Six years after its digital premiere, filmmaker Sonam Nair's series Kaafir has been reimagined as a feature film, breathing fresh life into the story that first made waves for its emotionally charged narrative and standout performances.
Originally released as a streaming series, Kaafir revolves around Kainaaz Akhtar, a Pakistani woman who accidentally crosses into Indian territory and is subsequently imprisoned under suspicion of being a militant.
Portrayed by Dia Mirza, Kainaaz's harrowing journey resonated deeply with audiences, especially due to the show's exploration of powerful themes, hard-hitting moments and Dia's compelling portrayal of the lead character.
While the story's transition from a series to a film provided Dia with another opportunity to explore her character's emotional depth, the actor recently opened up about the toll one particular scene took on her - both physically and mentally.
"I remember when we shot the rape scene; it was so hard. I was shaking physically after we got done with filming that scene. I remember throwing up. I vomited after we finished rolling that entire sequence. That's how emotionally and physically demanding those situations were. When you take your entire body into the truth of that moment, you feel it. You feel it in its full extent," she shared during a conversation with CNN-News18 Showsha.
The experience, she said, nurtured maternal instincts in her long before she became a mother in real life.
"I think the first and most important thing one needs to feel as an artist is empathy towards the character that you're playing and embodying. So that when you play, you're absolutely true to the story and to everything within it. Playing Kainaaz actually made me a mother much before I became a biological mother. It was because of the kind of intensity and ferocity and love and protectiveness I felt for her while working on the show," she added.
Written by Bhavani Iyer, Kaafir follows the story of Kainaaz Akhtar, who is wrongfully imprisoned as a militant. According to its official IMDb synopsis, "Journalist Vedant discovers her and her daughter, who was born in prison. Motivated by a strong sense of justice, he embarks on a mission to uncover the truth."
The movie version of Kaafir is now available for streaming on ZEE5.
