Purdah

In the beginning of this documentary directed by Jeremy Guy, viewers are told that purdah is a veil or screen and can also refer to something that Muslim women wear to keep hidden. The film focuses on the Mirza family in India, particularly Kaikasha, who loves playing cricket and hopes to make it on a Mumbai women’s cricket team. Filmed in cinema verité style, the film follows Kaikasha as she rides the train to cricket practice before coming home to interact with her parents and siblings, the latter including two sisters whose dreams and aspirations don’t always mesh with parental or religious viewpoints. Just as Kaikasha is about to learn if she makes the team, the screen goes black, the footage speeds up, the background piano music intensifies, and the documentary fast forwards three years, bringing viewers up to speed on surprising family developments, including abandonment, abuse, arranged marriage, relocation, and childbirth. Ultimately, the Mirza siblings, including a younger brother who was forced to drop out of school in eighth grade, persevere through hurdles and against obstacles in this engaging portrait of a family and their future. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Beauregard)