”, 2013

o https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/shah-rukh-khan-on-being-a-muslim-outlook-turning-points-magazine-152347-2013-01-23

· Aamir Khan’s statement on intolerance in India

o “I am alarmed, my wife suggested moving out of India” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Aamir-Khan-on-intolerance-I-am-alarmed-my-wife-suggested-moving-out-of-India/articleshow/49897156.cms#

And here’s a full list of movies we cover in this episode:

· Kal Ho Na Ho (2003)

· Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)

· Delhi Belly (2011)

· Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)

· Sholay (1975)

· Darr (1993)

· Sarfarosh (1999)

· Border (1997)

· Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001)

· Andhadhun (2018) Positive Muslim Representation

· Gully Boy (2019) Positive Muslim Representation

· 24, True Lies, Jack Ryan

· Vada Chennai (2018)

· Trance (2020)

· Pakeezah (1972)

· Mughal-E-Azam (1960)

· Coolie (1983)

· Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998)

· Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)

· Dil Se (1998)

· Bharat (2019)

· Sultan (2016)

· Mr India (1987)

Hey hey Mary J ✊🏽

We’re back after a hiatus working on personal projects (both of us dabbling in a bit of writing on the forthcoming book, I Refuse To Condemn – edited by the talented Asim Qureshi) with a brand new episode. We’re chuffed to bits to be able to finally sit down (virtually) in this new socially isolated world with our guest Daniel York Loh. We discuss his start in the theatre, writing productions such as The Fu Manchu Complex which challenges the 'Yellow Peril' racist stereotype and talk through early years breaking into the film industry. We have an awesome wide ranging conversation that covers:

You can follow Daniel on Twitter at @danielfyork

We’re back with Season 2!💥✊🏽

Did you miss us? We’re back with an amazing deep dive into Iranian cinema with the wonderful Dr. Zahra Khosroshahi, friend of the RizTest and scholar at the University of East Anglia. We talk about post revolutionary feminist representation in Iranian cinema, creativity with the backdrop of censorship and why Iranian Cinema is so much more than Persepolis.

Intro trailer: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Notes:

Recommended feature films by Rakhshan Banietemad

Other Iranian directors mentioned by Zahra:

Must watch Diaspora Iranian films:

Interview with Rakhshan Banietemad

Iranian Film Festival (London)

A platform for watching Iranian films

Other notes:

TEN!✊🏽

Sadia and Shaf catch up on what has been going on in the world of representation, what we've been up to in the little break we've had and what we have planned in the coming weeks.

Notes:

Nine!✊🏽

We meet with long time supporter and ally of the RizTest, Nina Bhagwat to discuss the nuances and importance of Off Screen Diversity. Nina is an accomplished TV professional having established, commissioned and championed a host of diversity initiatives. Nina is how Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the Warner Music Group and Chair of the Steering Committee at the Creative Industries Alliance. We double down on Off Screen diversity and how this shapes the narrative of what we see on screen.

Notes:

Eid Mubarak! 🌙🎉

We link up with the hilarious Tez Ilyas who is currently living his best life co-starring in the second season of Man Like Mobeen (recommissioned for a third - boom!) and smashing it on all fronts. We drink tea, eat fruit and discuss Tez’s origin story, current projects and exciting projects on the horizon. 

Sadia and Shaf also catch up after Eid for a long overdue news round up, discuss the absolute state of the new live-action Aladdin movie, Museums engaging with wider communities and biases in Artificial Intelligence.

Books mentioned:

Show Notes:

This Ep is *next* level 💯

We are huge super-fans of our guest, Professor Evelyn Alsultany who is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. 

We speak to the good prof and delve deep into her experience researching Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim representations in film and the media.

Books discussed:

Films & Shows discussed:

It’s Ramadan 🌙 and this episode is ALL about the hit Hulu show Ramy, devised by and starring Ramy Youssef.

💥Spoiler Alert💥

Shaf and Sadia are honoured to be joined by Sahar Jahani, one of the writers from the show who shares amazing behind the scenes insights into what goes into writing a show like Ramy and representing authentic Muslim experiences.

We discuss with Sahar:

We love hearing your feedback, so please get in touch on @theriztest or email in on [email protected] and leave us your thoughts!