ANHAD: A WAY OF LOOKING

Directors:

Writers:

Syed Ahmad Rufai

Producers:

Run Time:

0:21:21

Awarded for the following Category(s):

Awarded Category(s)

Two visually impaired artists offer an imaginative exploration of the world through their perspectives. Moving beyond conventional sight, the film shifts the gaze inward - revealing an uncharted sensory landscape that challenges how we perceive and understand reality.

The film breaks the dichotomy of ableness and imagines how artists make sense of the world. Challenging different concepts and basic understanding of the world, the artists take us on a journey to confront a new reality that might have not been thought about otherwise.

Anhad touches on the ancient Indian concept of Navaras - the nine fundamental emotions that form the essence of human experience. Using this framework, the film reflects on the complexities of contemporary Indian society, drawing from personal narratives and broader socio-political realities.

As the artists navigate their surroundings, relationships, and inner lives, Anhad becomes more than a portrayal of individual resilience. It is a meditation on the boundless nature of human imagination and the many ways in which we construct meaning in the world. Through their vision, the film redefines seeing - not as an act of the eye, but of the mind and soul.

Submitter Statement

"Looking" has long been a majoritarian act - shaped, dictated, and controlled by those who see. Society prescribes vision as means through which we perceive the world, often silencing or sidelining alternative ways of reality.

This film is an alternative to the dominant gaze. A story told through the eyes of visually impaired artists on the themes that shape our collective human experience - life, love, politics, caste, class, religion, and the structures of power that govern them all.

What makes their viewpoint radical is not what they lack, but what they reveal. Freed from the tyranny of the visual, they offer a deeper, more textured understanding of the world. These experiences and insights defy the stereotypes that have long kept them on the margins of discourse, and instead place them firmly at the center of conversations from which they've been historically excluded.

The film creates a space for their voices (raw and unfiltered) to lead us into a new way of seeing - an invitation to unlearn and reimagine the world beyond the limits of sight.

Syed Ahmad Rufai is an independent storyteller and multimedia journalist who works at the intersection of contemporary politics, surveillance, and culture. Rufai takes interest in exploring and understanding about the forces driving the world and its impact on society. Hailing from the mystical valley of Kashmir often referred to as the land of saints, Rufai’s formative years were shaped by the region’s rich spiritual heritage as well as its long-standing political conflict. These have had influences on his narrative sensibilities, forming a blend of poetic introspection and socio-political urgency. Rufai takes great interest in unconventional approach to storytelling. He gravitates toward non-linear and experimental forms.

Key Cast

Other Credits

Cinematographer: Anzar Mehraj

Editor: Samah Qundeel

Sound Designer: Syed Muskan Shafiq

Research & Narrative: Syed Ahmad Rufai

ANHAD: A WAY OF LOOKING

Syed Ahmad Rufai

​

​

0:21:21

Submitter Statement