Another movie in line on city’s historic love story

Filmmaker Syed Rafi announces a film on Khair-un-nissa

While the cameras are yet to roll for William Dalrymple’s movie adaptation of his book ‘The White Mughals’, a city-based director, Syed Rafi, is all set to make a film on Khair-un-nissa (the granddaughter of Nawab Mahmood Ali Khan, the Prime Minister of the erstwhile State of Hyderabad), whose love story with an Englishman - James Achilles Kirkpatrick - was the central theme of Mr. Dalrymple’s historical retelling.

Mr. Rafi informed about his plans after reading an article about Mr. Dalrymple’s yet-to-begin movie adaptation published in these columns a few days ago. “I had even gone to Scotland to shoot at some locations and find a character to play the Englishman’s role. I also tried to contact the descendants of Kirkpatrick, but was unsuccessful,” he claimed.

The 36-year-old movie-maker, who hails from Husnabad in Karimnagar district, has directed four movies till date. “The last one to release was ‘Inkennallu’ in December 2011 which was a feature film on the lives of three generations of a family from rural Telangana. It captured their suffering between 1947 and 2009, and their survival in the feudal system,” explained Mr. Rafi, who is currently residing in Hyderabad.

The shooting for the movie, which will be titled ‘Khair-un-nissa’, is most likely to begin in four months.

Rafi , however, is not too convinced about the portrayal of Khair-un-nissa in the book ‘The White Mughals’.

“Mr. Dalrymple’s book makes it look like she was after Kirkpatrik, whereas it was the other way round,” he charged. He too is looking at the Koti Womens’ College as an important set to shoot for his film and hopes to launch the premiere of his movie at the Chowmahalla Palace after seeking permission from the authorities concerned.

“Apart from the college, we have to recreate some of the sets, which can be designed with the help of animation,” he said. The movie will also feature a new face for the role of Khair-un-nissa, as regular actors will not be suitable, felt Mr. Rafi.

“Preferably a Muslim girl, whose mother tongue is Urdu, will be chosen for the role. We are looking for someone whose facial features resemble the lead female character,” he explained, and added that he has teamed up with a Scottish company Scotindus Production to produce the film.