In August 2017 the Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) held a conference at the Press Club in Mumbai to applaud the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring instant triple talaq invalid. One of the activists at the forefront of this landmark moment was Zakia Soman. Soman is the co-founder of an organisation called Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA).

Son shine

Arastu Zakia, Zakia Soman’s son, has made a 30-minute film called ‘Riha’ (unlocked) inspired by his mother’s life. The Andheri-based filmmaker said his debut work explores the emotional and complex journey of a Muslim woman trapped in an abusive marriage. ‘Riha’ is to be shown at Tasveer on October 19, the South Asian Oscar-qualifying film festival in Seattle (USA). An Oscar-qualifying film festival is a festival that has a partnership with The Academy, films from these festivals, if chosen, are the official entry by the Film Festival for the Oscar awards.