00:00She held her baby close while talking to the camera, her daughter just six months old when
00:04she shot the film.
00:05Since the Kerala State Film Awards were announced, one name has stood out, Shamla Hamza.
00:11She won the Best Actress at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards for her performance in
00:15Femichini Fatima, Fazil Mohammed's quiet yet sharp take on patriarchy.
00:20In the film, Shamla plays Fatima, a mother of three in a conservative coastal town.
00:25Through wit and quiet rebellion, Fatima carries the invisible weight of domestic life.
00:30Her laughter, her pauses, her silences, they all tell a story.
00:34A native of Palakkar, Shamla never chased the camera.
00:37She spent over a decade in Dubai as a radio jockey.
00:40Her voice familiar but her face unknown.
00:43She had gone to an audition for Thousand One Nun Kaal, hoping to write lyrics but
00:47director Thamar KV cast her as Salma instead.
00:50On that set was Fazil Mohammed, who later remembered her for Femichini Fatima.
00:55Shooting the film wasn't easy.
00:57Shamla was still nursing her six-month-old, often bringing the baby to set.
01:02She said she was always tired, constantly thinking about her child.
01:06But Fazil and the crew supported her through every scene.
01:09When Femichini Fatima premiered at the International Film Festival and was later released in theatres,
01:14Shamla's performance stood out, raw, instinctive and real.
Comments