“We’re celebrating this love between mothers and daughters”: Fawzia Mirza and Nimra Bucha on The Queen of My Dreams

The Queen of My Dreams the genre-defying feature debut from Fawzia Mirza, sparked by the filmmaker’s desire to better understand her own mother and reconcile her queer and Muslim identities via a love letter to Bollywood romance. Ambitiously unfolding across different time periods and countries – namely 1969 Karachi, Pakistan, 80s Nova Scotia and 90s Toronto – and through interconnected storylines, it’s a joyride of a coming-of-age tale, told with cinematic flair in vibrant technicolour.

The Upcoming spoke to Mirza about how the feature evolved from a short film and stage play into the movie it is today. Nimra Bucha, who plays Mariam, Azra’s mother, shared the appeal and challenges of portraying the complex, nuanced mother-daughter dynamic it explores, slowly allowing each to understand the other better. The pair also discussed the joys of going all out on the costumes and sets to capture the differing time periods, and the importance of striking a tone that balances humour and grief rather than dwelling on trauma in a way that South Asian stories often do. Both spoke highly of Amrit Kaur’s phenomenal performance as both Azra and a younger Mariam, and the film’s universal appeal, transcending genres to offer an effervescent, multifaceted representation of Muslim women’s lives. 

Sarah Bradbury

The Queen of My Dreams is released in select cinemas on 13^th September 2024.

Watch the trailer for The Queen of My Dreams here: