Key Points
Arastu ZakiasshortfilmRiha (Unlocked)opens with a typical middle-class familygoing about their lives: amother preparingdinner, a son fetchinga glass of water for his father,followed by the husband and wifesharinga bed.Normal, everyday scenes.Except this family is Muslim, andRihais Arastus tribute to his mother,Zakia Soman, the womens rights activist who spearheaded the fight against triple talaq...
Through his debut short feature, Arastu pays tribute to Zakia Soman and her personal journeyof escapingan abusive marriage..
The film is also a reminder of Zakia Somans fight alongside other women petitioners like Shayara Bano and Gulshan Parveen, who challenged the practice of triple talaq in court..
The mother, Zoya (Indu Sharma), is an activist who works with her husband, Mirza (Ashwath Bhatt), at a womens and child rights NGO.They tryto helpa victim of triple talaq named Ayesha (Vara Raturi),who is at the mercy of her husbands whimsand abuse..
But it also highlightsthesolidarity of women, which has been crucial in the triple talaq movement, said Zakia Soman, who has written extensively on issues of peace and justice, minorityrights,and human rights for leading newspapers, including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and The Indian Express..
