Amna Sherin Pullara's short film Monju: Dark and beautiful

There is happiness in Amna Sherin Pullara’s voice when she speaks of her maiden short film Monju. A native of Manjeri and a TTC student, she wrote the story, directed the film and acted in it. The film, which talks about sidelining people in the name of colour, has gone viral on YouTube. Amna, who is surprised by the reception, says, “I used to write poems when I was studying in Arabic College. A collection of my poems, Nanmayethedi, has been brought out in 2016.”

Monju was first conceived as a short story. “I wrote it as a conversation between two men—Shukkur and Anaz. They discuss the monju (beauty) of women,” says Amna. Monju features various dilemmas that a dark-skinned girl goes through in her life. She is marginalised by her peers and rejected by men during matchmaking, only for her colour. Though amateurish in treatment, it sends out a strong message to viewers— that beauty of heart matters the most.

Amna says the story is derived from her own experiences as well as the experiences of her friends. “You can understand this division when you go for functions like weddings. One of my friends, who had lost her father, told me about the various discriminations she had to face in life, especially during pennukanal. I could read her pain in her eyes. All these have contributed to the film,” says Amna, who always sees the brighter side of life.

“I love myself,” she says with a smile. How did Amna, who began her journey as a poet, get attracted to cinema? “It was writer Akbar Ali sir, who played the role of father in Monju, who paved my way to movies,” says Amna. “The first movie I watched in theatre was Aaradi. It left a deep impression. Then, I watched Manhole. When sir told me we need to narrate stories with a message, I briefed him on this subject. He also wrote the script of the film,” says Amna. Later Amna met Vidhu Vincent, director of Manhole, who encouraged her to give direction a shot. There were obstacles, but Amna was determined. “I added a few more elements in the story and made it into the current form,” she says. She is happy that her movie struck the right cord. She gets a lot of messages from girls who say she has portrayed their minds. And, now Amna wants to write a book on the subject.