The teaser for debutant director Saif Hyder Hasan’s Hindi feature film Yes Papa was shared by Bollywood actress and Hon’ble Member of Parliament Hema Malini.

Hema Malini, who has played strong female characters on screen and on stage such as Meera, Razia Sultan, Durga, Draupadi, and Sita, believes that our society needs to be more aware of and protective of children, particularly girls. “This is a critical issue, and when creative producer Ram Kamal Mukherjee showed me the teaser, I realized we needed to make films to raise awareness in our society. Child abuse is a horrific act, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Kudos to filmmaker Saif Hyder Hasan for taking such care with such a delicate subject “, Hema Malini said on social media when she shared the teaser.

This monochrome film follows a young girl who has been sexually assaulted by her own father for years. “Girls are taught to be cautious when they leave the safety of their homes since childhood. However, no one is prepared if the predator lives next door. When the predator is the one who is supposed to protect them – in this case, her father – no one is prepared. At least four cases of such inhuman acts are reported in the newspapers every week, which we tend to overlook,” said director Saif Hyder Hasan.

Hasan is best known for his critically acclaimed Hindi plays “Ek Mulaqaat,” “Gardish Mein Taare,” and “Mr. and Mrs. Murarilal.” Deepti Naval, Shekhar Suman, Sonali Kulkarni, Satish Kaushik, Zeenat Aman, and Arif Zakaria are among the veteran actors with whom he has collaborated. He has also adapted a short story by Gulzar Adhdha, written two books, and directed a number of plays that have received critical and public acclaim.

In the film, actress Geetika Tyagi portrays a protagonist who was sexually assaulted as a child.

“This is one of the most burning social issues that are often brushed under the carpet,” said Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, a multiple national award-winning actor, and director who plays the antagonist. “Yes Papa, directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, is a compelling watch because no other film has addressed this important issue. The film sensitively explores a terrifying situation and a resolute conclusion that doesn’t mince words without resorting to graphic details” added the actor-director.

The cast of the film consists of Geetika Tyagi, Ananth Mahadevan, Divya Seth Shah, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Hasan Zaidi, Nandita Puri, Sanjeev Tyagi.

Abhijeet Deshpande, a veteran editor, edited the film, which has been brilliantly shot. Ratnesh Bhagat has designed a narrative in which music and background play an important role. Nandita Puri, a well-known journalist, and author, makes her film debut as Ananth’s wife. While Divya Seth portrays the judge, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Sanjeev Tyagi portray the public prosecutor.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee serves as creative producer on the film, which is produced by Sadia Mustahsin Hasan under the banner of Araad Dreams. Hema Malini’s biography was previously written by Ram Kamal Mukherjee.

The film is eyeing for release soon.

Priyanka Dutta