BAAB is Al Khaja’s first art-house feature film which she wrote alongside widely respected writer and editor Masoud Amralla Al Ali.
Nayla Al Khaja has teamed up with two-time Academy Award-winning music director AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) on her upcoming feature film Baab. Elly Senger-Weiss and Sultan Al Darmaki are onboard to produce the thrilling mystery, with Muna Easa Al Gurg set to executive produce. The film will begin shooting in March 2023 in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates.
Baab is Al Khaja’s first art-house feature film which she wrote alongside widely respected writer and editor Masoud Amralla Al Ali.
The Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning composer AR Rahman will score the music for the film. With record sales of more than 200m worldwide, AR Rahman has composed and produced original scores and songs for more than 145 films and 200 soundtracks during his three-decade-long career.
Baab begins with the discovery of cassette tapes hidden behind the green door which leads Wahida down a murky path. Unable to make sense of her twin sister’s mysterious death she is plagued by a haunting rhythm in her ears. Her relentless pursuit begins to untangle unresolved grief taking her deep into the mountains to delve into the complexities of the human soul. Baab unwinds into the very depths of madness and mayhem where the line between truth and imagination blurs.
The northern Emirate will provide the film’s backdrop of dramatic vistas of the spectacular Jais mountains and will cast indigenous people from Ras Al Khaimah to achieve the utmost authenticity in the film.
Speaking about the film and her new venture with AR Rahman, Nayla Al Khaja commented: “My grandmother came from the mountains, they have never been captured in a feature before, the sheer access to the indigenous people of Ras Al Khaimah and the soulful script is an untold story that I am eager to tell. With AR Rahman on board, we will live a very immersive journey that is authentic, haunting and real.”
AR Rahman added: “I’m delighted to be working with Nayla on her feature film BAAB, she’s a passionate and promising filmmaker and an important creative voice within the Gulf region. The script is enigmatic, thought-provoking and promises to be both visually and emotionally engaging for universal audiences. I’m looking forward to the journey.”
Al Khaja is also in pre-production on her debut feature film Three, which is scheduled to go into production during Q3 this year.
