CWC Global: “Polite Society”

Combining wry British humor with with vibrant Bollywood choreography and explosive martial arts action, Polite Society (2023) is Nida Manzoor’s feature film directorial debut. The film follows the sprightly British-Pakistani teenager Ria Khan. An aspiring stunt performer, Ria lives at home in London with her parents and art-school-dropout sister Lena, who is set to be married to the affluent and attractive geneticist Salim. Suspicious of Salim’s intentions, Ria sets out on a quest to sabotage her sister’s relationship, believing that Lena is making a terrible mistake. With the assistance of her friends, she stages an elaborate wedding heist to restore her sister’s independence and the bonds of their relationship.

In this event, Kashif Shaikh, co-founder and president of Pillar’s Fund (a non-profit organization that amplifies the leadership, narratives, and talents of Muslims in the United States to advance opportunity and justice for all), will join Mona Damluji (Film and Media, UCSB) for a post-screening discussion of Polite Society.