Filmmaker Statement

My mother has always been a huge influence in my life. Whether it was increasing female literacy and life expectancy rates in Afghanistan or generating awareness for female education in India, she let that become a part of her identity and subsequently, imbibed those values in me. It was in October 2020 when I decided to write my first feature film based on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), right when GBV was termed as a shadow pandemic due to COVID-19. My aim with the film is to highlight the nuances behind post-traumatic stress, and show the audience what it takes to cope with gender-based violence. The short film, Preet, also serves as an introduction to its subsequent feature film. Working Logline of the feature film : After escaping her sexually abusive past in Amritsar, India, a marital rape survivor, Preet finds herself on the streets of Bronx, New York City, trying to find her only real friend and confidant in NYC, Joyce, Preet's roommate and a domestic help by profession.