Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS): The Baba Azmi directorial Mee Raqsam has been chosen to be opening film at Coalition of South Asian Film Festivals (CoSAFF) 2020. The film presented by Shabana Azmi launched on OTT recently.

"It was the first time I was presenting a film and it is a homage to our father Kaifi Azmi, who was one of the torchbearers of India's composite culture, which the film celebrates," said Shabana Azmi.

She added it was gladdening to see the film's young lead Aditi Subedi become an inspiration to many young girls in Mijwan, late poet Kaifi Azmi's home town where the story is based.

"With CoSAFF 2020 recognising the hard work by making it the opening film for the festival, I hope we can reach out to more people and spread the message of hope and desire", said Azmi.

CoSAFF is a first of its kind event that brings together seven well-established South Asian Film Festivals from across North America to produce one unified film festival, to be held online from October 3 to 17.

The film features Danish Husain with Aditi Subedi, Sudeepta Singh, Rakesh Chaturvedi Om, Kaustubh Shukla, Juhaina Ahsan and Shivangi Gautam, and has Naseeruddin Shah in a special role.

"Mee Raqsam" is about a Muslim father who struggles to ensure his daughter's dream of becoming a Bharatnatyam dancer comes true, against opposing religious extremists and orthodox societal diktats.