Holy Rights

Filmed over four years, Holy Rights relates the struggles of Safia—a deeply religious Muslim woman from Bhopal—against the patriarchal mindset of the interpreters of Sharia law, which she believes denies women within her community equality and justice. Safia joins a programme that trains women as Qazis—Muslim clerics, traditionally male, who administer the law. As she passes through uncharted territory, Safia faces the tensions that accompany the act of owning her own narrative. After several other women join the programme, the film examines the arbitrary nature of triple talaq (instant divorce by saying “talaq” thrice). It also documents the fight to break free from both patronising voices within Muslim women’s communities, and outside forces that seek to appropriate their movement for political gain.

Country:

India

Genre:

Documentary

Duration:

53 minutes

Year:

2020

Director:

Farha Khatun

Cast:
Safia Akhtar

Herself

Crew:
Priyanka More

Producer

Santajit Chatterjee

Music

Priyanka Biswas

Cinematography

Debalina Majumder

Cinematography

Sankhajit Biswas

Editor